Daniel Kebede's stark warning to Labour is that it is "letting down" the nation's children, according to the General Secretary of the National Education Union (NEU). The union leader made this scathing critique in a speech to delegates at the NEU's annual conference in Brighton on Thursday.
Mr Kebede highlighted a significant disconnect between Labour's stated ambitions for education and the reality on the ground in schools. He specifically referenced new policies regarding the Ofsted framework, the curriculum and assessment review, the children’s wellbeing bill, and the schools white paper. While acknowledging that the government's headline rhetoric was often welcome, he argued that the specifics of these policies were inadequate.
One area of major concern is the proposed overhaul of the special educational needs (SEN) system. Mr Kebede claimed that the plan to improve and extend inclusion in mainstream schools will "fail" without substantially greater investment. The Department for Education has pledged £1.6 billion over three years for inclusion, an additional £1.8 billion for local authorities to hire specialists, and £200 million for teacher training.
However, education unions – including the NEU – argue that these figures are insufficient to address the deep-seated issues. Mr Kebede powerfully stated, "You cannot promise inclusion whilst you starve the services that make inclusion real." He added that schools are "running on empty" and classrooms have become the "frontline of every unresolved crisis in our society."
The NEU General Secretary also delivered a stark warning regarding the union's political standing and potential future actions. He revealed that 65% of NEU members who voted Labour in 2024 now indicate they would not do so again, a statistic he urged the government not to "dismiss or explain away."