National Association of Schoolmasters

National Association of Schoolmasters
Name	National Association of Schoolmasters
Founded	1922
Dissolved	1976
Merged into	National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers
Headquarters	London
Key people	F. W. Fennell, Sir John Gilmour
Affiliation	Trades Union Congress, Confederation of British Industry

National Association of Schoolmasters The National Association of Schoolmasters was a British teachers' trade union formed in the early 20th century that represented male teachers in primary and secondary schools across England and Wales. It operated alongside organisations such as National Union of Teachers, Association of Teachers and Lecturers, National Union of Public Employees, and engaged with national bodies like Trades Union Congress, Central Advisory Council for Education (England) and local education authorities including London County Council and Manchester City Council. The union's activities intersected with broader debates involving figures and institutions such as Sir Alec Clegg, James Callaghan, Harold Wilson, Margaret Thatcher, and policies like the Education Act 1944, Education Reform Act 1988 and interactions with professional bodies including General Teaching Council for England and Islington Education Authority.

History

The union originated from splits and realignments involving the National Union of Teachers, the Aberdeen Teachers' Association, the National Association of Head Teachers and regional groups in cities such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Glasgow and Cardiff, motivated by disputes over representation, pay and conditions. Early leadership included activists who had worked with campaigns associated with Trades Union Congress conferences and negotiated with authorities like Board of Education (UK) and ministers such as R.A. Butler and Anthony Crosland. The association campaigned during events such as the post-war reconstruction era, the implementation of the Education Act 1944, the debates around comprehensive schooling advocated by Cyril Taylor and controversies linked to the Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document. The organisation's timeline intersected with industrial disputes involving local authorities including Leeds City Council and national campaigns alongside unions such as National Union of Mineworkers and Civil Service Union.

Organisation and Structure

Governance structures mirrored those of contemporary unions like National Union of Teachers and Transport and General Workers' Union, featuring elected executive committees, regional officers in areas such as Westminster, Greater Manchester, West Midlands and annual conferences akin to those of Trades Union Congress and National Federation of Building Trades Employers. The association maintained legal and financial oversight comparable to Trades Union Congress affiliates, employing staff who liaised with bodies including Education Select Committee, Local Government Association and industrial relations panels such as the Industrial Relations Board. Its headquarters in London coordinated regional branches in towns like Leicester, Bristol, Newcastle upon Tyne and Southampton, and worked with sympathetic MPs from parties including Conservative Party (UK), Labour Party (UK) and Liberal Party (UK).

Membership and Demographics

Membership primarily comprised male teachers from state-funded schools including grammar schools in Essex, secondary moderns in Kent, and county schools in Surrey; many members had links to teacher training colleges in places such as Institute of Education, University of London, Manchester Metropolitan University and University of Birmingham. Demographic shifts reflected national trends documented by statisticians and commentators like Michael Young and attracted members involved in professional groups such as Association of Assistant Mistresses, Association of Teachers in Colleges and Departments of Education and local associations in Norfolk, Cornwall and Oxfordshire. The union's recruitment and retention strategies responded to professional qualification changes tied to institutions like Cambridge University Faculty of Education and certification frameworks related to General Certificate of Secondary Education reforms and examinations administered by boards such as Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations.

Industrial Action and Campaigns

The association engaged in ballots and coordinated action comparable to episodes involving National Union of Teachers disputes, joinable campaigns with Association of Teachers and Lecturers and engagements with government during crises similar to the 1970s industrial unrest that affected sectors represented by National Union of Mineworkers and Public and Commercial Services Union. It led campaigns on pay and conditions in dialogue with the Teachers' Negotiating Committee, contested policies from ministers like Margaret Thatcher and Edward Heath, and participated in national demonstrations alongside unions including Amalgamated Engineering Union and Unison-style successors. Specific campaigns addressed issues in regional authorities such as West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council and education policy debates at forums like the Council for Educational Advance and meetings of the National Economic Development Council.

Publications and Communications

The union produced journals, circulars and conference reports in the tradition of unions such as National Union of Teachers and publishers associated with labour movement literature like Lawrence & Wishart and Pluto Press. Communications included member newsletters, position papers submitted to the Parliamentary Select Committees and contributions to professional periodicals alongside authors and commentators such as Eamonn McCann and Clifford Geertz-style cultural analysts. It maintained press relations with outlets including The Times (London), The Guardian, Daily Mirror and broadcast engagements with organisations such as the British Broadcasting Corporation and news agencies like Reuters.

Merger and Legacy

In 1976 the association merged with the Union of Women Teachers and other bodies to form the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, following precedents set by amalgamations like the formation of UNISON and Community. The merger influenced subsequent debates involving Department for Education and Science (DES), the Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document and the regulatory evolution that produced institutions such as the General Teaching Council for England and influenced policy discussions involving figures like Estelle Morris and Charles Clarke. Its archival records and campaign papers are held alongside collections from organisations including Trades Union Congress Library Collections, regional repositories in Manchester Archives, People's History Museum and university special collections such as those at Institute of Education, University College London.

Category:Education trade unions in the United Kingdom Category:Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom