A) Museum of the Home (Geffrye Must Fall)
Islington NEU reiterates its support for the ‘Geffrye Must Fall’ Campaign and notes: 1. The Museum of the Home (formerly the Geffrye Museum), under pressure from the government, has ignored the public consultation which voted by over 70% for the statue of slave trader Robert Geffrye to be removed from the front of the building. 2. The removal of the statue from the front is not an attempt to wipe out our history, but to place it in the context of racism and slavery 3. The continuing need for decolonising the curriculum 4. The campaign for its removal has widespread backing from different organisations and individuals including local Hackney MP Diane Abbott, Hackney LP, many Hackney councillors, Hackney SUTR and others 5. Many black parents and campaigners have stated they do not want their children to visit the museum while they have to pass under the statue 6. That the museum is not far from Hackney’s border with Islington and for many years has been visited by Islington school groups usually without being aware of the murderous record of the racist man who’s statue they have to pass beneath to enter the building.
Islington NEU notes the protests that took place on 12th June, the day of the museum’s re-opening, and agrees: a. To continue to support protests organised by Geffrye Must Fall b. To continue to call upon the museum to remove the statue to a more appropriate place, where it can be used for genuine educational purposes c. To urge schools, children’s and young people’s groups to boycott the museum and organise no trips there until the statue is removed from the front. d. To call on Islington Council to support the campaign to take down the statue and to discourage schools from taking children to the museum until this has happened.
B) Special Leave Policy – Making Eid a paid authorised absence for teachers in Islington schools. Islington NEU notes:
Islington NEU believes that:
We resolve to:
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