Association of Teachers and Lecturers

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) is a trade union, teachers' union and professional association, affiliated to the Trades Union Congress, in the United Kingdom representing educators from nursery and primary education to further education. Approximately 120,000 individuals belong to the union (apart from those professions included in the name, education support staff and teaching assistants are also members), making it the third largest teaching and education union in the UK.

Governance and administration

ATL is led by its Executive Committee who are assisted by a General Secretary. All senior officers and officials are elected by an Association wide ballot and the overall direction is determined by the Annual Conference which had delegates from each branch.

The President serves a one-year term and from September 2009, Lesley Ward has been elected. From September 2010, Andy Brown is the President of ATL. The current General Secretary is Dr Mary Bousted.

History

The origins of ATL go back to 1884 when 180 women met to create the Association of Assistant Mistresses (AAM). These women worked in schools founded for higher education of girls. Their concern for primarily for the pupils. However, in 1921, the AAM appointed representatives to the newly-formed Burnham Committee on Salaries in Secondary Schools.

In 1891 saw the formation of the Association of Assistant Masters in Secondary Schools (AMA). Its purpose was to protect and improve the conditions of...
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