Mary Bousted on her journey from classroom rebel to history-making union leader
Our next guest on Heads & Tales needs no introduction to our education-inclined followers. Dr Mary Bousted is one of few who can honestly say they have reshaped the history of their industry, having dedicated her life to championing the rights, voices and professionalism of educators. As the former joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, Mary spearheaded the largest and most powerful education union in Europe, representing over half a million members.
Her legacy is vast. She led pivotal national strikes, achieving the largest teacher pay rise in 30 years, and was a key voice in critical debates about education policy and equity. Mary is a familiar face on our TV screens, regularly appearing on the likes of Newsnight and Question Time. With decades of experiences as a teacher, union leader and education advocate to her name, we were truly honoured that she joined Henry Faber to discuss her life and the many things she has fought for.
🎙️ Episode highlights
Mary reflects on the leadership lessons from her mentor, Christine Gilbert, and how they impacted her career.
A self-professed rebel in the classroom, she shares anecdotes from her childhood and the lively debates around the family dinner table.
She discusses the roadblocks she's come up against, from leading teachers through the Covid pandemic and opposing stat policies.
On the other side of the coin, she shares particular highlights of her career including a Zoom call with 400,000 educators to send a message to Boris Johnson.
She offers a solution to the perennial issue of teacher retention.
Mary shares her unpopular opinions, taking aim at the "pointless" human behaviour of keeping a pet!