Peter Anthony Smith (25 June 1940 – 10 February 2006) was a British trade unionist who served as General Secretary of the

Association of Teachers and Lecturers The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) was 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 furth ...

(ATL) in the United Kingdom from 1988 to 2002.

Biography

Peter Smith was an English teacher at

Trinity School of John Whitgift The Trinity School of John Whitgift, usually referred to as Trinity School, is a British independent boys' day school with a co-educational Sixth Form, located in Shirley Park, Croydon. Part of the Whitgift Foundation, it was established in 1 ...

from 1966 to 1974. At the beginning of his tenure, the ATL was a small trade union in a sector traditionally dominated by two large unions, the

National Union of Teachers The National Union of Teachers (NUT; ) was a trade union for school teachers in Education in England, England, Education in Wales, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It was a member of the Trades Union Congress. In March 2017, NU ...

and the

National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers The NASUWT is a TUC-affiliated trade union representing teachers, including headteachers, throughout the United Kingdom. The early years 1919–1976; breakaway and the formation of a new union The origins of the NASUWT can be traced back to ...

. :"Shrewd and sensible, if somewhat offbeat in style, Smith became an influential figure during an important era for education: the introduction of the

national curriculum A national curriculum is a common programme of study in schools that is designed to ensure nationwide uniformity of content and standards in education. It is usually legislated by the national government, possibly in consultation with Federated stat ...

, national testing and regular school inspections all took place while he was in charge of the ATL, and he sought to guide his members to a responsible position on all of these difficult issues." — Daily Telegraph, 13 February 2006. Smith is credited with tripling the membership of the organisation. He was appointed a CBE in 2003 for services to education. Smith died from

esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include difficulty in swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain when swallowing, a hoarse voice ...

on 10 February 2006, at the age of 65. He was survived by his wife, Anne, whom he married in 1961, and by their son and daughter.

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Peter 1940 births 2006 deaths Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Schoolteachers from London Deaths from esophageal cancer General Secretaries of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress