In solidarity with our comrades at the NEU campaigning against agencies offshoring millions of pounds in profit made in the supply teacher ‘market’. With thanks to Reel News for the film.
It takes a village to raise a child But an agency to profit A government to turn a blind eye A trade union to stop it ‘Cause the world keeps turning on education And you’d think an educated nation Wouldn’t settle for an NQT Who comes with a hefty fee
It takes a village to raise a child But an agency to profit Like some kinda nightmare-ish Capitalist project Where the money that’s supposed to circle Goes in a straight line instead From agency to shell company To hedge fund, virtually tax-free
Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain
It takes a village to raise a child But an agency to profit In a system that prefers your dough In a rich man’s pocket While the Minister, dear God Declares she’s doing a “fucking good job” A good job fucking with it, more like No wonder the teachers go on strike
Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain
It takes a village to raise a child But Teaching Personnel to profit A subsidiary of Hood TopCo Whose dividend’s set to rocket And Simply Ed’s at it too A million quid off me and you To turn a temp’ry teacher Into shareholder value
Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain
It takes a village to raise a child But an agency to profit By managing supply It’s time we made ‘em stop it
Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain
Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain Welcome to Put Up Shut Up Britain
They all sent flowers And all the flowers died And I understood flowers For the very first time A gift of something dying Gently saying this is normal We’re all beautiful but fleeting And this is how it goes
It’s how it goes This is how it goes It’s how it goes This is how it goes
They all sent roses And all the roses died Their petals dropping quietly One at a time We watched the petals falling Gently saying this is normal We’re all beautiful but fleeting And this is how it goes
It’s how it goes This is how it goes It’s how it goes This is how it goes
They all sent lilies And all the lilies died But the scent of the lilies Stayed around for a while A gift of something dying Leaving echoes this is normal We’re all beautiful but fleeting And this is how it goes
It’s how it goes This is how it goes It’s how it goes This is how it goes It’s how it goes This is how it goes It’s how it goes This is how it goes
They all sent flowers And all the flowers died Some faded far too quickly Some others took their time A gift of something dying Gently saying this is normal We’re all beautiful but fleeting And this is how it goes
It’s how it goes This is how it goes It’s how it goes This is how it goes It’s how it goes This is how it goes It’s how it goes This is how it goes
Everybody’s got Two eyes, two ears, two hands, two feet That’s why some think that binary is right Well, it might be alright for George Galloway But people ain’t as simple as night or day And we’re all on a spectrum like light Electro-magnetic radiation It’s true we’re all members of a rainbow nation And it ain’t as simple as identification Because everybody has a right Not necessarily to be who they want to be Or I’d be Che Guevara in a racing car Or at the very least a massive rock ‘n’ roll star But we all deserve to burn bright And everybody has a right To be who they are
Steve White & The Protest Family 