Who is who

The NEU is led by teachers for teachers. The day to day running of the union is led by the union leadership team.

Union leadership

Daniel Kebede

Daniel Kebede

General Secretary, National Education Union

Daniel represents the interests of his members to the government, and to a wide variety of other stakeholders.

Daniel Kebede

Daniel Kebede

General Secretary, National Education Union

Daniel is a former Primary teacher and rep in North Tyneside.  He was an NEU rep and officer from 2013 undertaking casework/negotiation. He concluded disputes for members including an end to: submitting planning to SLT, displaying planning, fortnightly book scrutinise and numeric targets and campaigned for fair funding/pay/workload.  He was awarded national Blair Peach Award for outstanding contribution to anti-racist work in 2017.

He served on the NEU National Executive committee and was elected Senior Vice President of National Education Union in 2020. He became the National President of National Education Union in September 2021 and represented the union on various platforms in UK and abroad.

He was elected NEU General Secretary in 2023.

Niamh Sweeney

Niamh Sweeney

Deputy General Secretary, National Education Union

Niamh is the first elected Deputy General Secretary of the NEU.

Niamh Sweeney

Niamh Sweeney

Deputy General Secretary, National Education Union

Niamh is the first elected Deputy General Secretary of the NEU. She was elected to the ATL Executive in 2010 and represented the Union on the General Council of the TUC before being elected President of the NEU (ATL Section) from 2017 – 2018.

Niamh initially worked in the book publishing industry and then in the youth and community sector in the Republic of Ireland, before moving to Cambridgeshire to work as a Youth Worker in the Criminal Justice System. She trained to be a teacher in Post 16 Education in 2001 and was a teacher of Criminology and Health & Social Care at Long Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge up until this year. 

Amanda Brown

Amanda Brown

Deputy General Secretary

Amanda Brown is the appointed Deputy General Secretary of the National Education Union.

Amanda Brown

Amanda Brown

Deputy General Secretary

Amanda oversees policy, bargaining and casework services within the Union.   She joined the Union as a lawyer to specialise in advice and policy relating to the legal framework for teachers’ employment and in employment and discrimination law casework.  Previously Amanda worked in voluntary sector advice services, as legal services officer for the Citizens Advice Bureau national office and before that in a local advice centre in South London.  

Amanda is a member of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation and sits on the Committee on Freedom of Association,  and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Institute of Employment Rights.

Rachel Curley

Rachel Curley

Deputy General Secretary, National Education Union

Rachel Curley is the appointed Deputy General Secretary of the NEU.

Rachel Curley

Rachel Curley

Deputy General Secretary, National Education Union

Rachel Curley is the appointed Deputy General Secretary of the NEU.

Nations

Mark Langhammer, NI regional secretary

Mark Langhammer

Northern Ireland Secretary

Mark Langhammer has led NEU in Northern Ireland as regional secretary since 2005.

Mark Langhammer, NI regional secretary

Mark Langhammer

Northern Ireland Secretary

Mark Langhammer has led NEU in Northern Ireland as regional secretary since 2005. As NEU’s negotiator within the NITC and Teachers Negotiating Committee and he was a prominent figure in the 6-year industrial action leading to the 2020 pay settlement. He has written widely on industrial democracy and relations.

Under Mark’s leadership, NEU signed a partnership agreement with the Early Years organisation in the 0-4 sector and has co-led efforts to legislate for flexibility in the school starting age. He sits on the Government’s “Fair Start” reference group to tackle educational disadvantage and supports ‘equal value’ for vocational learning.

David Evans

David Evans

Wales Secretary

Wales secretary since 2006.

David Evans

David Evans

Wales Secretary

David Evans is the senior official of the NEU in Wales and his work includes responsibility for overseeing casework, negotiations with employers, responding to Welsh Government consultation documents, implementing union policy, meeting with Ministers at the Assembly and dealing with media enquiries.

National executive

The Executive is responsible for the governance, management and control of the Union in accordance with the Rules.

Districts and branches

The structure of NEU districts, district contact details and how to get involved with your union, locally.

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