Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.

Teachers Strike at end of March

Mods - apologies if there is already a thread on this. Please feel free to close and make me aware of the other one if so.

I think people know my views on striking in general from the Bob Crow thread, but this one will surely potentially cause all kinds of divides regardless of political views, etc etc.

Frankly, I think that walking out when you are a teacher (never mind over pay related issues) is a flipping disgrace. A few points I would like to make.

1) I, along with many on this board, face being fined if we take our kids out of school a day before school holidays start, to save money. But they can take a days education away from our kids in order to get themselves more money. Can I be rest assured that they will all be fined for this strike day?

2) Workloads is one of the aspects they are unhappy with. Yes, that's right, the profession that gets 13 weeks or so holiday a year. I don't care if they take their work home with them. They bloody should do, they finish at 4pm! I take my work home (if I am not in the office at 11pm) and only get 30 days holiday (which I still appreciate is pretty darn good). So what makes them so special?

Never mind going on strike over pay, when 90% of the parents of the kids at the school would like to be paid more.

Utterly disgraceful.
«1345

Comments

  • Just be thankful Bob Crow isn't head of the NUT or it would be 40 weeks holiday a year....
  • can't wait to see how this one develops....
  • Bless em. They obviously need the time off. Admin please close the thread.









    Nah, this is gonna be CL carnage!
  • Have either of you every tried teaching? It is an incredibly stressful job and the holidays are needed to recover for the next term. Quite a few teachers actually work during the holidays on what they are going to be doing in their future lessons. The holidays are also there to give the kids a break. Teachers' pay was supposed to be linked with similar professions in the public sector after a review in the 1970s. Since then, their pay has fallen a long way in comparison to the professions they were compared to. Quite why anyone puts up with the crap foisted on them by the Government for the comparatively poor remuneration, I don't know. Certainly I support them 100%.
  • A normal job is 9-6 plus commute, 20 days holiday. If you choose a career then you should probably take the time to understand what it entails before hand. Sorry to say but I cant see their complaints as valid
  • Have either of you every tried teaching? It is an incredibly stressful job and the holidays are needed to recover for the next term. Quite a few teachers actually work during the holidays on what they are going to be doing in their future lessons. The holidays are also there to give the kids a break. Teachers' pay was supposed to be linked with similar professions in the public sector after a review in the 1970s. Since then, their pay has fallen a long way in comparison to the professions they were compared to. Quite why anyone puts up with the crap foisted on them by the Government for the comparatively poor remuneration, I don't know. Certainly I support them 100%.

    Did they go in to the profession blind then? Surely they researched their chosen career and all the positives & negatives before embarking on said career?
  • "It is an incredibly stressful job and the holidays are needed to recover for the next term" lol this is either a wind up or you need to get out more. I could think of a lot more stressful jobs where the pay is less and the holidays no more than 25 days a year.
  • Teachers do a great job and work very hard, but they know the salary bandings when they start. It's like training to be a nurse then expecting the NHS to pay you £100k a year to do your job!

    I think they just need to get on with it. There are better ways to get your point accross than striking.

    Thankfully this won't affect me as I am fortunate enough to be able to send my kids to private school, but I really sympathise with parents who will have to arrange childcare (at their own expense) and a day of education lost for their children.
  • Mods - apologies if there is already a thread on this. Please feel free to close and make me aware of the other one if so.

    I think people know my views on striking in general from the Bob Crow thread, but this one will surely potentially cause all kinds of divides regardless of political views, etc etc.

    Frankly, I think that walking out when you are a teacher (never mind over pay related issues) is a flipping disgrace. A few points I would like to make.

    1) I, along with many on this board, face being fined if we take our kids out of school a day before school holidays start, to save money. But they can take a days education away from our kids in order to get themselves more money. Can I be rest assured that they will all be fined for this strike day?

    2) Workloads is one of the aspects they are unhappy with. Yes, that's right, the profession that gets 13 weeks or so holiday a year. I don't care if they take their work home with them. They bloody should do, they finish at 4pm! I take my work home (if I am not in the office at 11pm) and only get 30 days holiday (which I still appreciate is pretty darn good). So what makes them so special?

    Never mind going on strike over pay, when 90% of the parents of the kids at the school would like to be paid more.

    Utterly disgraceful.

    I take it you don't know any teachers then?

    If you think it's so cushy, why don't you have a go yourself?
  • Sponsored links:


  • Vincenzo said:

    Mods - apologies if there is already a thread on this. Please feel free to close and make me aware of the other one if so.

    I think people know my views on striking in general from the Bob Crow thread, but this one will surely potentially cause all kinds of divides regardless of political views, etc etc.

    Frankly, I think that walking out when you are a teacher (never mind over pay related issues) is a flipping disgrace. A few points I would like to make.

    1) I, along with many on this board, face being fined if we take our kids out of school a day before school holidays start, to save money. But they can take a days education away from our kids in order to get themselves more money. Can I be rest assured that they will all be fined for this strike day?

    2) Workloads is one of the aspects they are unhappy with. Yes, that's right, the profession that gets 13 weeks or so holiday a year. I don't care if they take their work home with them. They bloody should do, they finish at 4pm! I take my work home (if I am not in the office at 11pm) and only get 30 days holiday (which I still appreciate is pretty darn good). So what makes them so special?

    Never mind going on strike over pay, when 90% of the parents of the kids at the school would like to be paid more.

    Utterly disgraceful.

    I take it you don't know any teachers then?

    If you think it's so cushy, why don't you have a go yourself?
    Nobody said it's cushy. But they chose that career. Perhaps he chose one with better pay & conditions.
  • I would just like to say that I am typing this during whilst off sick having recently had an operation to my foot lol
  • Surely the OP is saying it's cushy. All those holidays. Home by 4. It's clearly a doddle. It's a wonder more of don't do it.
  • Vincenzo said:

    Mods - apologies if there is already a thread on this. Please feel free to close and make me aware of the other one if so.

    I think people know my views on striking in general from the Bob Crow thread, but this one will surely potentially cause all kinds of divides regardless of political views, etc etc.

    Frankly, I think that walking out when you are a teacher (never mind over pay related issues) is a flipping disgrace. A few points I would like to make.

    1) I, along with many on this board, face being fined if we take our kids out of school a day before school holidays start, to save money. But they can take a days education away from our kids in order to get themselves more money. Can I be rest assured that they will all be fined for this strike day?

    2) Workloads is one of the aspects they are unhappy with. Yes, that's right, the profession that gets 13 weeks or so holiday a year. I don't care if they take their work home with them. They bloody should do, they finish at 4pm! I take my work home (if I am not in the office at 11pm) and only get 30 days holiday (which I still appreciate is pretty darn good). So what makes them so special?

    Never mind going on strike over pay, when 90% of the parents of the kids at the school would like to be paid more.

    Utterly disgraceful.

    I take it you don't know any teachers then?

    If you think it's so cushy, why don't you have a go yourself?
    No thanks. I am too busy sitting in my office till god knows what time at night to have time to think of something else to do. I would maybe look into it more during my holiday entitlement, but I dont have enough days to spare.

    And yes I know many teachers. My sister in law, my wifes 3 best friends (who all admit that they took up teaching because it gives them more time back to look after their own kids).
  • I would just like to say that I am typing this during whilst off sick having recently had an operation to my foot lol

    If it wasn't for the unions, there's a fair chance you'd have your pay stopped for being off sick.

  • Interesting thread. I am a teacher and I do not agree with the strike action at all.
    Having said that, some of the red tape/paperwork that goes with the profession is becoming a joke. Most of the teachers at my school are in at 7am and leave between 6-7pm. The evening is spent planning, marking and assessing and the 'good/outstanding' teachers are spending 4 hours plus each evening at home completing extra work. Also, teachers (if they are decent teachers) will usually spend a high proportion of their weekend working as well. I completely take your point about the holidays and I would welcome a reduced number of days each year (25 days) if I could have some of my evening and weekends to spend with my family. The job is not like it was in the 1970s/80s with teachers in at 8.30am and leaving at 3.30pm...that is just a myth in 2014. I am totally against strike action and I would like to say I am not a fan of the unions. On the flip side I am not a fan of Michael Gove either!!!!

    Is there a difference between the average day of a primary school teacher and secondary school teacher? Most of the teachers I know teach 4-6 year olds, and they are the ones who wind me up all the time (tongue in cheek I am sure) that they are at home all school holiday with the kids.

  • Vincenzo said:

    Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of this dispute, remember why most of us are not forced to work a 12 hour day, why you do not have to work weekends, why you get holiday pay, why you get paid when you're sick and why you didn't have to work when you were a child. Yep, all down to those effing Unions.

    And please don't think it doesn't apply to you. When unions are strong, it forces other employers to match wages. So, they actually increase the pay and improve benefits for non-union workers too. They help everyone.....blue collar, white collar, union and non-union.

    I couldn't have put it better myself.
  • Sponsored links:


  • edited February 2014
    I know a few teachers (including family) and I have to say I don't know any that do anywhere near the hours mentioned on this thread.

    Not disputing it doesn't happen though


  • 2) Workloads is one of the aspects they are unhappy with. Yes, that's right, the profession that gets 13 weeks or so holiday a year. I don't care if they take their work home with them. They bloody should do, they finish at 4pm! I take my work home (if I am not in the office at 11pm) and only get 30 days holiday (which I still appreciate is pretty darn good). So what makes them so special?


    Comparing your own situation/profession with another is daft. Its your own fault that you are working till 11pm every night unpaid, either at the home or office. It was your career choice, no need to be jealous because other people get it better than you
  • I would just like to say that I am typing this during whilst off sick having recently had an operation to my foot lol

    If it wasn't for the unions, there's a fair chance you'd have your pay stopped for being off sick.

    I don't have a union and my company gives me sick pay...

    I think a lot of people attribute far too much to unions. Unions screw us over in order to get more money, and people raise their hands and cheer, big business do it and they go mental!
  • when I take my daughter to ballet on a Saturday there's a secondary school teacher who sits there and bullies this fella who he knew from his teenage years and as met up with after many years due to their daughters being in this class together

    on sat his vile behaviour included the following lines

    " I don't call home to parents to tell their shitty kid to buck his ideas up"

    " I don't care how many kids ruin their opportunity to learn in my class, if you don't listen then you can sit there and face the wall"

    " If I cant put manors on the useless waste of space no one can"

    " I wont help any child that cant read by yr 8"

    " you can bet the parent is a chav mug"

    " I am not the sort of teacher that I want people to remember as someone who made a difference , I am the sort of teacher who I want people to say he was a complete bstd"




    now I have listened to this head of year for 2 months and sat was the nail in the coffin, I looked up from my paper and said to him

    "you were bullied in school for having a small dick wasn't you, what school are you head of year in , as I think its about time your parents and your governors, really knew what your thoughts are , your problem mate is due to your bullied past you have for years wondered how to get back at those that done it to you, yet your just a coward so now you enjoy , bullying this nice bloke next to you every Saturday with your seemingly intelligent one liners, and bullying kids that may be in need of help and a person to trust,

    you got your degree and saw all these other intelligent people not getting the jobs they wanted so you went into teaching where your inadequacies could be hidden and you could seek your revenge in other words your a bully mug who needs to belittle everyone you can"

    he was rather taken a back and the fact the bloke he ridicules every sat was wetting himself with laughter he just sat there staring at me

    next sat should be fun


    teachers like him are very common, and are in most if not every school, according to my pal who is a teacher , its people like him and strike action that is a very reg occurrence that tarnish the teachers and remove the support for action like this , that and the threat to fine for outside school holidays absence


  • To be fair, people who are saying they work long hours, dont get much holiday etc etc probably earn 3 times the salary of a standard teacher (or they should be if they are in the office at 11pm)

    Still dont think they should strike though, would somebody please think of the children.

  • No thanks. I am too busy sitting in my office till god knows what time at night to have time to think of something else to do. I would maybe look into it more during my holiday entitlement, but I dont have enough days to spare.

    And yes I know many teachers. My sister in law, my wifes 3 best friends (who all admit that they took up teaching because it gives them more time back to look after their own kids).

    Maybe you should start a union if you don't have enough holiday. Most people in this country do, thanks to the unions.

    I certainly know primary school teachers for whom the work never seems to end, evenings, weekends. Admittedly, it's older ones whose kids are older now, but they're still underpaid and overworked in an extremely difficult job that is far more important than the jobs that most of us do. A job made ever more difficult by the modern parent and not helped by the attitude you put forward.

    I will say that my brother used to say much the same as you to his teacher wife. It was probably true a couple of decades ago. He doesn't say it now. He can't get her stop working, despite a chronic injury caused by a lifetime of looking after other people's little ones.

  • teachers like him are very common, and are in most if not every school, according to my pal who is a teacher , its people like him and strike action that is a very reg occurrence that tarnish the teachers and remove the support for action like this , that and the threat to fine for outside school holidays absence

    I mean that guy sounds like a right melon, but I have a lot of friends who are teachers (I went to a University where teacher training was the prominent course) and I can say that non of them are like that at all.
  • edited February 2014
    im training to become a primary school teacher and the amount of hours that you have to put in is ridiculous, every 20-30 minute session you teach has to come with a lesson plan which takes the same time, then after the lesson you still have to fill out even more paperwork of evaulations and what the kids need to improve, and if you need to improve any areas. you have to do this everyday whilst thinking about what you'll be doing next week and so on. i have mates who have just joined to work for sky working 9-5 who have no experience and in two years time they'll be on 4 grand more than ill be on. i dont really care about the strike action, just stating facts to those who think teaching is an easy job. i cant say that all teachers put in the same amount of work or hours, but they are normally the ones who dont really care and are probably not striking, or they just teach one subject and have every thing planned out from the year before
  • I know a few teachers (including family) and I have to say I don't know any that do anywhere near the hours mentioned on this thread.

    Not disputing it doesn't happen though

    That's the same experience I have. Not saying it doesn't happen, but the teachers I know don't work that.

    As one poster said, I am not calling it cushy. And it is a job that gives a lot back to the community when done well (I am massively appreciative of my 5 year old sons teacher, as she does an excellent job imo shaping his early life). And I am not against anyone questioning their pay - for instance some reports I hear of what nurses are paid is disgracefully low. But for me, I can only measure it against what I do:

    1) I don't have a 'worthy' job that gives lots back to the country. I am a director of an advertising agency (the advertising thread is there to slate me for that, and I have taken a fair bit of cop so head over their for that job!). I am well aware that I am not saving lives, but I work hard at what I do to support my family and give my kids the best life possible. Work for me is a means to give them the best life possible

    2) A normal days work is in the office at c7:30, and a good day would be leaving at 7pm (that's not including a 1 hour commute each way).

    3) I actually get very good annual leave at 32 days per year (25 is standard, but I have more due to my level and years of service). But nothing like the level teachers get. And I am massively appreciative of what I do get and realise it is a blessing.

    4) Took 1 day off yesterday to spend a belated birthday with my family. Dialled in to 2 conference calls, and spent the last 2 hours of the day answering e-mails. Repeat as desired for any holiday day which is not at least a 1 week break out the country (normally paid for at obscene rates due to not being able to take kids out of school due to risk of fine).

    5) In my office, we currently have a high proportion of staff off with stress related illnesses. Ridiculous when you consider what it is we do, but that shows the pressure people are under. Crikey, look at the traders and stock brokers you hear throwing themselves off the top of buildings. Tragic, unnecessary, and a sign of what a high stress environment can do. Is the level of stress in teaching at that level.

    So I wanted to respond to anyone who thinks I think teaching is a 'cushy' job. Well it would be a cushy job if you were paid £100k a year to do it, but you are not. As someone said, the pay and conditions is made perfectly clear to those who choose to go in to it.

    I was aware of the hours and conditions of my job and career, but I was also aware that I could be paid well and support my family well if I worked hard to succeed. Hence why I will be sitting here late every night.
  • Those who can, do.

    Those who can't, teach.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Roland Out Forever!