Survey on primary working hours - are you happy that the word is out?

[pointythings]

article in today's Guardian

A survey conducted by the DfE says it's official - primary teachers work stupidly long hours. Does anyone here think the teacher bashing is now going to stop?

[clam]

But it's not the "real world" though, is it?

[pointythings]

Given that the real world is where Michael Gove lives, would you like to join him?

(Am not a teacher, but I am a parent who appreciates teachers)

I'm going to hang on to this article and post it into every 'AIBU to think teachers should not strike/complain/be enemies of promise because they have it so easy?' thread.

[mrz]

get ready for the 27th

[clam]

Don't you just love the way newspaper editors pick such lovely photos of Gove? Is there a decent picture of him anywhere?

[Feenie]

Thanks, pointythings!

[pointythings]

mrz what happens on the 27th?

[pussycatdoll]

Another strike ?

[Feenie]

There's a strike planned for Wednesday 26th March

[pussycatdoll]

Our school never closes when there's a strike
No classes close either
It's very odd

[Ilikepinkwine]

I often wonder what would happen if we all resigned on the same day...
:)

[clam]

It depends which Union is striking, pussycatdoll. There are a few. Plus, it may just be that the relevant teachers have elected not to do so in the past, although that doesn't mean they might not decide to do so this time.

[pointythings]

I support the right of any teacher to strike against all the shit the idiot Gove is pulling. Simple as that.

[noblegiraffe]

Why are the articles all about primary when secondary teachers work nearly as many hours? Or is 56 hours a week considered acceptable?

[mrz]

because it was a survey of primary teacher's workload?

[noblegiraffe]

No, it was a survey of teachers' workload, the results were broken down into primary (59 hours) secondary (56 hours) and heads (63 hours).

[noblegiraffe]

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/285941/DFE-RR316.pdf

That's the full survey. I really don't understand the overwhelming focus on primary.

[mrz]

perhaps they've just discovered primary teachers exist

[AryaUnderfoot]

The focus on primary teachers is because they work '60' hours a week instead of '50-something'. A number with 6 in front of it sounds so much bigger than a number with 5.

After all, everyone in the 'real world' works 50-something hours a week and only gets 25 days' annual leave.

[OddBoots]

If anyone is interested there is something you may fill in if you want to register your support of teachers.

[pointythings]

Signed, OddBoots and following the FB page too. Thanks!

[PastSellByDate]

pointythings:

I get your point - 60 hour week is long hours - but

ask a doctor or GP

ask a nurse or midwife

ask a University lecturer

ask anyone...

moreover - whereas many of us work these hours incessently - we do witness that teachers have breaks every 6-7 weeks of at least 1 week or 2 weeks + a long spell (6-7 weeks) over July/ August/ sometimes Early September. Many in other professions don't have that luxury of downtime (even though I know many teachers use half-terms/ Christmas vacations to catch up, prepare materials, etc...) - nevertheless most of us don't have points in our jobs when the face to face work load disappears and you can deal with backlog uninterrupted. We also certainly don't get 5 days + a year of training.

The reality is Britain has a long hour work culture - and presentee-ism means that many don't feel it's possible to have even a sick day when they've got a foul cold.

Do I think teachers work hard - absolutely.

Do I think teachers work effectively - debateable.

Do I think teachers don't effectively explain or indeed share 'gathered' data with parents thereby doing work which remains total invisible to the end user (the pupil/ concerned parent) - YES. And I suspect therein lise the problem ....

Good example - DD2 has transfered to another school. New school quite legitimately requested transcript for DD2. Old school declined to do so - but would send through KS1 SATs results.

Now let's talk time wastage:

1. All the time old school spent recording progress of DD2 on whatever progress tracking programme they were using
   
   
2. All the time new school spent ringing old school/ teacher trying to get some background information on DD2
   
   
3. All the time new school has spent retesting DD2 and discussing where to place her within groups (sets) of students
   
   
4. All the time new school will spend filling in the blank of her non-existent transcript.
   
   This doens't affect me at all as a parent and new school has been brilliant with DD2 - spending a great deal of time sorting out where she's at.
   
   But don't bash parents for thinking teachers work ineffectively/ inefficiently - if you behave this way to each other (which let's face it in this instance is downright unprofessional) - just as an external observer - I've got to wonder whether you can focus on core learning for pupils.
   
   I suspect a great deal of energy is expended producing the statistics to ensure expected progress/ exceeding expected progress to justify increments - and indeed that effort (thought totally understandable) has nil benefit for learning as far as the pupil is concerned.
   
   I also know that these ridiculous end of year novels which whitter on about how darling Geoffrey enjoyed exploring movement through dance last term - and avoid any sort of efficient conveying of achievement relative to school and/or national standards - must eat huge amounts of your time. Yes they establish that you're aware my child is in your class - but often you've just cut and pasted information from your first report - thus I receive a report informating me my child enjoyed a field trip thorough - wonderful but unfortunatley she didn't attend this wonderful trip because she was off with chicken pox.

[PastSellByDate]

Oh and before you say University lecturers have June/ July/ August off -

let me remind you that June is marking exams (often turnign around 60 scripts of 10 - 12 pages in 48 hours)

July/ August are spent doing the lab work/ research/ background reading for reports/ publications and/or preparing teaching materials for the next academic cycle.

There usually is a spate of admin - course outline/ designs, VLE updating, etc... necessary + Welcome packs/ induction planning for new intake

Oh and if you want to save your marriage and steel about of time with your children - you sneak off for a long weekend - maybe a week at a push - you only end up harragued about how you should have attended X important meeting/ briefing or are needed urgently to mark re-sits.