The teacher strike is on the same day as DS's transistion day to year 7

A lot of parents will take their DC out of school on the Thursday and have a nice long weekend

Did the members choose these dates? Agree to them?

Their choice. I'm not saying their priorities are wrong.

They could always sit this one out and join the next one. This is going to be a long time thing.

I'm genuinely trying to understand your point.

So if your planned surgery fell on a day during the junior doctors strike and got cancelled, you would then just expect not to have the surgery at all?

5th is transition day for every school in our borough and the neighbouring borough. I knows it’s not National, but it’s widespread enough that the unions will be completely aware which day they are choosing.

I don’t mind striking. I support their right to strike, but this feels spiteful.

2 strike days have been announced. 5th and 7th July

I would argue that this is not "extra work" transition days happen every year so therefore are part of the cycle of a teachers year and I would imagine most schools would be able to reuse the same lesson plans year after year for this. Yes there are logistical issues but with no year 11s in school these can be managed.

I have fully supported the strikes but this feels like it is penalising children which is not fair. My eldest did not get any transition in 2020 and it was a really hard time, but everyone was in the same situation so understandable. These will have to be rearranged I would think.

@Foxesandsquirrels well it’s been said earlier in this thread for a start:

That is the point of striking really. There's no point in the unions saying they will "strike on the last day of term so it doesn't disrupt anything" as how is that going to get parents to pressurise their MPs into getting the Government to do something about the terrible state schools are in

Who said they are? And even if they are and it won't work, what else would you suggest? I'm not even a teacher and I genuinely don't know what else they can do. Rome is halfway burnt.

I have been a secondary teacher for years and I don’t think you speak for many teachers. Transition day is not particularly difficult and clearly important for the children. I have never once met a teacher who has a problem with it.

@Foxesandsquirrels yes I know that but parents are focused on other things, that’s the issue. So if teachers are relying on parents to lobby the government about this, I don’t think it’s going to work.

This isn't actually about teachers pay though, is it? This is about the government minister for education not realising the report that will tell schools how they will be funded. So schools cannot plan anything. They don't know how much money they will have for their wage bill (can we afford to replace the 5 teachers and 3 TA's that have left?) And any other bill.

Schools are already in financial chaos. This is another unnecessary level of chaos added on top of that, completely of the governments making. And the unions are rightly protesting it.

I stand with the unions, the individual teachers that go on strike and the schools that have no idea of they can afford pencils for the new school year.

Teachers aren't just striking about pay. Even so, the pay offer wouldn't be so offensive if it was actually funded. It's not funded. In order to pay what the government is suggesting, some schools would need to make half their workforce redundant.

Yes, missing two days of school with no pay in the middle of the biggest cost of living crisis in most teachers adult lives Vs carrying on and pretending everything is normal whilst you work in a field that's figuratively engulfed in a wildfire and crumbling.

I think many parents are preoccupied with concerns about paying their mortgage/rent and other bills plus their own lack of pay rises - I know so many people who have only got one or two per cent despite the inflation figures - that teachers pay is not their priority. I am not saying that teachers are wrong for striking but I think parents are worrying about too many other things to focus on teachers strikes.

That's exactly what I mean. I was replying to a poster that said staff on residential trips are exempt from strikes.

@Afolnerd is right. If you think transition will be problematic contact school and they will make arrangements. We've had several students come for extra loom rounds and meeting their form tutor in advance of their transition day.

Transition day isn't a national thing. It isn't even a regional thing. Some schools split over several days for example.

If you are worried about how he is going to cope with the transition it would be worth speaking to the school and see if they do extra transition sessions. My daughter is part of the transition team at her school. They do extra transition sessions for any kids that they think are going to find it hard for any reason. The prefects run it. They do it after school. Helping them get used to the school grounds, playing games etc.

You can, we had a parents evening rearranged which was really annoying! I agree that it shouldn’t really happen, though.

If everything can just be rescheduled, what's the point of a disrupted strike? Makes it a bit like a snow day - unavoidable, bit irritating but insignificant. I thought you couldn't move activities from a strike day?

All 3 of our towns schools are doing transition days on the 6th and 7th we also have a parents event the evening of the 7th so assuming everything on 7th will be cancelled.
At least we will have the one day

Ah I see. In that case it will show where there teachers priorities are

I did the first round of strikes, but I have given up as school covered internally by forcing support staff to cover and the only ones upset were my children. Instead I’m voting with my feet and finish teaching in July. Currently I’m irreplaceable. I won’t be striking this time as want to spend the last few days I have with my gorgeous class.