Teachers balloting for strike action - school closures

[noblegiraffe]

A pre-ballot poll from the NEU suggests that the ballot will be in favour.

The NASUWT have announced that their ballot will open around 27th October in England, Scotland and Wales, and will close on 9th January, I assume that the NEU will be doing similar and it would be joint action.

Strike action would mean school closures around Jan/Feb time and obviously this will impact parents who need to start thinking about arrangements for this eventuality. Please consider emailing your MP asking them to forward any concerns about this to Kit Malthouse, Secretary of State for Education, as any pressure on him from parents to avert strike action by entering pay negotiations would be highly welcome.

The current pay offer of 5% for most teachers is unfunded, meaning that it has to come out of current school budgets. This means that the pay rise will result in cuts to education provision for your children. However, this offer is after over a decade of real terms pay cuts for teachers and with inflation at 10%, teachers cannot afford more pay cuts and to continue to shoulder the burden of government financial incompetence and deliberate running into the ground of public services any longer.

The unions are asking for an above inflation fully funded pay rise for teachers. A teacher pay rise, any teacher pay rise, cannot come out of current school budgets as this will mean a lower quality of education for your children. This could involve even bigger class sizes, even fewer courses on offer, even less provision for SEN children, fewer school trips and extra curricular activities.

School funding has been devastated by the Tory government over the last 12 years. SEN funding has been cut: the impact falls on schools and teachers to deal with. CAMHS funding has been cut: the impact falls on schools and teachers to deal with. Schools are being asked to solve more and more of society's issues, with fewer and fewer resources. It's unsustainable.

People will tell you that teachers are well paid and don't deserve a pay rise. However, we have a critical shortage of teachers, and the obvious conclusion is that if we can't get teachers for the pay that is on offer, then the pay is not enough. Market forces, right?

The government know the impact of increasing pay to attract and keep teachers; they have, this week, announced a big increase to the teacher training bursaries in response to the truly dire and alarming numbers of applicants to teacher training this year. They have also introduced early career payments in shortage areas. They have yet to extend this logic to increasing teacher pay to retain more experienced teachers - the ones who are crucial in training and supporting the new and early career teachers.

I'm not suggesting in the slightest that teachers are more deserving than other workers, or that we have it harder than other workers. If you have also not had a pay rise in years, that's unacceptable. If you are balloting for strike action, or undertaking strike action to try to improve your working conditions, then all power and support to you. I really hope that school support staff join us in taking action.

This government is ruining the country. I think everyone can see that now. Instead of proposing increases to public funding, they are proposing further cuts. But we've already cut everything.

They'll claim there is no money, but then propose tax cuts for the best off. They'll reject windfall taxes even when Shell is asking for them. They'll claim that higher wages will increase inflation so they can't possibly increase wages, while talking about how important it is to move to a higher wage economy. Not higher wages for the ordinary worker though, they mean the ones already on high wages. The ones who would have benefited from the 45p tax rate cut that they've already had to u-turn on.

The DfE have said that strike will damage the education of children, that they can't afford to miss out on more school. Teachers, if they vote to strike, will be voting for better education. We want a qualified, decent teacher in front of every class. This is absolutely not happening at the moment, and will not have a chance of happening unless teacher pay and conditions improve.

TLDR: Support teachers; the government are self-interested, public service destroying, incompetent shitheads.

It does, which is why it shouldn't be believed.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63669886

Seems that they have still chosen not to make any new offer at all..

Im afraid I have no sympathy for striking teachers jumping on the bandwagon when private sector workers are not getting any kind of rise with inflation.
If I was unhappy with my non existent pay rise this year, last year, etc etc I would just have to leave my job if the pay was more important than job satisfaction.

With a bachelors and masters degree and earning much less than teachers ( mostly bachelors degrees only) I don’t think it’s fare they should put the entire country into disarray by striking. They are using the potential disruption as a previous post noted in the hope of getting a rise the rest of us aren’t getting.
A post here also notes they hope they are being paid whilst they strike, if they do I won’t be paid whilst I’m at home doing their job, so why should they be.
Ive shared houses with teachers working in senior schools as science teachers and the only one working long hours was me, not a teacher. They all ‘joined teaching’ for the hours. All this nonsense about excessive hours is an excuse …it’s simply not true. Perhaps teachers should join the private sector in which most professionals won’t have a job or any career profession unless they work till the last bus home.

If they're not happy in the job they should find another.

@Everyonehasavoice I'm not going to write a long reply as it's all been said. The reasons for the strikes are manifold and staff are fighting for kids' education/school budgets as well as their own pay.
Legally, unions can only say we're striking for pay. Our school can't attract support staff as the pay is so low nobody can live on it - we can't retain staff either. Parents don't realise how often we and the kids are in unsafe situations as a result (special school).
Overused, but so true- its not a race to the bottom. You sounds highly qualified and hugely undervalued by your employer tbh.
Ps I think most people know they're not paid when striking. However, a lot of support staff (eg) simply can't afford to do so which makes it even more vital they go ahead.

Good for you if you can survive on low pay. Many people can't especially if they're single. You, as a private sector worker, can negotiate a pay rise with your employer if you feel you're underpaid, public sector can't. (Not a teacher and I also work in the private sector for £21k a year!)

Sounds like your masters was a waste of time if you're getting paid less than a teacher.

Everyonehasavoice

If they're not happy in the job they should find another.

Many are taking your advice so you must be very happy.

@Everyonehasavoice - no pay while striking, so whoever said that is incorrect.

Teachers are also striking about the state education is in. Some schools are so short of teachers, they don't have a particular teacher for a subject. A school local to me, for example, has no physics teacher, so it's being taught by a series of supply teachers. That's far from ideal, as you can imagine. We have a position available in our lovely school at the moment, and we have had no applications. Years ago, we were inundated with applications for jobs. Class sizes are also creeping up. I teach a class of 31, which is just too big to adequately respond to every child's needs.

Teachers do work long hours. You are usually in school for around ten hours, then do more at home. I'm not saying it's more than other jobs (it's not a competition), but the hours are long. I'm lucky as I'm part time, but I couldn't do it full time while looking after my two small kids. They'd never get any of my attention.

For me, it's about being able to put what's most important first - the pupils. This isn't the case at the moment, and that's not right at all. Something has to change.

I support the strikes but DC's education has already been severely disrupted by COVID. I'd like to know how schools plan to mitigate the damage. Remote learning at my DDs school was a disaster , how long are the strikes going to last ?

What a shame you wasted all that time on higher education if you’re paid less than a teacher. Maybe it’s time to join the teaching profession if it’s better hours/pay than you’re doing now? Or don’t you think you could cut it?

Teachers who don't like the working conditions have in fact been finding other jobs for years now. And recruitment of trainees is also really low this year.

What that means is there aren't enough teachers to go around in some subjects. So many schools don't have enough maths and science teachers as an example. It is very difficult now to recruit specialist maternity cover in any subject. If a teacher leaves a school at Christmas or certainly Easter, they often won't be replaced until September.

This means that there are a lot of students in secondary school being taught by non specialist supply, sometimes in key subjects. Most schools will try to protect GCSE and sometimes a level classes first, which means KS3 students can end up with days where they are taught mainly by supply teachers. But equally GCSE classes can't always be protected, so you end up with ropey teaching arrangements to ensure everyone gets some time with a subject specialist. You also have kids who end up without a consistent form tutor.

You also end up with larger class sizes - I know people teaching classes of 34 +, bottom sets which used to have 10 students in them getting extra support are now 20+ students.

Secondary education has been papering over the cracks for a long time. If there's another significant exodus of teachers next year I don't know what will happen to it.

And from 2024, the government have reduced teacher training places.

Did you email your MP to ask why the damage to education caused by covid disruption wasn't worthy of mitigation (they rejected the planned £15 billion catch-up package put forward by their own adviser?) and what they planned to do about it?

Anyway, in summary lots and lots of teachers have left the profession in the last 5 years+. I know personally quite a few people who have left.

I don't know or know of any teacher who has left returning to the profession. That says something right.

Ultimately people can think we are well paid, and work short hours, but at the moment there aren't enough teachers. So therefore something has to change, for example offering higher pay.

If you’re in the private sector, why are you not striking for better pay too?

@Pumperthepumper - I think a lot in the private sector can't afford to strike for one. Also they are at risk of fire and rehire like British Gas did. I think most people are just trying to survive in whatever way they can. Turning on each other isn't the way forward. I support teachers and especially teaching assistants who are severely underpaid. Equally I support that many parents are extremely worried at how they are going to facilitate this. For many workers it will mean they have to take unpaid leave to facilitate the teachers striking.

I think many public sector workers proved themselves to be essential during the pandemic and what pay reflective of that, which I agree with, but they also need to be sympathetic as to the impact it will cause for others, including those others in private sector roles who were also essential, underpaid, who will be bearing the brunt financially for the teaching strikes in having to take unpaid leave.

It probably won't have a huge impact on me personally. I am self employed and most of my work during the school day is admin based or ironically school based so childcare isn't a major concern for me.

I think education as a whole need more funding, schools are running into deficits this year so that will also have a huge impact.

The country is a mess. And turning on each other is what they want.

I think parents should be less worried about the impact of strikes and severely worried about how they’re going to support their kids’ educations when schools announce four-day weeks to save electricity costs. Or when class size is capped at 40 with no expansion of buildings. Or when entire year groups are sent home regularly due to teacher shortage.

Re wage growth and public and private sectors:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64290162

Masters was not a waste of time as I’m doing a job I truly love and I need the masters to do it. Those in my profession who aren’t leave,
That’s why I chose it !
We ve leant to live within our means.
As I said before negotiating a higher pay without a union in the private sector is a non starter, you just have to look around for somewhere else to work.

In answer to those who are leaving their teaching jobs, it is very sad but maybe it wasn’t meant for them anyway, maybe the passion wasn’t there. Maybe , and I have 3 boys, the challenges of the classroom are too much even with a support worker
Perhaps more parent support for the teachers on a daily basis in terms of controlling kids and keeping up the well deserved respect when they are trying to do the job would help their stress.
When I was at school all the parents respected the teachers, these days I’ve noticed some parents do not. One German teacher at my boys school left as all the parents complained about him. Why? He was totally honest with them about their child’s abilities…and behaviour….he didn’t pull the wool over their eyes. Parents didn’t like it and complained.

Their little darlings were uncontrollable and making his life a nightmare…
Its no wonder they’re burnt out and fed up
If we all start with the basics we can make life better for them.
Extra money helps but is just a temporary plaster

In answer to those who are leaving their teaching jobs, it is very sad but maybe it wasn’t meant for them anyway, maybe the passion wasn’t there.

I am a senior - very highly qualified, very good - teacher currently not working. I still have a passion for teaching and being with children (I volunteer in school still) but the work environment and demands had become impossible to maintain.

If I was an isolated case, it wouldn’t be so bad. The school has been lucky enough to replace me with a cheap newly qualified teacher, similarly the other older experienced teacher who left a term later (so about 20 years of experience replaced with none). However, it is very likely that our replacements- in both cases almost the only applicants - will leave within 5 years, and there are simply not enough trainees to keep up that rate of replacement.

Saying ‘it’s ok if people leave’ is fine when there are loads of people clamouring to replace them. However, in many sectors including gps and teachers, the rate if departure is overwhelming the supply of replacements, and thus the quality of the service drops. Competent teacher with less passion vs underqualified only applicant, appointed because a warm body (any warm body) was essential? Which would you prefer?

‘The basics’ though are things like school buildings being unfit for purpose, ability ranges being phenomenal due to severe underfunding of SEN services, huge numbers of children needing EdPsyc or CALMS with waiting lists being literally years long - education is totally broken. So don’t worry about what hours teachers are working, that’s not your concern. Worry about the quality of education your children are getting under this government.

In answer to those who are leaving their teaching jobs, it is very sad but maybe it wasn’t meant for them anyway, maybe the passion wasn’t there

l stuck it for 26 years. How much passion do you need? I hung on until it became too awful to deal with.

#pumperthepumper
#cantkeepawayforever

I appreciate the ‘basics’ are far reaching and maybe our school does better than most as we raise a lot of charity money for it, I know friends schools don’t. However
My parents, one became a lawyer and the other a nurse, both went to one room schools in Ireland with all years in the same class. No limit on numbers ( 1935- ) No heating, no glass in the windows, no sport, no sen support, just the three RRRs . One teacher, take it or leave it. However the teacher was a highly respected member of the community and kids saw that in the way she was treated and sat and leant. No disruption. No parents asking for special extra stuff for their child.
Today is different, children are diagnosed with so many different issues and of course to get the best from them that must be dealt with.
My previous point however stresses the basics start with respect. They start with controlling and not spoiling kids before they start school. It’s the spoilt ones at our school that disrupt the class !!

In response to the teachers leaving.
We had the same at our old school lots of science and the total language department left and were replaced by newly qualified teachers. Gcse and A level grades plummeted. We actually moved our sons. I knew the teachers well and they all said the behaviour was too much. Students back chat was rude, the pressure of constantly promoting those kids whose parents were outspoken and demanded their little darlings got the best part in the school play etc etc etc and nothing ever happened if you had a word with the parents as a desperate last resort. (The drama teacher even left because of the parents )

So let’s start bringing up our kids with some basic respect for others and maybe, ( and it’s not a short term solution) teachers can do the job they were trained for and signed up for.

When your parents were at school, how many autistic children were in their class? How many disabled kids? How many kids with Down syndrome? How many incontinent kids? How many kids experiencing trauma? How many kids with severe educational delay? How many kids who’d seen their parents overdose? How many kids who couldn’t speak English?

Non of them spoke English as a first language, it was Ireland.

There was one Down’s syndrome and he went to a special school in Dublin.
No idea about the others my parents didn’t list them all it was back in 1935. They all remained in Ireland and my parents caught up with them every year when we went back. They became farmers, millers, estate agents that sort of thing. No one seemed to have suffered, no one had any hang ups. I dare say given todays statistics some of them must have had dyslexia, adhd etc etc, but everyone thrived and my mum said one of her brothers definitely had dyslexia and the teacher helped him read as part of the general class lesson.

Technology and understanding has moved on with everything.
I’m sure you’re aware adhd etc are new terms.
Im sure you’re fully aware these terms didn’t exist in 1935
You know the answer so no need to patronise and ask the question.

That doesn’t mean children weren’t helped and supported,

My grandfather was one of those NOT in schools in the early part of the last century. The family was so poor (and hos dad so feckless) that my grandfather never attended school, instead first being a carer for his siblings, then earning money to keep some food on the table. Both he and my grandmother had growth retardation due to poor nutrition.

Now, his equivalent would be in school - breakfastless, worried, badly housed and poorly clad, and therefore unfocused and hard to teach. And it would be the school’s problem to care for him, to nag social services again and again and again, to feed him. The growth of the school’s remit and responsibility, in a background of no other available services, is part pf the problem.

My grandfather learned to read at night school in his teens, and rise to be a very senior policeman … who took a very active part in his force’s drive to provide shoes for deprived children. That’s not really the point - the point is that those who were in school at that time was a selected group. Those who are hardest to educate and care for now were not at school then.

Apologies for grammatical errors.