Little moan about the strikes…

[Postcovid]

DC has likely ASD and ADHD, year 2. His cohort I feel has been really affected by Covid as it is.

His school is 3 form entry. In the whole school only 3 classes are closing due to strikes - his class, one of the reception classes, and then one year 4 class. They’ll be closed on all of the four strike days while the rest of the school carries on.

This isn’t a direct attack at teachers striking, they have their reasons.

But I’ve just had to deal with a meltdown from my DC because we’ve booked him into (expensive) childcare for the day, we have no family nearby to look after him for the day and we can’t take time off work. His little sister is going to reception as normal so makes it very tricky for him.

I wrote to school asking if anything could be done for him on the strike days given he has SEN, and was essentially told “theme the breaks”.

I’m not interested in the “well if you care about your SEN child then you should support the strikes” because I’m dealing with the here and now, today, and a further four days where my SEN DC is going to feel the impact of the strikes. Whilst the vast majority of his school is able to carry on as normal.

Exactly! And in 20 years time when it’s their grandkids being impacted, they’ll care then 🙄 can’t teach stupid.

I fully support the teachers' strikes, but I also think YANBU, OP. My son's school has closed and I'm lucky that I work part-time (younger DC) and it's not a working day for me, so it's not had an impact. But he really struggles with holiday clubs (I strongly suspect ASD and/or ADHD, not yet diagnosed but working on it) so if I had to send him it would be difficult - especially if he has a sibling who's still going to school. It must seem unfair to the child and actually as an adult I think it's unfair too. During the covid closures there were very clear guidelines about the children that could still attend: vulnerable or keyworkers' children. I think that if schools have some teachers on strike and some not striking (eg because they're in a different union) they should prioritise in the same way. And a child on the ASD pathway should be counted in whether diagnosed and with EHCP or not. It's well known that changes in routine are unsettling for the vast majority of autistic children.

As previously said non striking staff will not cover for those on strike

I also meant to add, if I were you I would write to the headteacher and SENDCO to ask them how and why the decision was made to keep some classes open and not others (was it just to do with which teachers were striking, I wonder?) and if they've done an equalities impact assessment to consider the different impact on different children, and whether for future strikes they would consider prioritising vulnerable children including those on the SEND register.

Plenty of posters who quite clearly support the strikes have responded in polite ways, telling me they understand my position as a mum of a SEN child and have gone on to respectfully tell me they think I'm wrong. Thank you to all those posters, as SEN parents we often feel invisible and like parents of DC without SEN don't understand.

You and some others are just being very rude and disrespectful. Saying things like "can't teach stupid" makes you look horrible. Also your comment is so short sighted and shows you disregard my post being about SEN. I don't have high hopes of grandchildren from my SEN child, funnily enough.

Thank you @NameChange30 , you clearly understand my position.

Yes I did write to the Head and highlighted the fact that my DS has SEN (this is known and his teacher and the SENCO agree, the referral came from them) but I got a very standard message back about non striking staff not being able to cover the classes of teachers on strike. I appreciate that the head would've received a lot of messages saying the same as a lot of parents feel annoyed about the disparity, but I was really sad that they didn't even acknowledge the SEN part of our situation.

The comment was directed to yours and others on the threads attitude towards the strike - nothing else. You don’t seem to grasp the concept of them and long term impacts the current state of education could have. Nothing to do with your child having SEN.
I have sympathy that the strikes are effecting you, but unfortunately that is the point of them. They are a last resort - showing how desperate the situation is. What I don’t have sympathy with is trying to turn public opinion against public workers and those who are striking with uninformed opinions.

Makes you wonder why the eff train drivers are striking?!

Agree, polite argument costs nothing.

I may have missed how old your child is but assuming he/she has a few more years of state and beyond education, then better funding, which also what the teachers are striking for, is essential for you and many many others.

My sister left her job as specialist SENs teacher because she was utterly fed up of failing these children, she spent years trying to get the funding, in the end gave up.
I know of 3 teachers have taken early retirement, in the 50s.

@GPTec1 year 2, age 7.

So far we've not had fantastic support from school, mixed, and not to do with funding, to do with attitudes. Last year's teacher (very experienced, has been at the school over 20 years) thought he was naughty, made no adjustments at all even when I told her I suspected SEN. This year's teacher (also very experienced) has been better but only from huge prompting and lengthy chats. Still doesn't think he needs additional support though, but is happy to tell me he is disruptive in the meantime.

The SENCO is good, quite on the ball and any suggestions for adjustments such as wobble cushions, fidget toys, movement breaks, have all been from her.

You and some others are just being very rude and disrespectful. Saying things like "can't teach stupid" makes you look horrible

and to think some of them are teaching children 😞

We all get that. Schools can’t do anything about teachers being in different unions 🤷‍♀️

Those same private schools that pocketed £157m in covid loans? In a scheme that state schools were barred from? Whilst state school are struggling with deficit budgets?

Those private schools?

How marvellous for you.

This. I am a student at uni, with 18 days of work missed. I refuse to cross the picket line and will stand in support of my lecturers and other staff.

Parallel, my child has special educational needs and a statement. Whilst I'm fortunate my child's school is not affected, I would be 100% happy if they did strike, as it is for her and my benefit as much as theirs. You say neither parent can't take time off... not really the schools problem. If there was an emergency I'd be inclined to believe you'd find a way.

That's a really lovely idea but the majority of SEN /EHCP families are largely without provision today, it's just not doable for schools .

The reality is schools are fully closed to even vulnerable children .

FWIW ALL the SEN parents I know lucky enough to have obtained an EHCP fully support teachers today as likelihood is most of them have at some point been without or faced the risk and threat of being without provision. Today is just another day we adapt, respond and cope.

Very grateful mine are at a private school

Same!

er thanks

@Whatislove82 you'll have missed the head teachers marching on Downing Street before the pandemic to protest about funding of schools, the campaigning etc? All ignored.

Mainly because of the nastiness that the OP has experienced on here from some teachers

and all the threads I see of teachers complaining endlessly and then being rude and condescending of those that disagree

I just breathe a sigh of relief actually! 🎉

And in line with @DoubleShotEspresso my EHCP holding dc is at home today. A place was offered and declined with my best wishes extended to the staff.

Apologies. My school and the DCs (different) schools are all operating on this basis today, so I made an assumption without checking. In my defence, it was bloody early and I hadn’t completely woken up. If only it were fact! Should be.

OP my DD is at a special school. All the children have EHCPs. The school is totally closed today following a risk assessment by the head.

I am lucky in that I do not have to make alternative provision. I know at least one mum who has had to arrange to have carers in today.

Sadly children with SEN are always more disadvantaged in these situations. I don't blame the teachers but I completely empathise with you. There's nothing wrong with having a moan.

Oh dear, looks like private school teachers are unionising and making moves towards striking too

inews.co.uk/news/private-school-teachers-strike-this-week-independent-february-2023-strikes-2116126

Thoughts and prayers for the smug private school parents on this thread earlier

Let’s see if that even remotely takes off.

Reconvene in 6 weeks?! 😂