Teacher strikes 5th and 7th July

[noblegiraffe]

Just announced, because Gillian Keegan has refused to clarify whether the DfE will accept the recommendation of a 6.5% pay rise from the independent pay review body, and is also refusing the publish the report.

She is also refusing to re-enter into negotiations with teachers and headteachers.

The NEU will be striking in July, all 4 teaching unions, including the headteaching unions are currently balloting for strike action in the Autumn term.

https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/teacher-strikes-2-further-days-next-month

Sounds like teacher's have had a fair offer to me. If they want more pay, I think they need to reduce their pension benefits.

@Postapocalypticcowgirl - I know you're right. I've just finished my career as a TA because I could no longer hold my tongue and was clashing horribly with my managers.

I know that a TA wage doesn't come near the value of what a TA brings to a child and to a classroom. I know that more and more is being expected, with not enough hours in the day and even TA's, lowest paid in the profession, put their own time and money into supporting their students with no thanks. Because we care.

I absolutely support the action because having experienced it, the understanding of what a TA is to those who don't experience their help, is appalling. My colleagues and I have been assaulted, sworn at regularly, spat at, hit, kicked and generally abused. For wanting to help a student be an independent learner. For instilling boundaries. For encouraging students to make positive choices. We've had increasing paperwork dumped on us with no admin time to complete it and been punished in our annual review for not doing it. We've been hauled over the coals by managers who just couldn't admit that our numbers were not enough to support the increasing needs of our students, but expected us to somehow do it anyway.

I left. At the same time, a colleague who was long term sick left. Another 2 went on maternity. Another has since handed their notice in and 2 are now on long term sick. TA's are on their knees.

I hope not. That's not enough to get people into teaching. There's a desperate shortage and even more leaving in droves. I dread to think what things will be like by the time my kids finish their education

Another one who supports the strikes but wishes it wasn't transition day. DS is going to a different school to anyone else in his class and was already feeling very nervous.
DD, who is already school avoidant, is delighted as she has a hospital appointment on the 6th so effectively gets 3 days off.

These latest strikes are not about pay. Please read the OP carefully. They're about the government not declaring whether they'll give Headteachers the money to pay those salaries, and about the fact that the Secretary of State is refusing to publish the report of the pay review body.

Had they done these two things, there would be no strikes next month.

On 3, local government funding has been absolutely decimated since 2011. Schools and the NHS have been protected in relative terms compared to that

The cut in local government funding has placed a massively increased burden on schools and the NHS to the point they are almost at breaking point.
Not that our government care, they won't use either of these services themselves!

The point is that nobody knows if there will be additional funding or not with this offer because Keegan won't talk to the unions. We know the pay offer has gone up because of a press leak, that's all. If Keegan was talking to us, the NEU would not have called these strike days- we were very clear on that.

The other thing to add is that a lot of the narrative around funding has been oversimplified. Yes, a fully funded pay rise would be best, but there is emergency funding available for schools that end up in deficit- the problem is MATs who use this regularly can sometimes end up being investigated. If a lot of schools posted deficit budgets for next year, but gave teachers a 6.5% pay rise, it might do something to stem the massive flow of teachers from the profession.

So, yes, a headline higher pay offer does matter, and the truth is the majority of teachers would see it in their pay packet next year AND it might help with recruitment. I cannot stress enough secondary schools are in crisis- that we are constantly making decisions that are detrimental to students because we have to think about how we can staff things. And it is getting worse and worse, it feels like we are on the edge of schools that simply cannot open because they don't have enough staff.

I get it's personally inconvenienced you- but honestly, I think your frustration is misdirected.

I am sticking it out in education because I care deeply about my students. However, it's coming at a cost to my mental, and to be honest, my physical health. I have pretty much reached the point where if the dispute doesn't lead to a positive outcome, I will leave, but I will cling on by my fingernails until that point- at financial cost to myself, too- because I'd earn more out of teaching as well.

You say can I not understand why parents are frustrated? To be honest, I'm confused as to why parents aren't a bit more grateful- if someone was fighting this hard for my children, I would be...

What's the fair offer? The 6.5%? But that hasn't been formally offered that is the WHOLE POINT.

But also, I assume you don't have children? Or do you just not care about their education?

I think that the money grabbing so and so's just need to get back to work and do their fricking jobs.

I totally agree. The pay TAs get is a joke for what they are asked to do. I've known TAs who are giving lifesaving medication, and they could get paid more in a cafe.

The fact we value the people who look after our most vulnerable students so little actually stinks. And yes, the attitude as well- from students, management and parents, and the expectation you'll work for free.

I equally see TA jobs advertised, sometimes part time in a rural primary, and I wonder who they think is going to take the job when for most people their wages will barely cover the costs of their commute.

It really is like there's an expectation people will do incredibly important jobs within schools for the love of it, but that doesn't pay the bills.

Thank you for all you've done, and I wish you all the best in the future.

Um I have been working for the last 25 years and spent 4 hours today on reports but don't let that stop you from illustrating exactly why teachers are not celebrating today but are stressed, upset and worried.

Carry on!

What pay offer? There is currently no offer.

All 4 teaching unions rejected the previous offer of an unfunded 4.5% (they claimed it was affordable to schools, headteachers who actually know their budgets disagreed).

The government then said that it wouldn't negotiate any further with the unions and that they would have to take their chances with the independent pay review body, to whom the government had made a recommendation of a pay rise of 3%. They assumed that the independent pay review body would fall in line.

The independent pay review body has apparently more of an idea of the shit state of recruitment and retention than the government and went off-piste and recommended 6.5%

This recommendation was leaked to the press. The report is now being sat on by the government while they go "fuck".

Headteachers need to know whether the government will accept the recommendation of 6.5%, and whether schools will receive extra money to fund this, because they are currently writing their budgets for September.

The government is refusing to answer both those questions.

A senior government official said that the government not telling heads this info in time last summer led to budgets that weren't worth the paper they were written on, and this could not be allowed to happen again.

If you think that the 6.5% is a reasonable offer, per the independent pay review body, please email your MP and tell them to tell Gillian Keegan to accept it, and for the Treasury to fund it.

All comes down to whether the government is going to fund any increases or whether they expect the schools to fund it from existing budgets which you mean less resources, less equipment, less TA’s and cuts to teachers roles.

All depends on whether you want your DC’s to receive an education from a qualified teacher or babysat by the headteacher who is supervising three classes?

You understand no-one can force a teacher to stay in teaching right? And if people are unhappy with their pay and working conditions, then they find a different job?

Lots of teachers are leaving for different jobs, and lots of people aren't going into teaching.

That means there aren't enough teachers, lots of schools are short staffed.

Do you have a suggestion for that? Or does education not matter? Do you have children in school?

To be honest, given the state of recruitment this summer, and also hearing about emergency funding that seems to be available to some heads running into deficits, I'm starting to come around to the idea a big unfunded pay increase would be better than nothing. Our only TAs left are with ECHP students anyway, and a lot of the time we can't recruit, even for TAs we legally have to have.

But yes, I agree on the latter point.

I'm a retired teacher with two grandchildren under five. I'm am pretty distraught about their chances of a decent education. The situation is bad enough now, but at the rate that teachers are leaving (for jobs with poorer pensions and much less holiday) who will be left to teach them in five/ten/fifteen years?

I can absolutely understand how difficult it is for parents to manage the strike days, and absolutely sympathise. But honestly, I don't think that people really understand just how bad this is, and will continue to be, if nothing changes

Just a reminder that the government has recruited less than half of the secondary school teacher trainees it needs to meet its targets for September.

People do not want to train to be teachers. The government desperately needs people to train to be teachers.

Something has to change.

Yes I do have a suggestion for that, Postapocalypticcowgirl, make the teachers stay in schools by allowing more breaks and make more people go into teaching by making all teaching courses free to get more recruits. Education does matter thats why teachers need to be in schools teaching

HAHA if you were actually paying anyone's wage you wouldn't be moaning about being so broke and worrying about AL.
You've had how many children on the NHS and put how many through public education?
You've probably taken plenty out.

I can absolutely understand how difficult it is for parents to manage the strike days, and absolutely sympathise. But honestly, I don't think that people really understand just how bad this is, and will continue to be, if nothing changes

I agree, and I particularly have sympathy for those who are now worried about missing transition days, as I remember how stressful it was when my DS did not have his due to covid.

But if you have a kid who is being affected by strike days, you have a kid who is being affected by the shit state education is currently in. You have a kid who will likely not have a teacher for some of their education, particularly in key subjects like maths and science. You have a kid who may not be able to do the GCSE or A-level subjects that they want to. You have a kid who may find that their teacher quits partway through the course and they are left to teach themselves due to no replacement. These things are happening right now and are becoming increasingly common.

They are currently offering £27,000 tax free to train as a maths teacher.

It's not working.

What do you mean "allowing more breaks"? And "make them"- you understand that no-one can be legally compelled to be a teacher, right?

Many teaching courses are already in effect free, because of the massive bursaries, and there are also a wide range of salaried routes. These aren't working to recruit. You can also already get a fees loan for a PGCE regardless of prior qualifications.

Your "more recruits", if they happened at all would not be in the subjects where they are most needed.

We also need a serious strategy to retain experienced staff, who have had a massive real terms pay cut over the last decade. Why would people stay in teaching if they get poorer, year on year?

I think a lot of parents genuinely don't understand why it matters though.

As long as there is a warm body in front of the class, ideally one who's not telling their child off that much, it doesn't matter. Their child probably isn't actually failing, so it doesn't seem like a big deal. They come out of school with some GCSEs, probably progress on to level 3 somewhere... Maybe at an FE college, in a class size of 24 at A-level, where they are just a number in order to get more funding in the door.

Although, when I then tell their precious darling they probably won't get into med school with a Maths GCSE grade 5, I'm the one who gets it in the neck.

But English is apparently also becoming massively difficult to recruit for: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jun/17/schools-across-england-face-unprecedented-struggle-to-hire-english-teachers-as-recruitment-crisis-grows

We sat at a governor’s meeting and despaired. Our budget was signed off over a month a go. Plans have been made for Sept based on the budget. If the pay rise is more than we budgeted for and is unfunded then we’re up a creek. There will have to be some tough decisions and made quickly and that would have to be done over the summer, when the head should be enjoying some downtime and recharging not deciding what to cut. We’ve written to our MP but he is useless - Tory yes man.

The government used to announce this information around March so budgets could be planned and now it’s getting later and later and after budgets have to be submitted. I have every sympathy with the strikes. I don’t know what else teachers can do to be honest.

As long as there is a warm body in front of the class, ideally one who's not telling their child off that much, it doesn't matter.

Someone on another thread was saying that they didn't see any 'teacherless classrooms' when they went into schools.

They genuinely didn't realise that the person in front of the class might not be a teacher.