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

Last year, almost 40,000 working-age teachers left the profession, the highest level since records began in 2010,

Doing something to retain those qualified, experienced teachers would be money well spent, rather than desperately trying to get students to train to be teachers, and who will need years of experience to be as effective as the ones we lost.

Seriously, everyone in this thread who thinks that teachers have it really good, why do you think that 40,000 of them left and went to jobs that didn't provide them with long holidays and so called 'gold plated' pensions? Remember they were all of working age. They did not retire. They left for other occupations. Add in those that did retire, and we lost a horrifically large number of teachers in one year, only a tiny proportion of whom were replaced by newly qualified teachers.

Who will be teaching your children in two/five/ten years, do you think?

That's really appreciated, thank you.

I do honestly think in a lot of cases, it's the teachers who care the most who are striking. A lot of the ones keeping their heads down and going in anyway are the ones who are planning to get out in a few years anyway or planning on getting promoted out of the classroom as fast as possible.

In some ways, it's easy to keep your head down, worry about your own classes, and not take in the wider picture. But when you become aware of what's going on nationally, it is really, really scary. I really worry about the state of education over the next 2-3 years- there are students being let down every day, not just on the odd strike day as some people seem to think.

Thank you!

So make them 🤣 Oh yea you're a nobody.

Although anyone else already planning the admin they're going to get done if it goes ahead.....I've had 2 half done display boards for weeks.

Twat alert

Bless you. I really appreciate that.

I'm retired now, but my DD and her partner are teachers, and I really worry about them.

As a mum, to be honest I'd like them to leave. As a grandparent I'm desperate for people like them to stay in the job.

How would that improve workload for teachers? i don't need more TA’s. I need funding for more teachers who are not NQT’s —and clueless— so my workload isnt unmanageable.

And the irony of the strike says is that almost everyone I know has used the previous strike days to catch up on work.

Teachers don't get paid for strike days. They understand.

Oh fucking well.

In my job I go into different schools all of the time and I've never seen anything like the situation in schools now. It's absolutely terrifying. Schools can't get anyone to fill vacancies.

I almost danced in the street on Friday when my youngest finished her GCSEs so now I won't have any of my own children in school anymore.

For those who are annoyed, Daniel Kebede (NEU GS elect) is saying the strike can still be averted if Gillian Keegan publishes the STRB report, and enters into talks: https://twitter.com/DanielKebedeNEU/status/1670147799487315969

If you want these strikes called off, it's her you need to put pressure on.

Same here. As I'm worried about their education and the state of the school I'm good with it. Maybe you'll enjoy it 🤷‍♀️

Write to my MP.

Hahahahahaha

Why’s that funny?

Unless it's Gillian herself, ask for it to be forwarded to Gillian and you'll get a response from the DfE.

It'll be a shit response, but the idea that parents actually care might be surprising to them.

She either has my MP (Nadine Dorries) or one who similarly doesn't respond to the vast majority of letters that they receive, is my guess.

I wish the government and Tory press would stop referring to teachers’ wages. Teachers have degrees plus a teaching qualification and in many cases masters and doctorates in their subject area. We are professionals and expect a salary - I certainly didn’t expect to have to go on strike when I started teaching three decades ago.

My condolences! Has she always been useless or has it got worse?

I email mine often. I don’t share most of his politics and dodgy vote for him but he’s a decent man who unfailingly replies to me promptly and is always constructive and polite. He’s standing down which is a shame.

This is news to me! The NEU has just had votes, due by 23rd July. Surely they aren’t striking before receiving all of the votes??

Yep!

They have a strike mandate up till the summer from the previous ballot. The current ballot is for strikes in Autumn.

Kevin Courtney has said that the reason for the strikes is that it seems Gillian intends not to implement the 6.5%.

I wouldn't be surprised by this, the Treasury wouldn't sanction it.

I know of a local school where the strike date coincides with a planned residential for year 2.

I wouldn't want to be in anyone's shoes in that situation. Imagine being the parent who has to break the news to their 7 year old that it's not going ahead? Or being the teacher that has to return to work the next day and face the misery of the kids and the ire of the parents who all blame you for the upset. 😬

I'm broadly supportive of the strikes. But I can work from home and my upper primary kids are old enough to entertain themselves whilst I do. I can understand why parents might not be so supportive and I hope teachers are also understanding of why they might not enjoy full support.

Thanks! She's always been useless, but since she moved to the other side of the country from her constituency, she's been completely invisible. If we didn't see her embarrassing herself in the media, we'd not know that we even had an MP.