aibu to think that all those striking on thursday are being selfish and greedy?

[hellospoon]

And they should be thankful that they even have a job?

In a day where thousands of people are unemployed and living in poor conditions surely these teachers should be thankful they even have a job!

Many parents are having to take leave, some unpaid I presume the effect that it will have on family's is ridiculous.

Colleagues in the same union are not happy about it, and they are calling me selfish

I'm not surprised.

You can't afford to lose a day's pay. How will you afford the increased pension contributions?

Exactly.

I expect them to carry out the valuation as promised.

Badgercub - A PGCE is not a masters - it is an additional qualification to allow somebody with a degree in something else to become a teacher. My query was whether a PGCE is more qualified than BEd - I assume it isn't, it is for people who wanted to do another subject first and then needed the practical qualification to actually teach.

FWIW - all the teachers in DS2's primary school are doing an masters together so obviously a PGCE isn't a masters or they wouldn't be bothering.

Soverylucky - I stand corrected on the training. However, it is still less than many other professionals. I made no comment on whether that makes them worthy of their pensions or not. My beef was teachers somehow think they have done something out of the ordinary by qualifying and that they expect to be treated like professionals but they don't act like professionals by striking.

Niecie, a PGCE isn't a masters itself, but counts as credits towards a masters, so is of the same level.

what Ilovesooty said

I won't have a choice about increased pension contributions, unless I opt out of the pension and not pay into it, which I have done before when I needed every penny.
That's another reason why I am not too up in arms about pensions. I know I won't get a full one because my payments into it have been sporadic.

YABU.

Teachers are paying pensions now which money is used for teachers currently claiming pensions who retired at the age they were given when they started paying.

Current teachers will now pay more, get less and work until 68 yo. They are not getting what they paid.

It's not about greed in the slightest.

If you paid the bank money into savings account and they suddenly said 'actually you can't have your money until your 70yo, we expect you to pay 50% more a months into your saings and we are only going to give to 75% of that.' You'd go mad and not want people thinking its greed.

YABVVU.

YABU

Good for them standing up for their rights.I was a teacher and wow being a mum is like one big long walk in the park compared to the stress and pressures of teaching other people's children, mopping up after certain parents' failure to teach their children manners and self discipline.It was a joy to teach the kids whose parents had clearly put the time and energy into their kids.
You teacher bashing non teachers have no idea what teachers are dealing with and they have my full respect and support.Go and be a tecaher if you think it is so cushy.It is hard hard draining work both physically and mentally and it is not fair to change the goalposts in the way that is being proposed.

You go teachers- let parents be inconvenienced for the day and maybe they will appreciate the convenience of their children being in your care 40 weeks of the year.If you don't stand up for yourselves believe me the parents or anyone else generally won't.

Keep striking till you get results.

YABU

You go teachers- let parents be inconvenienced for the day and maybe they will appreciate the convenience of their children being in your care 40 weeks of the year

I could appreciate teachers till my ears bleed, but I'm not the one fucking around with pensions. The teachers have it ass backwards.

RobF, teachers are tax payers too.
Do you seriously think that people shouldn't get decent pensions? ALL people? It is affordable; it is a question of priorities.
My dad has taught for his whole career; he has been a specialist teacher of those with serious educational and behaviour difficulties and is now approaching 60. He is fit, active and perfectly capable at the moment, but why should he have to keep putting himself in harm's way for the next ten years because he is not getting what he was promised?

80% of teachers who graduated failed to gain a permanent job last year, will be same again next year.

I say supply and demand.

The public sector vs Private sector animosity is probably due to the fact the public sector continue to support Labour who spend more money than they take in taxes and increase wage competition for lower income workers.

Can someone remind what the percentage of 12 year olds unable to read and write is again?

DH is a teacher. He isn't striking as he hasn't got round to joining a union.

HE IS BEING VERY SELFISH AS I AM HAVING TO TAKE A DAY OF WORK!

He really, really needs to join a union - he is very vulnerable if he isn't in one.

80% of teachers who graduated failed to gain a permanent job last year, will be same again next year.

Where did you get this statistic, somethingwitty82?

Can someone remind what the percentage of 12 year olds unable to read and write is again?

Unable to read or write...hmmm...that would below level 3, so 7%. Many of whom, if not all, will have SEN.

I know feenie - he was more concerned about the potential of having to cross a picket line TBH. But there are hardly any union members in his school as it happens. He will have to sort it out asap.

If the contributions go up too much and teachers (and other public sector workers) pull out because they can't afford it the deficit/shortfall will be worse surely?

news.stv.tv/scotland/257309-almost-80-of-new-teachers-fail-to-find-full-time-work/

www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23955155-london-city-of-children-who-cannot-read.do
newteachers.tes.co.uk/news/teachers-dole-jobless-figures-soar-75-two-years/23598

YABVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVU

In Scotland, then.

And in London.

Not saying your figures are not shocking. But your sources are not UK wide.

10 Brownie points to the OP for posting a genuine AIBU question.

-1,0000 points for being a nobber.

YABU but you may have worked that out by now.

The fact of where they graduated doesn't matter, they can move. The supply of teachers is greater than the demand.

The distribution of illiteracy is clearly not identical everywhere at all times, I am guessing you have access to the internet and can look into the matter in as much depth as you like. The standards of education are, and have been falling for some time.

Not the time to have a sulk. Striking is generally effective when it has a monetray effect on the employers profits, this is doing nothing but harming childrens education, work to rule re: hours would be more effective and may garner more sympathy.

But of course the union barons love a good strike, it gives them a purpose and protects their obscene salary.

In response to the original question:

No, they are not selfish or greedy.

However, Cammeron and his government are, both greedy and selfish and they are spreading their menatlity of greed and selfishness across our society. Unfortunately, people are buying into this and believing him. And yes, Cammeron and his government should be thankful that they even have a job and a very good wage and literally a 'gold plated' pension, whereas teachers do not!

In a day where thousands of people are unemployed and living in poor conditions surely these teachers ministers, should be thankful they even have a job:

Yes, surely, they should be thinking about growing the economy, not just taking away from a different set of society every week. Surely, they should be thinking about the most vulnerable in society? Surely they should be thinking about their own great big fat greedy pockets [their mansions, their off sure tax havens, their money deals with huge companies etc etc] before they go taking from mine or indeed, yours.

Yes, many parents are having to take leave, some unpaid I presume the effect that it will have on family's is ridiculous:

Isn't it a pity that Cammeron has changed the working tax credits so that working parents get less help with childcare? Isn't it a pity, they have zero to help working parents since they came to power, yet went on and on and brought votes by claiming to be 'family friendly'?

Isn't it a pity that they say the working lone parent will be hardest hit by the strikes as they will ill afford the extra childcare. And yet, by the same token, they are systematically trawling through and cutting every means by which a lone parent and his/her children use to survive. Their policy on child benefit will discriminate against lone parents, the cuts to child tax credits will disproportionately hit lone parents, as will the changes to housing benefit and the CSA. Oh please, Francis Maude and Gove and Cammeron, not one switched on, sensible human being buys your pity on the TV. Isn't it a pity, that Cammeron hasn't asked me if a 3% extra contribution is ok or affordable for me to pay? Isn't it a pity, that he hasn't suggested a more gradiated or fairer way to contribute?

So, YABU and it's an interesting post but not terribly well informed. You did ask!