to say this to all the teachers who are striking next week

[Memoo]

As a parent I am 100 % behind you.

I really appreciate that you put your life and soul into your job and im sorry more people don't get just how hard you work for the benefit of our children.

Don't let the bastards grind you down!

I thought a teachers starting wage was circa £21,000 a doctors start wage (not allowing for over time) is £22,412 (NHS website).

anyone who is doing a job that then gets the 'government' deciding to interfer with pensions should most definatley strike on wednesday.

It's the people who make a difference who get trodden on and that should stop

Lets not forget charity workers,environmental workers,carers.......

Fair enough Angelico. But the point I'm making really is that there's maybe a link between highly educated teachers and high standards from pupils. There's a big difference between a graduate with a Masters degree from a RG university is slightly different to a graduate with an ordinary degree or a third class BA from an ex-polytechnic-now-university.

If you get what I mean.

There are plenty of young, eager, well-qualified and experienced (due to having to take TA jobs, until they can find a vacancy) newly qualified teachers, who would be glad to replace some of the dead wood who have contributed to the UK's educatons system slipping down the international ratings to joke status.

And you are striking? And expect credibilty?

Bacward my dp has a Masters from a RG uni and qualifications coming out of his ears he's not on a doctors salary.

lordlovely - the dead wood will be in their jobs until they are 68 if the government have their way. I'm striking FOR younger, newly qualified, well-qualified teachers. I would MUCH rather they were teaching my DCs than someone who did their teacher training 45 years previously.

MrsHeffley spectacularly missing the point...

Again Lordlovely, ignoring my questions. Do you blame our govt at all for its education policies or is it all the nasty old teachers?

backward-the point being????

Mrsheffley, is that because he isn't a doctor?

And lordlovely, a large proportion of those young eager teachers will have quit within 5 years.

From "ThisisaSignofthetimes Thu 24-Nov-11 22:43:08

Someone ask how much to get a 10k pension income earlier, depends on what assumptions you use, but a 25 year old female, retiring at 65 would need to make a net contribution of between 250 and 330 per month, the higher amount to get an index linked pension. Private pensions charge, so you need to take those charges into account, there is no guarantee of fund growth nor that annuity rates will provide the level of income you were planning for."

Interestingly a teacher on average band (according to BBC website link from earlier) £32,000-39,000 would be paying in right now £189.33/mth pension contribution. I am taking the middle of the banding pay and working out a 6.4%. After the 40years though her pension currently stands though at 40/60 x 35 500 = £23,667

Sorry do not know if ThisisaSignofthetimes calculations are what would be paid whan person is due to retire or in her 20's. Obviously inflation would change the value a lot. I have quoted what would be the teachers max payments (assuming her wage goes up). Someone working for 40 years as a teacher may well; be significantly above the £32,000-£39,000 bracket.

The point being, MrsHeffley, that the question was asked why our educational standards are poor and still slipping. I replied to say that in Scandinavia where standards are consistently the highest in PISA studies, teachers have to be very highly qualified and is regarded highly as a profession - to attract the best candidates, teachers are paid a lot of money, as much as doctors.

I'm pointing out that there is perhaps a link between highly paid, well-qualified professionals being attracted to the job, and high standards.

I'm not saying there is necessarily a link, but it's one conclusion you could draw from it.

Oops, I missed out the word teaching in there. It's late. Bedtime...

it's not just Teachers who are stiriking though lordlovely

and why shouldnt they/we strike when your getting your pensions stripped away

Becca, I didn't say poorly paid I said relatively poorly paid compared to my peers who work in the same job in the private sector. I stayed partly to give a service to those who couldn't afford to pay privately and partly as the pension somewhat compensated for the salary difference.

If me and my colleagues all moved to private sector you would soon be complaining. I'd rather not say exactly what I do to avoid outing myself.

And I'm saying there are plenty of highly qualified people doing highly skilled successful jobs not on a doctors salary. You don't need a doctors salary to be good at your job or highly qualified. Not sure chucking yet more money at the problem is going to help in this economic climate.

Personally I think whoever is in power needs to grow some balls and clear out dead wood along with bringing in frequent on the spot inspections like the old days(perhaps Scandinavia do this too).

To those who think we have a 'job for life'.... rubbish! I have worked on short term contracts in the public sector for the last decade. They have ranged from 1 month to 3 years. I am curently on my 4th 2 month contract in a row which goes off on the 30th, with no extension currently officially confirmed (allthough I gather it is on the way).
My industry, higher education, employs vast numbers of staff, of all grades, on short term contracts.
BTW me and all my collegues have been on a pay freeze for 2-3 years.
I will be striking on the 30th, both on the picket and then on the rally.

I can't strike, my union dues have lapsed and I didn't even realise! It is illegal for me to strike.

I'm just 5 years off retirement - and the Govt has decided to change the pension terms we agreed when I started to work for them 38 years ago.

I didn't strike over the 2 year pay freeze, or the massive reduction in our redundancy rights or the change in pension indexing from RPI to CPI, or the fact that my job will be privatised in the next few years......

But stealing the pension I have worked for for the last 38 years is the final straw and I shall be out on strike on 30 Nov.

backwardLFDTpossom - high standards are important. I'm an Oxbridge grad so I would think that. But I'm also aware that high academic qualifications are not enough. I've met teachers who didn't go to Russell Group Unis but who had other skills which made them much better at the job than people with 1sts from Oxford. Having interviewed one candidate with a first we gave a collective shudder when she left the room as the kids would have devoured her alive and she was frankly a bit odd. Good teachers get the best out of their pupils - but there is a limit to what can be done with some kids, especially when they're like the cast of Shameless.

And lordlovely I'm dying to see all these NQT's you're talking about. You see in my first school they had to keep recruiting from all over the globe because none of the natives wanted to work there. It's amazing how a recession suddenly makes teaching seem like a dream job - especially for people who sneered at it just a few years ago.

I am a public sector worker who realises that I am in the very privilaged position of having a vast proportion of my pension contributions paid and even after cuts it is still a good deal compared to most peoples pension. I also realise that striking is futile because of the state of the economy. I also realise that 500 million will be lost to the economy when the country is already in debt. Also there are many working parents who will struggle to find childcare cover and cannot take annual leave so will lose pay without any choice in the matter - equating to children losing out, especially families on just above the benefit threshold who may have budgeted for xmas and now cannot afford the gift their child has set their heart on. Or maybe they will get into further debt because of this. Or the alternative of having to pay for a full days care instead of before/ afterschool. ALL WITH NO CHOICE!
On that note I feel that those striking are selfish!
I am very

Wet August this is from the BBC website:
"In the face of a huge national strike by public sector unions the government stepped back.

A wholesale switchover, to new career average pension schemes, which would have affected several million public employees, has been diluted.

Anyone who, on 1 April 2012, is within 10 years of their normal retirement age, will not be put into the new schemes at all. They can stay where they are."

Also this does not effect pension already accumulated. So the goal posts have not moved when you were paying into them.... from the BBC. You effectively get 2 pensions. One based on old rules, one on the new rules.

"Two pensions

It is important to remember that these changes, if finally put in place, will apply only to future pension entitlements from 2015........

Pensions already earned (accrued rights) will be protected in full.

These will still be payable on retirement on the basis of a worker's final salary, and at the original pension age, even though the staff will not have accrued any more years of service in their old scheme after the change over has taken place.

So someone whose salary rises between 2015 and eventual retirement will receive more at retirement from their old scheme than if their pension had simply been payable when the change over took place.

They will of course accrue a second stream of pension income under their new scheme."