to not worry about teachers aged 60+ in the classroom

[NotaTeacherBasher]

No teacher bashing, please.

A recurrent theme in the discussions about the changes to teachers' pensions is that teachers will not be able to retire at 55 any more. They will need to work until they are 65+ if they want their full pension.

Just like everyone else.

So what's the problem with that provided they are fit to work? Obviously some won't be able to and will, presumably, be able to retire on ill health grounds if they're not.

Whether or not people are able to be good teachers at 65+ is irrelevant.

The point is, that they signed contracts, and agreed to certain terms that were promised to them. It is not right that because the government are their employers, these contracts can just be changed overnight against the agreement of the employees.

my profession involves a lot of driving, which i will struggle to do at 68 i suspect. but i don't think i should be made a special case. if i am able to work i should work until retirement age and so should teachers imo. they are not a special case either.
should people lifting boxes in a warehouse be exempt, the list goes on and on... i think teachers should not be a special case just because there are alot of them and they are middle class. Sorry!

actually noble giraffe all professions and all people are important. a society with just teachers woudl be pretty worthless!

So teachers are a special case then?

I am sure chambermaids will be delighted to work until they are 68 yrs old so that their taxes can pay towards teachers retiring earlier.

Many other professionals have to continually learn new practices, initiatives, laws, regulations. Their performance is assessed and they have to account for the outcomes, maintain budgets, reach targets.

They'll be doing it past 65.

and there are many of us whose contracts are changed all the sodding time, or posts made redundant and have to apply for new ones with worse t and cs. this is public sector too! you can't rely on your contact you signed being valid for the next 40 years! sorry! no one else can.

Every job matters to the person getting paid for it ffs.
Nobody's saying teachers don't do long term good (one hopes) and beds could go unmade but that isn't the point, is that not clear?

i always agree with the crack fox for some reason

Well, as a teacher myself, I think I would happily swap with a chambermaid at 68 rather than deal with my current class of 30 4/5 year olds.

Concordia, I'm not saying that there aren't other jobs that are also important and that you want to get right and have the best staff in to do. You don't want operations to be carried out by people who are knackered and past it either.

I'm surprised that people are so unconcerned about the quality of teaching their kids will be receiving given how much slagging off usually goes on if teachers put even the slightest foot wrong.

'So teachers are a special case then?'

They're among a few jobs that should be - you can be a perfectly effective chambermaid while hating having to do it and being there grudgingly purely because you can't afford to retire.

You shouldn't be teaching children if that's how you feel, it doesn't affect beds any if you hate having to change them because you've had 40 years of it and no longer feel that's what you should be doing.

Maybe the teachers could work in a different job when they are 55+ and not acutally retire?

Work to rule, do the job and nothing extra.
If I have to work beyond 60, that's what I'll do I reckon. Miss Trunchbull, here I come.

I'll have to study normal teenage behaviour, just so I can do the eyeroll and sigh 'Whatever' when hassled to do something.
They can all sit in rows doing Kumon worksheets and grammar exercises whilst I glower and mark books.

ButWhereistheGinGone - your posts imply that teaching isn't a career that is suitable for a young person if you are unable to cope in the classroom at only 27. Maybe an older, more experienced teacher would be better at maintaining discipline.

How would you enforce that, Crackfox?

I expect it's really easy to find a job at 55.

It is easier for a teacher to swap jobs at 55 than it would be a bricklayer.

My uncle (63) is a bricklayer and just had 2 knee replacements this year. He was turned down for sickness benefit (he was judged fit to work) and is scrabbling about for jobs. He was back bricklaying 8 weeks after his Op.

She could cope beautifully in my current school, NATB.
It's why so many of the schools in very challenging areas struggle to find permanent staff. At one point there seemed to be more Australian/NZ teachers in some inner London schools than regular staff.
Because it's exciting to be on the frontline having furniture thrown at you for a short time when you are young and feel you can really make a difference to children that most would avoid. Less so as you get older and more weary of the unchanging nature of poverty and crap parenting on damaged children.
I look at my current class and know that they haven't a clue for the most part about some of the issues faces by children the same age in their own country. Rather like their parents.

Easier isn't the same as easy, is it CrackFox?

How would you enforce it?

My uncle (63) is a bricklayer and just had 2 knee replacements this year. He was turned down for sickness benefit (he was judged fit to work) and is scrabbling about for jobs. He was back bricklaying 8 weeks after his Op.

This ^

But then in many people's opinion's you're encouraging a 'race to the bottom' by mentioning your uncle's struggle. That's what normally comes out when anyone mentions the poor pensions/conditions other people endure.

You can't obviously enforce it but if they are happy to live on little to no money then that would be their choice.

My uncle didn't like living on no money so got back to bricklaying. his wife works in a care home at 62 yrs (obviously not as important as teaching according to your rules) but, again, she does'nt like living on the breadline so she does a shit job (her words) every day.

Why would they be living on little to no money? Are you going to sack all teachers at 55, Crackfox?

Why would I sack teacher at 65yrs ? They can retire when they want.

If your argument was that no one should be working until they are 68yrs I would back you 100% but arguing that teachers are some kind of special case is ridiculous.

DH is 32 and physically extremely fit - club runner, plays football every week etc.

He works in an inner city secondary school and even he reckons he will only be able to work 'at the top of his game' for another ten years as the physical exertion, mindfulness and stress for 70 hours a week takes massive amounts of energy.

Yes, he will be able to continue working but not at 'the top of his game' - he says very simply that at some point there will need to be a chair in his classroom

So in essence he will still teach but it will have to be a much less demanding school and he will have to work part time or not at full speed.