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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not worry about teachers aged 60+ in the classroom

229 replies

NotaTeacherBasher · 25/11/2011 18:42

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.

OP posts:
exoticfruits · 26/11/2011 22:35

They would be retired through health grounds if they had dementia.

beatenbyayellowteacup · 26/11/2011 22:37

yes, but my point is that while its good to have the option of continuing to work, legislating for it is a different matter.

the older we get, the less energy we have and the more chance we have of things going wrong and being unable to do our job properly.

twinklytroll · 26/11/2011 23:47

I am happy to teach at 67 but I suspect I will need a commode in my classroom.

maypole1 · 27/11/2011 00:20

wherearemysocka un like a young teacher who has gone in to it because they want summers off and to be home by tea time like my oh mate.

I have to say I much prefer older teachers I don't much care for these very young ones really

tabulahrasa most people don't want to be in their job past the first day yet we all Manage what makes us effective the threat of being sacked and having no way to pay our bills

Some people who want to be in their job and love it are not very good oh well.

I would be very worried about police working till their 70 odd but it's a physical job were running and fighting is envoled but saying that they could easily be used as back room staff instead of the younger police officers or on in the control room

In view just another excuse why teachers are special and can't possibly retire at the same age as everyone else

maypole1 · 27/11/2011 00:26

beatenbyayellowteacup never heard so much tripe I would much rather a 67 year old teaching my son than some wet behind the ears 23 year old

I work for ss and find the younger sw are usually not very good get intimidated by the parents and as they have no experience of running a home ECt make sometimes very poor decisions.

exoticfruits · 27/11/2011 07:15

I think that people's vision of a 67 yr old is very different from mine. If they want to be there I think they are quite able.If they are unfit they will have retired through health grounds.

echt · 27/11/2011 07:58

It is incredibly difficult to get retirement on health grounds from teaching, took a friend of mine years.

I expect the route will be sacking on the grounds of capability. I don't think they'll get their pension.

Older teachers are a nuisance; they've seen a lot, are not necessarily impressed by the latest bullshit initiative, and less likely to roll over wave their paws in the air for management.

MindtheGappp · 27/11/2011 08:28

Older teachers are a nuisance; they've seen a lot, are not necessarily impressed by the latest bullshit initiative, and less likely to roll over wave their paws in the air for management.

That's a bad thing? Grin

echt · 27/11/2011 08:30

Absolutely not.

I am 57.:)

exoticfruits · 27/11/2011 08:32

Good for them. We have seen it all go full circle anyway!

DownbytheRiverside · 27/11/2011 08:32
Grin
Taffeta · 27/11/2011 08:40

My mother has been a teacher all her life. In her 60's, she moved into Education Welfare. She now works as an EWO freelance for the LEA and is 74.

She's the best one they've ever had.

exoticfruits · 27/11/2011 08:55

Following on from the other thread, at least you wouldn't get a 60+ teacher correcting squirl to skwirel in a homework book! (if true)

TartyMcFarty · 27/11/2011 08:58

I'm guessing those who whinge that teacher's aren't a special case (they're not, but the education of the children they're teaching is) will put up and shut up when the aging teachers of their grandchildren struggle to find the energy to find new and engaging ways to 'connect the learning' while still meeting aspirational targets. After all, the oldies will still have 13 weeks of total relaxation (fnar!) Right? Well actually they'll probably be devoting what time they can to help their own children with childcare as they won't be available during term-time).

And as for the poster who said at least a teacher in their 60s can teach spelling and grammar, well if what you're suggesting is that younger teachers can't (because those who are now in their 60s, in their wisdom, decided it wasn't necessary over a 20 year period) what makes you think they'll be able to do so when they're in their 60s? Oh I know, they will because they currently do - your argument is patronising and divisive.

DownbytheRiverside · 27/11/2011 09:07

(because those who are now in their 60s, in their wisdom, decided it wasn't necessary over a 20 year period)

Teachers do not make decisions about educational priorities. Politicians do.
Then the teachers have to comply or be disciplined.

MindtheGappp · 27/11/2011 09:15

There is far too much ageism on this thread.

I have, I think, 5 colleagues (that I know of) who are in their 60s. TBH, an outsider wouldn't know (well, maybe they could tell with the 65 year old). If I had to guess their ages, I would say early 50s.

No one has any trouble climbing the stairs, or staying on their feet, or controlling their bladders. They are quick-witted and have enough stamina to get through the day and prepare for the next. They worked out long ago how to deal with stress and time management.

Their IT skills may be slightly lacking, but they can do the basics, and they are never fazed if the network goes down. They are wonderful mentors of new teachers. They aren't afraid of speaking their minds in staff meetings, and rarely worry about staff-room politics.

I love our older teachers. My closest older colleague keeps threatening to retire, and I keep begging her to stay.

When younger teachers here say that they couldn't continue working as they are now into their sixties. That may or may not be true. If you want to, you will be a good teacher in your 60s as you will be more experienced than you are now and will have developed a full range of skills to help you.

There are good and bad teachers of all ages. The bad ones in their sixties were probably not so hot in their 30s either. There weakness are not age-related (although they may use age as a mask). You don't automatically become deskilled because you get older.

Not wanting to go to work is not limited to teachers. How many in any profession would work if they didn't have to?

YusMilady · 27/11/2011 09:20

I got out of teaching in my early thirties. Best thing I ever did. It's a fucking lobster pot.

I'm agree with a poster up-thread who pointed out that all those marvellous 60+ teachers that so many parents are cooing over are probably nothing like that old - they just look it. That grey-haired, frumpy-looking thing? She's probably 43...

northernwreck · 27/11/2011 09:25

Yep. My friend (65) retired from teaching a couple of years ago, and after a few months all her friends were asking her if she had had a facelift!

Bonsoir · 27/11/2011 09:28

"Their IT skills may be slightly lacking, but they can do the basics, and they are never fazed if the network goes down. They are wonderful mentors of new teachers. They aren't afraid of speaking their minds in staff meetings, and rarely worry about staff-room politics.

I love our older teachers. My closest older colleague keeps threatening to retire, and I keep begging her to stay."

As a parent, I would echo those feelings! Older teachers know their own minds and have huge amounts of experience. They rarely panic - they know that learning/education is a long-haul business with no quick fixes and that 99% of children just need a lot of regular practice at everything!

exoticfruits · 27/11/2011 09:30

Ageism on MN on the whole is appalling-you may be older on the outside, but you don't feel differently inside.

beatenbyayellowteacup · 27/11/2011 09:32

I was wondering about the ageism thing last night (and if I was guilty).

I think that of course there will be people who are sprightly into their 90s, but to assume that everyone will be up for working like this at 67 is unrealistic and unfair.

And if the only way around this is to medically retire them or sack them for competency issues it doesn't seem very dignified to me.

noblegiraffe · 27/11/2011 10:46

I don't think I'm being ageist when I am concerned about my ability to teach well into my 60s. People on here keep going about marathon-running nans, but pretty much all the people in my family (including in-laws) who are over 60 have suffered from health problems which would make a teaching career unsustainable. I don't think it's that unusual that bringing it up as a problem is 'ageist'.

noblegiraffe · 27/11/2011 10:48

"Teachers do not make decisions about educational priorities. Politicians do."

Indeed that is a big part of the problem in education. Everyone has an opinion because hey, they went to school. Gove is a particularly bad example of this.

hackmum · 27/11/2011 10:55

Lots of people in their 60s carry on being excellent teachers - of course.

But among teachers I know, the problem is that they're exhausted. If you're, say, 55, and you've been teaching 30 years then you're worn out with the stress of it, both mental and physical. And surely the answer is not to impose such ridiculous expectations on teachers. Why should teachers be expected to go into a workplace where they are subjected to verbal abuse and (sometimes) physical abuse? How many of the rest of us would tolerate that? The one thing that needs to be sorted out more than anything in education is how you deal effectively with bad behaviour. Unfortunately, nobody seems to have the will to do it.

hackmum · 27/11/2011 10:57

noblegiraffe: "Indeed that is a big part of the problem in education. Everyone has an opinion because hey, they went to school. Gove is a particularly bad example of this."

Yes!! It always fascinates me when I read education threads that at least half the posters will talk about their own particular experience and generalise from that. And yes, Gove is a great example of someone who does that.