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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask WHY in the name of Gove are teachers striking again?

792 replies

loftyclopflop · 17/09/2013 18:17

DD's school is closing on 1st October because they have chosen to strike. Is it over pay, pensions and conditions? Did they achieve anything by striking a couple of years ago other than massively inconveniencing a lot of parents?

I know Gove is a twat but do they really expect to change anything by taking the day off?

OP posts:
gordyslovesheep · 26/03/2014 17:21

wow goady much Hmm

a simple google would tell you why teachers are striking

fedupbutfine · 26/03/2014 17:50

teachers have become unaccountable

You should also try being a head of department in an average UK school explaining to their head why X, Y and Z didn't pass their GCSE. When you've been party to that kind of conversation, do come back and tell us whether or not you still think we are 'unaccountable'.

42notTrendy · 26/03/2014 17:55

Could someone explain what gold /platinum etc plated pension actually means? Last time I checked, it seemed a fairly average pension, no better than my DH's private scheme and not as good as my friend's company pension. And it's been fiddled with, so it's worth less than it should have been.

thegreatdivide · 26/03/2014 17:56

is that an average school with average teachers?

napoleonsnose · 26/03/2014 17:59

thegreatdivide Are you actually Michael Gove? You have bumped every thread on the teachers strike today.

thegreatdivide · 26/03/2014 18:04

no and no
just an average parent fed up with teachers going on strike again and trying to justify it
thats all

Ginnytonic82 · 26/03/2014 18:06

The average parent is intelligent enough to understand the strike.

ilovesooty · 26/03/2014 18:10

No you're not an 'average parent'.

Your behaviour looks like shit stirring to me.

Perhaps you could provide a definition of 'unaccountable' as applied to people, and justify/provide evidence for your statement?

pixiepotter · 26/03/2014 18:16

'which is it this time?
gold-plated not good enough (platinum-plated pension)?
more holidays?
more pay?
less accountability?
I thought we are trying to get out of a recession

^This^

Teachers need to get real
And yes they are service providers and yes pupilsare service users.Iam sorry but it does not take a highly skilled, highly educated, highly intelligent person to teach.It just doesn't.

Ginnytonic82 · 26/03/2014 18:26

Personally I only want highly intelligent and skilled individuals to teach my children, or I'd feel I was doing them a disservice.

napoleonsnose · 26/03/2014 18:26

And yes they are service providers and yes pupilsare service users.Iam sorry but it does not take a highly skilled, highly educated, highly intelligent person to teach.It just doesn't.

I'm not a teacher, but I have recently spend a considerable amount of time in secondary schools whilst I was considering teaching as a career. After observing just how hard teachers work, the often unachievable targets they have to meet, ever-changing govt education policy and their total dedication to the job, I would strongly disagree with the view above and it is why that I have decided that sadly teaching is not for me. To say you do not need to be highly skilled to be a teacher is offensive and patronising to say the least. I suggest all those teacher-bashers out there go and spend some time volunteering in their local state comp and then decide if that statement is true.

LineRunner · 26/03/2014 18:31

I think teacher-bashers are deluded, and a little but dangerous.

The strike has been a bit disruptive for my family, but I do want to see and support skilled teachers who want to stay in the job.

I do however want crap teachers, really crap teachers, to be shown the door quite early on, tbh.

BoneyBackJefferson · 26/03/2014 18:48

"And yes they are service providers and yes pupilsare service users."

So can a teacher withdraw their service from your child? If not then they are not a "service provider"

"Iam sorry but it does not take a highly skilled, highly educated, highly intelligent person to teach.It just doesn't."

So you can start tomorrow then?

Topseyt · 26/03/2014 18:54

What an ignorant and highly unintelligent post from Pixiepotter. You sound like a worse twat than Gove, and I hardly thought that was possible.

You must be ridiculously uneducated. At the very least you are doing yourself no favours.

Ginnytonic82 · 26/03/2014 19:04

I have noticed the complainants have very poor grammar and punctuation. Does that qualify them to educate our children by their assumptions?

bk1981 · 26/03/2014 19:24

thegreatdivide
Please explain in detail exactly how teachers 'have become unaccountable'.

Topseyt · 26/03/2014 19:31

Thegreatdivide does not do grammar, capital letters or much punctuation. Enough said there.

usuallyright · 26/03/2014 19:35

what does the average teacher pension pay out? Do they get a monthly or annual amount for the rest of their lives and is it enough to live on?

fedupbutfine · 26/03/2014 19:39

Iam sorry but it does not take a highly skilled, highly educated, highly intelligent person to teach.It just doesn't.

the Government says something very different. In fact, it thinks that highly educated and highly intelligent people make the best teachers - so much so that in some subjects, they are prepared to pay a training bursary of £20k (and possibly more, depending on individual circumstances at the time of training) for the 'top' graduates. 'Top graduate' is defined as someone having gained a first at university in a shortage subject area.

pixiepotter · 26/03/2014 19:41

*What an ignorant and highly unintelligent post from Pixiepotter. You sound like a worse twat than Gove, and I hardly thought that was possible.

You must be ridiculously uneducated. At the very least you are doing yourself no favours*

say, what? How about explaining why you disagree rather than hurling insults about? That is generally how people debate.

PunkrockerGirl · 26/03/2014 19:47

Teachers, you have my full support. Gove is an arse.

pixiepotter · 26/03/2014 19:47

'the Government says something very different. In fact, it thinks that highly educated and highly intelligent people make the best teachers '

Ah! so you cherry pick which bits of government policy you like on student teachers/teachers remuneration package ?
swings and roundabouts!!

fedupbutfine · 26/03/2014 19:53

I made no comment on whether I agree with this policy or otherwise.

purplebaubles · 26/03/2014 19:57

Iam sorry but it does not take a highly skilled, highly educated, highly intelligent person to teach.It just doesn't."

Well, you're clearly not one of those, so would you like to take my class tomorrow then?

storynanny · 26/03/2014 19:58

Re gold plated pensions
I have been a teacher all my life. Full time, part time, short, long contracts, senior teacher, supply teacher.
I have paid into a pension all my teaching life, pro rata according to the amount of work.
I had to stop early at 55 because of all the nonsense, conditions and everything talked about on this thread.
As I took my pension early I had to accept 25% less for life.
It is taxed as added to any supply work I do.
It is just under £400 per month therefore I still work as a supply teacher as I do not get a state pension for another 11 years. Of course I expect to still be working.
Judge for yourself if this is gold plated or not. I am sure there will be differing opinions.