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

[loftyclopflop]

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?

[Dominodonkey]

"because the Education Minister from the Welsh Government is in talks with the Unions. That's all Gove has to do to stop this, but he won't."

Interesting - do you really think that would stop the strike?
I'm no fan of Gove but I do have a feeling that if a Labour government was doing this the NUT/NASUWT would be taking it lying down. I do think Gove should talk to the unions and also ordinary teachers though.

[EsTutMirLeid]

An aside... mrsmook I'm intrigued by your average life expectancy of a teacher who retires at 65 being 67 years old. Considering the average overall life expectancy in the UK is 80, I'm amazed at your 'statistic' that quote 67 for the teaching profession. I wouldn't believe this too closely if I were you.

If you look closely you'll find these 'statistics' aren't unique to the teaching profession.

an example.

[EsTutMirLeid]

Incidentally mrsmook I hope you're not a Maths teacher!

[SilverStreak7]

Good on the Teachers .. I support them.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

But teachers aren't striking about the 'reduction in specialist support for students with SEN.'

And reduction from what to what? My ds has been in 6 schools and it has been crap in all of them.

[itsametaphordaddy]

How many hours of those 10 hour days are contact... 4 or 5? People get cross when teachers complain about the hours when quite a lot of it is desk work with a cup of tea- not teaching.And why not move to a school were you don't have to mark 120 books everyday?

Most days are 6.5 contact. Some days are 5.5. However that makes absolutely no difference. I might be marking, prepping etc with a cup of tea but that does not mean I am not working. I am working bloody hard actually. Does that mean you think all desk work is easy? You are seriously deluded and are being disrespectful to all people who have a desk job. How dare you suggest the desk parts of any job are easy.

As for moving school. Most schools have a lot of books to mark a day - that's the reality of the job. Also I love my children and wouldn't want to leave them. You also make it sound really simple to find a different school. You can't pick and choose you know. The last job I got there were 86 people going for the same job (the head told me). 86 to 1 chance of getting the job. Not easy. The interview before that was 150+ people applying for 2 jobs. You can't pick and choose the school!

[mercibucket]

i think that is for head teachers, they tend to die pretty much straight after retirement, we were told this on a governors teaining course

although the only teacher i know who has died, was in fact 67 when they died

[nobutts]

reveal all "desk work with a cup of tea" ha ha, you're funny.
I would welcome you to shadow me at work. I assume when people say they work very hard and this is backed up by all other members of their profession, that it's probably true. I simply cannot fathom the lack of meaningful engagement that some parents and some members of society, have for the future of children and the current circumstances of their education, ( whether they back the strikes or not).
It appears that regardless of what teachers say, some just refuse to believe it and have some odd, inbuilt, dislike.

[Blissx]

I'm intrigued as to what a gold plated pension is. I will be able to collect £12,300 a year when I am 68 years and 3 months according to my TPP records. How is that gold plated? I pay £380 a month out of my pay packet for this-it isn't free, which some of the posters seems to think it is. And yes, most of us are extremely worried about the reasons noblegiraffe listed and I am flabbergasted some parents who aren't teachers aren't worried about this too.

[EsTutMirLeid]

Aaahhh I see so head teachers have a life expectancy of 67...
No they don't. Stop being so silly!

I can't stand it when people quote statistics as complete fact when they clearly don't understand the origins of the statistics they are quoting. Doesn't do you or your profession any favours. Seriously you are teachers, you should know better.

Anyways I hate these threads so I'll leave now. But quoting nonsense facts like the above does harm to your reputations whether you can see that or not.

[bk1981]

revealall
five-six hours contact (depending on clubs), and there is nothing easy about 'desk work' with a cup of tea after five hours with children of hugely varied abilties/needs/behaviour.
As for the marking... its not particularly unusual for the children to be required to write something and the teacher to be required to mark it.

[Freshlysqueezed]

Teachers can you please stop thinking us working parents can easily find the odd extra day of childcare. Childcare is planned methodically around our childrens school days and terms. Having to take extra days is an inconvenience which can piss our organisations off if we haveto arrange to have extra days off when we might be required at meetings etc. Hey we have jobs, long hours and work stress too! Teachefs striking, schools closing at the first flake of snow can jeopordise our careers and potentially ouf childrens future in this current cllimate. We have experienced paycuts, pension freezes, the lot - you are not the only ones getting a rough deal right now

[bk1981]

And pensions... I earn half of what my father does in the private sector, yet my pension contributions are double his. So yes I expect a better pension than him, as I am contributing far more.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

But school provides and education (for some kids anyway), not childcare.

It is convenient that during school hours you mostly don't have to find childcare, but that's all it is, not a childcare 'entitlement'.

[revealall]

I didn't say the desk job was "easy" but it's not contact. So you complaining about the hours is not quite the same thing as if you had a class all day.

I know teachers work hard but you pick the wrong battles. Instead of arguing against crap new initiatives it's always about your pensions.

You are right about the number of candidates for each job too. I'd be looking over my shoulder the whole time...expect for the fact it's really hard to get rid of crap teachers unlike most other professions.

[MmeLindor]

I sit at a desk all day with a cup of tea.

I'd say that I work hard, but what do I know?

[Freshlysqueezed]

I dont think of it as a childcare entitlement for goodness sake. The bottom line is children have to go to scholl parents have to go to work. Childcare has to be planned outside of these times, all to be expected. Childcare takes careful planning and advance booking. Again all fine as school terms fixed way in advance. Suddenly choosing to change this is where the inconvenience/additional expensd comes in

[maddy68]

theuphillstruggle.wordpress.com/2013/04/21/an-open-letter-to-michael-gove/

[bk1981]

No it isn't reveal but I don't know of any teachers who try to claim they 'teach' for ten hours, so not sure what your point is.
We do argue agianst the initiatives, have you not read about the changes to the new curriculumn? Unfortunately properly fighting initiatives (refusing to employ them) would result in bad performance management/OFSTED/observations.

[gordyslovesheep]

I AM a parent, I will be inconvenienced - I full support them - Gove is an empty minded fuck gibbon who doesn't have a clue what he is doing and some one has to stand up to him.

[mirry2]

67 year old? Who may be too frail to cope with their liveliness?

Orangendlemons I know plenty of 67 year olds, none of whom could be described as frail. We are ALL going to have to work until we're 67. 67 is not old.

[noblegiraffe]

schools closing at the first flake of snow can jeopordise our careers and potentially ouf childrens future

There's a lot of shit going on in education at the moment, yet you are worried about the snow jeapordising your children's future?

Take a look at what is happening in schools. Teachers are striking to protect your kids against a raft of bollocks.

[Catsnotrats]

freshlysqueezed I know you're going to think me patronising to point this out, but the whole purpose of strikes is to cause inconvinence in order to get those in power to sit up and take notice of the issues. Unfortunately I can't think of a way to inconvinence the government that doesn't affect parents and children. If you can I'd be really pleased to hear it!

[skylerwhite]

Hours worked are hours worked, reveal, whether it's in front of a class or seated at a desk or even marking in bed. This sort of insidiously encroaching expectation that people are constantly available to work, way outside the 40 hour week that most people regard as reasonable, is exactly why unions are still so important.

[Freshlysqueezed]

Gosh yes it is so convenient that I dont need tl find childcare during school hours!!!! If that were not the case then I am guessing the alternative is no schools whilst the children help us farm the land