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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to expect teachers to strike in the school holidays and not in term time.

236 replies

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow · 30/09/2013 15:32

Well am I?

Considering that teachers are always insisting that they work during the school holidays, how come they never strike during the school holidays and always wait until term time to do so?

Odd that!

OP posts:
drivinmecrazy · 30/09/2013 16:49

I was under the impression that Gove wanted to make it easier for HT to hire and fire accordingly. It does seem, in my DDs school, glaringly obvious that some teachers are just treading water til retirement with very little interest in investing in their students. It's not an excuse for teachers to say 'see, it's terrible we have to work a few more years' but bringing teaching more in line with commercial employment, whereby if you weren't performing you're out.

Just doesn't seem the case with some teachers. Very unfortunate because during the last 9 years my DDs have been in the educational system I have come across some absolutely outstanding teachers, I've equally come across a few who shouldn't be within a 100 miles of a class room

sisterofmercy · 30/09/2013 16:50

Strike is about withdrawing labour. Labour is sometimes the only bargaining power some workers have. Their general election vote counts, but not for trying to change their workplace. By banding together and striking for a common cause, pressure can be put on employers to come to the negotiating table and start really listening. Pay is the most common reason for striking but poor working conditions, changes in contract being pushed through to the detriment of the people working in them, reductions in pensions, general bad relations, people being sacked because they are members of the union, wanting to be paid the same as someone else doing the same job as you, bullying, sexism are reasons that have been cited in the past.

Sadly sometimes the public are caught in the cross-fire but the people still active in unions have seen what the exploitation of people not in unions and don't want it to happen to them.

It's not like in the 70s when there were strikes every 5 minutes over things like arguing over which union had first dibs on the people in the factory etc

People don't strike now unless they have a very good reason. It's been made impossible to strike for anything less. I would personally like a higher turnout in the ballots but there you go. It's still not perfect and people sometimes don't know what they've got until it's gone.

Teaching is getting walloped (sp???) and the teachers have no other way to fight back. (I'm not a teacher. I am a union member and I support my sisters in the other unions.)

doobeedee · 30/09/2013 16:56

Working to rule just doesn't work in teaching. It just makes life harder for the teacher.

GhostsInSnow · 30/09/2013 16:57

I'm assuming OP is one of these people who thinks teachers rock up at 8.50, sit with a class until 3.30pm then go home. Lessons plan themselves, books are magically marked and paperwork filled in.

Meanwhile in the real world teachers very often DO find themselves working hard in the holidays, they are also very often still at it at 10pm at night. Free lesson? Often spent on cover or catching up on the million other things they have to do. Lunch? Maybe a sandwich whilst they mark, if they are lucky. They are under huge amounts of pressure.

So, in answer to your thread YABU.

KinkyDorito · 30/09/2013 16:59

drivein I agree with that, but this strike is about so much more. Look at the changes to school opening times and how he wants longer terms. That's what's got me. I don't want my children in school for 8 hour days for 45 weeks of the year or more! And that's not mentioning Saturday mornings. I want to have a family life, both as a teacher and for my children. I want my children taught by qualified, experienced teachers - as do you, from your post. By the time your 6 year old is in secondary, there will be heaps of new teachers who see out a year or two then leave. On the current conditions, 50% leave before 5 years are up, and now they are, in effect, cutting pay. If I was a young person facing the £9k fees to train as a teacher, then get stuck on £20k, I just wouldn't put myself through it. We will not be getting the best graduates and experience will disappear. Also, stress levels will rise, and with that absence. Believe me when I say, it is really, really bad. That's why I'm striking. My 4 year old deserves a good state education.

KinkyDorito · 30/09/2013 17:00

I would think paying more and sorting out the conditions would get in better quality staff who are not falling down with stress. At the moment, we're just asking that pay stays the same.

We are simply not recruiting the right people. As I said at the start, Gove is trying to destroy state education.

clam · 30/09/2013 17:03

Creatureretorts Teachers in one of the unions have been working to rule for the last year or so. The fact that you haven't noticed kind of reinforces the idea that it's not as effective as a strike.

Lweji · 30/09/2013 17:09

Can I charge my school for costs incurred in childcare seeing as they charge me if I take the kids out in term time?

In the same way the RMT pays petrol and parking costs when they strike.

TokenGirl1 · 30/09/2013 17:14

This isn't really about the payrise as far as my dh is concerned. It's about being blackmailed into taking a measly 1% rise in exchange for having to give up on the previous agreement of not doing the 40 admin jobs that should be left to admin staff.

Didn't the politicians get a 5% increase this year? Why is it they can get 5% but other public sector workers can't. Are we still all in it together.

My dh striking is costing us money that we can ill afford to lose but there is a time to take a stand and I fully support him in that.

GhostsInSnow · 30/09/2013 17:14

Can I charge my school for costs incurred in childcare seeing as they charge me if I take the kids out in term time?

A school is there to provide an education, not free childcare.

TokenGirl1 · 30/09/2013 17:15

School is not childcare.

clam · 30/09/2013 17:17

And for the millionth time (on MN at the moment), it's not the schools that charge you for taking your children out of school in term time. It's the Government!

CreatureRetorts · 30/09/2013 17:19

:( I did not realise.

I just want teachers to succeed in whatever action they choose to take. It seems difficult to get over the selfish view of those who can only focus on their individual circumstances eg having to take a day off work to look after their kids!

Why can't governments see that it's their meddling which causes the problems?

Souredstones · 30/09/2013 17:25

When will schools realise that to working parents school IS childcare!

TokenGirl1 · 30/09/2013 17:28

My dh is never home before 7pm and when he does get him, he works through till midnight and he also works Sunday's and that's also with barely a lunch break. He also worked 3 weeks of the last summer hols and always has to do some work in the other hols. So for those of you that yjink that teachers don't put in the hours, you're wrong and their families suffer too. Our kids barely see their Dad and he'll never get to see any of their nativity plays or sports day. Boy do teachers work for their money!

soverylucky · 30/09/2013 17:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Souredstones · 30/09/2013 17:29

It's not just teachers who work those hours, and a lot do for a lot poor pay and conditions.

Snargaluff · 30/09/2013 17:31

That must be why so many parents expect me to bring their children up as well as teach them, since I didn't realise I was providing child care!

clam · 30/09/2013 17:32

"When will schools realise that to working parents school IS childcare!"

Working parents can call it what they like but it is NOT childcare, and therefore it's not teachers' responsibility to consider what cover they arrange when not in school for whatever reason. Why is there such surprise that, once you have children, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ARRANGING CARE FOR THEM if you are working. And this may cost money.

TokenGirl1 · 30/09/2013 17:33

When people tell my dh how easy teachers have it, he says "fabulous, come and join us and enjoy the easy life". Nobody has taken him up on the offer yet!

Souredstones · 30/09/2013 17:34

Do you or do you not provide a level of care for the children you teach?
article on in loco parentis

mrsjay · 30/09/2013 17:35

urm therewould be distruption in the holidays that is the whole point of a strike they want their conditions met and being al huffy in the holidays isn't going to cut it. it is meant to be an inconvenience

Souredstones · 30/09/2013 17:36

definition

You are childcare providers

jacks365 · 30/09/2013 17:36

Souredstones can I suggest that you retrain as a teacher and try doing the job.

I've had an email from my dd not to expect her home till 7 tonight. She's doing some work for an A level and her wonderful teacher is giving up her time to be there for my dd and others. They are working to a deadline and rather than washing her hands of them the teacher is going out of her way to help. Teachers are teachers not child minders and most deserve parents respect and support.