To sue Gove for ruining my back

[teacherinpain]

3 prolapsed discs

This is down to the crippling weight of paper work and marking I've had to lug round with me all day every day since Gove came to power. ( The hospital confirms this)

This will never heal

What if every single teacher who has been physically or mentally damaged by this mad man sued him personally for the results of his insanity.

The carrying of books, equipment etc is on my Risk Assessment whilst I am pregnant. The prevention method is to ask someone else or a couple of students to carry things for me, which isn't fair on them!

RA didn't cover clearing up the sick I had the joy of doing this afternoon - and I am in secondary so not a normal day!

Another teacher with back problems. Slipped disc and arthritis to be exact. Also been injured by kids and due to unsafe site. I've resigned!
I give in. I can't do it anymore.
RIP my career.

Why do these things always turn into bun fights!?

People seem to lift more in general these days so yes 20k may be the rule of thumb but I bet people lift more.

I used to work in retail management and had to unload lorries and things weighed more than this.

I have family members who are teachers so know the issues people are facing, however putting down others (who let's face it also work in a pressures environment), in order to make a point, is quite shallow.

My school bags weigh about 20kg. I don't mind lifting them, but running across the school site repeatedly trying to reach lessons on time, with 20kg on my back, up and down stairs, and round corners, dodging down crowded corridors It is too much.

I've knackered my elbows by carrying heavy bags at school.

Unloading lorries for an hour or so is different from carrying weight around all day, every hour and a half, up and down stairs, in a hurry, with a ton of other people also struggling with bags.

Has anyone been a teacher, nurse and plasterer? They will be the only ones who know the truth.

What do you mean by "know the truth"? I'm sure posters are telling the truth about all these jobs. I have been a care assistant, and a teacher, and a shelf stacker. As a care assistant there were dangers, dealing with aggressive dementia patients, etc, but as far as actual lifting went, it was well regulated, and the actual forces on you body are less, Same with shelf stacking, actually. I wouldn't say teaching was the most physically demanding of the three jobs, but certainly the physical tasks during the day are the most intense, and least regulated. I'm certainly lifting and carrying more as a teacher than would have been allowed as a care assistant, or a shelf stacker. I'm also actually dealing with more physical and mental aggression, although again, it is less well regulated and controlled than in care work.

Can I sue him for my dodgy hips from having to sit on tiny infant sized chairs or bend over desks all the time????

If we all put in a pound we could get some 'boys' to sort him out?

I resigned. As of July I will no longer be a teacher.

Unloading lorries for an hour or so is different from carrying weight around all day, every hour and a half, up and down stairs, in a hurry, with a ton of other people also struggling with bags.

Why is it always this is harder than that and where did I say it was for an hour and a half only?

Teaching is hard no one is denying that I just hate all of this one upmanship and my job is harder than your job.

I am not saying my job is more physical to any other. Just adding my voice to others saying that my back too has in the past gone after lugging around books to mark plus a laptop. Marking sitting on chairs and tables designed for 5 year olds also isn't good. Leaning over tables during the lesson or kneeling all day at tables.

And in response to the poster who asked about risk assessments when pregnant; never had one. Either time.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000RI29SQ?pc_redir=1401522413&robot_redir=1

Would this help.

YANBU to be upset about your injuries.
YABU to blame Gove specifically, a bit OTT. I think most people in a lot of jobs are at risk of similar injuries. IMO it is partly your responsibility to manage the paperwork and make a system to only be carrying the minimum. What exactly is the paper work you are carrying about? I teach and while I admit there is more, lots of it doesn't need to be carried regularly.

You sound very reasonable rollorollo, but life is not quite as reasonable as you! Of course it depends on your classes and timetable, but I assure you I am carrying the absolute minimum. I have had conversations with my line manager in which I have begged to be allowed to take less paperwork into the classroom, and have been refused. Other staff I work with have to carry more, including whole stacks of text books between buildings, and have got in to trouble when they haven't done so.

I used to carry around 30 textbooks and/or files between classes. If you don't have a permanent classroom where you can store textbooks and files its a pain in the next (or back) having to traipse across school with them on top of everything else you are doing.

Of course the HoD etc all had offices and permanent classrooms so weren't really aware how tough it is having to move around all your resources every single lesson.

I've got a heavy baby who can't walk yet, fat boobies and law text books to lug about. Who can I sue?

the reason it always turns into a bunfight is someone always comes on and tells teachers they are being ridiculous as a) you are making up how bad it is and b)other professions have it worse.

I think it's that teachers think that they are just a bit special.

specially targeted by everyone who ignorantly supposes our job is a doddle you mean?

Or maybe we are posting in the STAFFROOM so we can talk about teaching and how crap a job it is but that doesn't matter as I can afford to stop doing it, lucky old me

I'm still unsure exactly what the paperwork is that you are carrying? Unless you are EYFS and carrying learning profiles? In which case I cannot understand why you would need to carry them about?
Can it not be stored electronically on a computer?

If it is books and teaching resources as others have said...
I have no idea why this is Gove's fault btw?! I'm pretty sure textbook carrying occurred before Gove?!

I understand it can be a tough job physically but I do get fed up with the Gove flaming. He does many things very badly, he also does the odd reasonable thing. But everything is his fault according to some teachers which isn't a very professional attitude.

Surely it is your responsibility to have awareness that the load you carry is too much, and to put into place a system to reduce that load - storage, trolleys, whatever, discussion with other staff to find solutions?

In an ideal world you would be right Agatha. In today's teaching world this problem is so far down the list of priorities that you will struggle to get anyone to listen. Unless you have a good SMT that actually prioritises staff wellbeing, in which case the problem would not arise.

i do agree that it is not necessarily Gove's fault though.

I think what is awful is the really terrible language and deeply personal remarks about Mr Gove that is appalling. Upthread someone wanted him put up against a wall and shot. Disagree with him by all means but some teachers are behaving like a pack of dogs, snarling and gnashing their teeth. And it worries me that people that think and speak like this are teaching our children.

AgathaF I wish reasonable discussion with a school's leadership team was a thing that worked. For both staff and pupils, it too often is not. It's the school's way or the highway, I'm afraid.