Teaching in UK is Shit

[Bumper1969]

I was a teacher for 20 years in London, and it was for most of it, dreadful. I was by all accounts an excellent teacher, but it did me in. Constant pressure, I mean constant, every thing I did had to have paper work to support it. I threw my hat in and moved to Ireland. Still working as a teacher, BUT the difference is, I go in at nine, leave at 3.30, get paid more (65k), get more holidays. I am trusted to do my job and I do. Not one parent has been in touch, all these MN trying to barge into schools. Has UK education system just gone wrong?

It is indeed rubbish. I moved to the independent sector where I’m paid less (small school) but workload is less. However inspections still try to enforce state shit rubbish. I’m off with stress right now and I feel I may not go back, or if I do it will only be for a short time.

This doesn't make sense to me when there are literally dozens of Irish teachers in every school I've worked in around London who say they moved here because they could not get a job at home...

Well it does make sense as there’s no jobs because it sounds like a good deal.. when jobs are crap they go unfilled

Ah yeah, I guess that does make sense actually. It's nearly half term...my brain isn't functioning properly.

I worked at school for 10 hours today before heading home for shopping and dc-ferrying and a shitty house to tidy, so I’m thinking I might look out that Irish passport and go..:

Yes. I get called an idiot on a daily basis by a 9 year old child and there are no consequences. I am also terrified that that child will seriously hurt a child in the class, myself or both.
I've lost count of the number of days I've ended up in tears after 3pm as a result.

When you’re a teacher in the UK no-one is on your side. You are working yourself into an early grave but constantly told by management, parents, the media and the government that you are not good enough. The pupils have no motivation because they know full well that if they fail everyone will blame the teacher, not them. There are relentless new initiatives, teaching styles and syllabuses that you are expected to adopt and the whole performance management system sets you up to fail. No-one seems willing to accept that not all students will meet their target grades. It is completely soul destroying.

There are no jobs because teachers stay teaching until retirement age . No one leaves the job. Have been in the same school 14 years and the only people who have left have retired.Most of my colleagues have very young children ( as do I 3yo and 9mo)and all manage a home life balance fine. I love my job, 18 reception aged children.

Has UK education system just gone wrong?

this is why millions now home educate

the amount per day that take kids out or dont even send them is in the hundreds,im on a lot of home ed support groups on facebook and their is many asking for advice or saying they have now taking them out per day is in high double figures

dont know why but last year christmas term and easter term was a massive surge and i would say in the triple figures ,and thats just on the these support groups how many are just doing it without joining a group

if your saying and feeling this as a teacher its no wonder so many parents have turned their back on a failing system to teach/learn children at home(some,our family included have no choice)

the school system in the uk is broken and set up so many kids fail,especially sen kids

if these kids dont comply or tick their boxes at such a young age they are put to the side and the kids that do tick the right boxes are concentrated on most

Agree - and that salary!
I've been teaching for a long time and, like you said OP, by all accounts an excellent teacher. However I teach in FE (ESOL) which I love but my salary is £29,000 and that's with extra responsibility.

We gave to evidence everything. The paperwork is huge and most of the time no one even looks at it.

I would love a better paid job but love my students - EU learners, refugees for example.

I don't think I could teach in a school- I think it's non stop these days.

switswoo81
There are no jobs because teachers stay teaching until retirement age . No one leaves the job.

That is not what the teacher retention figures say

@switswoo81

I laughed out loud for real at your comments. NO idea where you are but you've clearly never come across the academy structure . There are no older teachers. They have been drummed out in favour of cheap NQTs, and often they aren't even NQTs.

My teacher friends and family in Ireland are lucky if they earn half that. Neither do they get to work 9-3.30.

switswoo was talking about teachers in Ireland, I think

No-one seems willing to accept that not all students will meet their target grades

This. With knobs on.

OP - Ireland you say, are you happy there? all my ex colleagues went to the Arab countries and China , easy life by comparison, tax free , and saving a fortune as accommodation and food is included.

I think that pp was talking about the lack of jobs in Ireland - it's a good job so people stay until retirement so Irish teachers have to look elsewhere.

That's how I read it, anyway.

Yes I read that as Ireland as definitely not the situation in the uk.

Most Irish teachers in the UAE either can’t get permanent jobs at home or are on career breaks as far as I can gather. It’s a money making enterprise, which is why the Dept is cracking down on it.

I'm a swimming teacher and what I would like to do is teach as many school children as possible to swim, or swim better if they already can. Oh no. I have to spend nearly all my allocated time grading them.

this is why millions now home educate

Nothing like exaggeration , its 30,000 or thereabouts, and a lot of those will be Travellers who just dont' engage with the system

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/07/07/number-children-home-taught-doubles-six-years-amid-increased/

Nearly 30,000 children were educated at home in the 2016/17 academic year, raising fears among MPs and school leaders that some may be receiving a substandard education.

It represents a 97 per cent increase since 2011, when just 15,135 pupils were classified as home taught.

The figures are based on data provided by 86 local education authorities across England, with council leaders pointing to a lack of “good school” places, bullying and the popularity of the home school movement as the reasons behind the trend.

My teacher friends and family in Ireland are lucky if they earn half that. Neither do they get to work 9-3.30.

How is that so different from the OP’s experience in Ireland? What is it really like to teach there?

I have mixed feelings about this thread. I went to a school in Ireland which was failing - teachers who didn't make an effort, lots of leadership failings, low level bullying.. For the equivalent of A levels, we had done half the curriculum in some subjects. No-one challenged why bright kids went doing as well as expected - parents and the Dept of Education just ignored it. But the teachers loved the hours, the holidays and the social standing which is higher than in the UK.
Roll on to today and my friends have problems with their kids' schools. I suspect it's rarer now but the accountability still isn't there like it is in the UK. One has recently switched to private education rather than complain to the governors, as the system isn't set up for it. Those governors are likely to be the head's friends or the parish priest.
Is it better for individual teachers? Possibly. But for children and parents? Only when the school is well run and there are no issues.

Pardon the auto correct failures.

Don't forget the long holidays in Ireland too. Secondary finishes on 30 may and primary on 30 June!