Why all the anti school/teacher threads?

[shithappens123]

I’ve not been a member for long but I’ve noticed the amount of school bashing threads on MM. it’s almost as if some patents see the school as an enemy not as organisations wanting to educate their children the best they can.

I’ve read threads on how they gleefully complain about teachers (seems more in primary education though) and saying how incompetent they are when they have no idea how hard they work.

Teachers are fair game on here and it’s most disturbing.

munemema - teachers are criticised daily by, apparently everyone who thinks our job is so easy and that anyone can do it. No other profession gets the insults that we do and actually if anyone thinks it’s so easy then they themselves should train to be a teacher.

Your wrong shithappens. Which other industries have you worked in?

I had a long career in the corporate world and was minutely performance managed on a daily basis, which was quite normal in that industry. I also took far more abuse from the public than I ever have as a teacher.

Oops You're...I'm going to blame that on autocorrect

teachers are backed by a very powerful union

You’re on the wind up!

I’ve worked in housing before I became a teacher and I’m not wrong. This isn’t about just being micro managed (which we are) but about public perception of us and our industry.

This forum is called Mumsnet. And people come on here to vent their concerns about their children and their families. Teachers are obviously going to be in the firing line, because they have some control over what happens to poster's children every day. They're pretty unique in that regard.

So yep, teachers and Mothers in law are heavily over-represented, because they are 'outsiders' that interfere in a mother's plans for their child.

I think you’re being a bit sensitive tbh OP.

There are teachers and teachers. You know this.

There seems to be more teacher bashing threads than any other profession on here, it’s disproportionate.

Because everyone has dealings with teachers/schools - both when we were young ourselves and when we have children and maybe grandchildren. So, basically 13 years of your early life and 13 years of your middle age (plus potentially another 13 years if you're an active grandparent doing school runs/plays etc). So out of the average life of say 80 years, you may be "engaged" with teachers/schools for 26+ years of that. That gives you a lot of dealings, and the more dealings, the more likelihood of problems.

Compare with other professions. Very few people have to deal with solicitors, estate agents, accountants, architects, etc more than a handful of times in their lives (if at all). So far fewer dealings, hence less likelihood of problems.

People complain about other professions - there are plenty of threads on here an other fora about slow solicitors, dishonest estate agents, shoddy tradesmen, etc. But fewer people are using them, and for shorter/less frequent events, so obviously there are lower complaints/threads that teachers/schools.

Same with healthcare and the NHS. We all have dealings, and more often, so like teachers/schools, there are lots of complaints on internet fora about GPs, NHS, etc. It stands to reason.

I agree OP. I also think there is a lack of understanding that there are problems with recruitment and retention into teaching. Retention in particular is actively hindered by teacher bashing threads and the general attitude in the UK towards teachers.

I totally agree with recrudescence:
The number of anti school/teacher threads is essentially an editorial decision: Mumsnet likes them because they’re very popular and drive traffic to AIBU and the site. Mumsnet’s willingness to see public service denigrated in this way is actually pretty shameful and it must accept its part in worsening the teacher recruitment crisis.

It absolutely is shameful that such a powerful site plays an active part in destroying public services. They have enough challenges as it is! There is the same issue with threads about NHS staff on here. Recruitment and retention are terrible partly because of attitudes towards staff and I made the exact point to MNHQ a few months ago about yet another nurse bashing thread.

Teachers are complained about a lot on here. So are GP receptionists, cleaners, solicitors... I’m sure there are others mentioned a lot too but I haven’t finished my morning coffee.

I’m a teacher. It is the best job despite the lengthy hours and heavy term time work load. I try not to take negative comments about my profession to heart or I’d be miserable. We are given the responsibility of looking after (and educating) the most precious thing in people’s lives. Not something to be taken lightly. It is understandable that parents would raise concerns about their children. They should be concerned and invested in their children. I’d rather a parent raised any worries than a child not get the most out of school.

I think there are a lot of threads about teachers because- as others have said- this is a site for parents so there will be a high level of people with kids in school. However, there are also threads on other professions- GP Receptionists are a favourite, so are Social Workers, Health Visitors, GP's themselves, Bus Drivers, Builders, Check out staff who wont sell alcohol to people for various reasons, the list goes on and on.

I suppose as you are a teacher the threads about teachers rankle with you more, but I expect the threads about GP receptionists rankle with the receptionists and so on.

A lot of the anti- teacher threads are from parents with children with SN, and often they are at the end of their tether with the education system as a whole, not just the individual teacher, and often with very good reason.

DisorganisedOrganiser - exactly! What’s really concerning is the sheer amount of teachers leaving education, leaving many children to be taught by NQTs for them themselves to get burnt out and leave the profession due to excessive and unreasonable workload.

"No other profession gets the insults we do"

Try being a social worker

@recrudescence

The number of anti school/teacher threads is essentially an editorial decision: Mumsnet likes them because they’re very popular and drive traffic to AIBU and the site. Mumsnet’s willingness to see public service denigrated in this way is actually pretty shameful and it must accept its part in worsening the teacher recruitment crisis.

This is a stupid thing to say. You do realise that the users of Mumsnet create the content? It's not an editorial decision at all! And this is a post-moderated site, so it's not even like MNHQ are controlling what is allowed to be posted or not. The only posts that get removed are those that are firstly reported, and then secondly deemed to be against talk guidelines.

To try and blame the site for recruitment issues in the industry is, frankly, risible.

Yes. I really think people seem to lack the critical thinking skills to understand this though.

As an aside I am happy to be openly critical of most multi academy Trusts both here and in real life but don’t count that as teacher bashing!

And neither should teachers be a protected species beyond criticism.

It’s a site primarily for parents, of course people are going to start threads about things that concern them.

It isn’t a personal insult.

BIWI, but MN seems happy to take absolutely no responsibility for any damage done to public services as long as it gets advertising revenue. That’s my point. I’m only on here because of a few helpful topics and because I can’t resist commenting on the anti public sector threads. Otherwise I would leave as I really think their active participation (doing nothing is an action) in trying to damage public services is awful. But hey as long as parents can moan and MN can get advertising revenue.

Most people would do anything for their children and so if they’re not happy with something will complain about it - and rightly so.
I’ve been teaching 10+ years and I’ve had many concerned parents. Most are just worried about their children and want to be listened to. I don’t take it personally. I’ve only ever had two parents who were downright nasty.
Most teachers are good teachers and most parents are good parents but we’re all entitled to a moan!!

Sigh.. again missing the point. Nobody is suggesting teachers should never be criticised but there are DAILY anti school/ teacher threads on here. Do you understand?

I think the vitriol against GP receptionists is fairly rife on here. Teaching isn't the only profession that gets discussed negatively.
It's all down to experiences and as a PP said nobody is going to post unless there's an issue.

Do you understand?

Yes....and it’s a varied site with countless members, all with their own unique problems.

I don’t think you understand really. Unless you’re saying there should be a daily quota for threads discussing teachers.

A few things I think about teachers -

They're underpaid

They work long hours (marking, class prep etc)

They take abuse that other professions wouldn't tolerate (from the kids and parents)

They deserve a medal

I'm not a teacher

Because most people on here have a child in school

'Teachers' are not a homogenous hive mind, who are all awful or all deserving of our respect. We have had some teachers who have been amazing and some considerably less so.

There are few professionals who have such a consistent long term involvement with your child...throw in targets, school policies, cuts, management issues , additional needs, other parents and children....and there are bound to be times when it is a fraught relationship.

Those saying it is Mumsnet editorial policy to denigrate the profession...what should mumsnet do? Ban threads where people complain about Teachers? Ban individual posts?

It’s not a MN issue but a societal one. We live in a society in which a significant segment of people seem to believe they know better than professionals of all stripes, and doctors/teachers take the brunt of people’s ire because people need atheist services (god forbid they should have to heal themselves or educate their own kids) but don’t want to have to need them. People would rather be able to walk into a pharmacy and say, “Google says I have X so you need to give me Y” than listen to a doctor telling them they don’t have it. People would rather be able to send their child to school to be taught by me, but with a note saying their child doesn’t have to do what I ask them to do.

A rebalancing is much needed.