To think it’s about time @MNHQ stepped up and did something about the teacher bashing.

[SachaStark]

This evening has been AWFUL here on the AIBU board.

@MNHQ, at what point do you actually plan to intervene and do something about the sheer number of teacher bashing threads, and individual posts? Should we expect any kind of moderation?

Or, is this in fact, “all in the spirit of Mumsnet”? Because at the moment, you’re making it look a darn sight like you agree by proxy.

Lots of professions get bashed on here, so if we are moderating one, it needs to be all. There was a police officer bashing thread the other week and funnily no one seemed as arsed about that or the generalisations going on there.

I suppose looking back I can see it was always there but I’ve only just realised how sensitive teachers are!!

Tweedle I think it's the sheer volume of threads. Even threads that start with a different topic can morph in to an opportunity to bash teacher/schools.

I am not a teacher but I've definitely noticed it this week.

They’re sensitive about it, @NC10101, because they’re working really hard during an ongoing emergency situation, yet constantly being told on here that they’re doing fuck all to help.

Agree with PPs - all sorts of professions get a bashing on MN. There's a lot of unnecessary nastiness. No reason why teachers should get a free pass. And I'm going to quote Evelyn Hall here: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

Teachers don’t share a common set of personality traits. Some are sensitive; others not. At the moment there are (understandably) a lot of opinions flying around about education and the teaching profession, so you’re going to see a bit of defensiveness from people if they think their commitment to the job is being publicly doubted.

What about all the other posts bashing people, not just teachers? I get teachers are concerned about going back, I get they have families they need to protect, that they can’t necessarily have ppe, screens etc shopworkers and nhs have ( although screens in shops are only around tills, the rest are subjected to social distancing, )but I also get parents needing schools to open to allow them to go back to work and earn money to live on, not everyone can get money from the government

I think there needs to be more discussion around protecting teachers, but teachers also need to be prepared to listen to suggestions and not the Covid scaremongering that goes on via the media. We can learn from schools opening abroad, but also listen to teachers her and their suggestions. Many have continued working, what do they think? Smaller classes? One week on one week off?

Honestly, I work as teaching staff. This is bloody ridiculous. You want there to be a ban on criticising schools and teachers? Seriously? This is a parenting site. There will always be discussions about education, especially now.

Don't get me wrong NotOnTheStairs, I've noticed it too and I don't condone it in anyway.

The thing that stands out for me though is you very rarely get so many posters defending the other professionals that are bashed on here imo.

Again, going back to the police bashing thread, there was tonnes of posters all piling in with generalisations, nasty comments about 'what do they even do all day' etc... And no one really seemed as arsed about that, there was certainly not pages of biscuits and flowers.

If the bashing threads are monitored for one profession, it should be for all of them. I don't know for 100% of course but I'd be willing to bet a large sum that at least one teacher/other professional who complains about bashing on here was probably agreeing with posters on that police thread doing the exact same.

It's not okay to bash or generalise any profession imo.

some are working really hard. Some are t. Same as any profession.

@KitNCaboodle thanks for another calm and informative post. these really help! parents want/need information

Of parents want/need information, why come on here for it? Call the school for Christ sake! They're the only ones who can tell you!

My daughters teachers/school has been amazing. Some of my friends have told me horror stories of how their kids have been left to their own devices. Why should they now air their grievance - just as I can air my positive story?

Of parents want/need information, why come on here for it? Call the school for Christ sake! They're the only ones who can tell you!

I agree it shouldn't be asked rudely or with hostility toward teachers as a whole but why can't parents ask on here? Where else really can you ask a whole bunch of teachers a question and have them all respond? Even if it's just to give their opinion from their experiences working ATM in schools etc ... It can be useful.

Yes obviously people can just phone their schools headteacher but I don't think it's fair to say no one should ask anything about schooling/teaching on here.

I am generally supportive of teachers, but find the premise of this thread ridiculous.

Every profession gets slated on here, from lawyers to tradies.

This thread makes you look rather precious.

I'm a solicitor. If someone posts a question about law, I can maybe provide them with an answer/my opinion. Yes they should always take that to their own solicitor before doing anything but I don't have a problem responding.

Teachers are still working. Why should their wages be stopped?

Oh come on, teachers are NOT working or if they are, it's a greatly reduced work load.

Honestly, @ToodleTweedle, the teachers on here wouldn’t mind if posters were genuinely asking questions about schooling! If the questions were, “Hey, could you point me in the direction of some supplementary maths work,” or, “Tell me honestly what schools will be like when my kids go back,” I reckon they would receive loads of helpful responses from school staff on here.

But let’s not delude ourselves into excusing the vitriolic posters who are clearly only here to start a bun fight. “Why aren’t teachers doing any work?” and the like cannot be argued to come under the same umbrella as the former questions by anybody with a modicum of critical thinking skills.

Pretty much every profession/group has risen in my estimation over the last few months in terms of how they’ve risen to the occasion and worked hard/long/creatively/bravely through this pandemic, from all pay grades, education levels and sectors. Everyone has taken a deep breath and just got on with it.

Except teachers. Who never stop moaning about everything they’re asked to do, it seems to me. And heaven forbid anyone dare comment negatively on them on here.

Hundreds of teacher bashing threads? Maybe have a think about why.

There's a new bashing thread on the Corona thread. 'Teenagers don't care'.
Op says some nasty stuff. But the replies are mainly in support of teachers. Which is refreshing.

See @ukgift2016 above for a prime example.

There’s no intelligent thinking gone into that post about teaching and schools.

I agree @SachaStark, honestly I do.

I was responding to this

Of parents want/need information, why come on here for it? Call the school for Christ sake! They're the only ones who can tell you!

Which does seem to suggest that the poster doesn't think parents can come here and ask for information or advice. Which I disagree with (so long as it's done politely).

Perhaps we can stop parent bashing as well then?

I've seen comments from teachers saying it's parents causing their children's poor mental health. It's parents not giving their kids enough attention. "because you don't want to parent your own children" comes up a lot. I've seen a lot of derogatory language around children like germy and dirty.
It is hardly a surprise that people are starting threads about their concerns with teachers when this is what they're reading. And no, it's not the whole profession. Lots of teachers actually like children and want to get back. It's the prolific posters on MN giving themselves a bad name and crying when people don't like it.

I personally don't like the "we want to keep your kids safe"

A) there's no such thing as safe
B) that's our decision to make as oarents
c) it's obviously bollocks because children are at a very tiny risk anyway and its clear you're bothered about your own health which is totally fine but why not just say that!

My opinion of teachers has gone through the floor after witnessing the behaviour of some on Mumsnet over the last few weeks. Attempting to gang up on people with this ‘secret code’ of leaving flowers everywhere, all the while shrieking that they’re being bullied if anyone dares to query the methods of their child’s teacher...on a PARENTING website! Refusal to do their jobs because of risks that other, far less well paid people in supermarkets etc have been facing without complaints for weeks...I could go on. And now attempting to censor the website, demanding that only positive statements are made about anyone in their saintly profession....it’s laughable and you’re really not doing yourself or your colleagues any favours.

@SachaStark so you’re saying teachers are working exactly as hard or harder as they did when they had to go into work every day and teach a full day, live so to speak?! That simply can’t be right, can it?