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.

Couldn’t agree more @TrustTheGeneGenie

Anyway, I’m off to start my day.

@MNHQ, maybe when you’ve finished having breakfast or whatever, you could get on with assessing this situation. Take a look at the front page of AIBU for a start and apply some basic statistical analysis to discover just how unbalanced the response to educators really is.

Just stop reading the threads if they get you so angry! People are entitled to their views.

I had to hide the whole of the coronavirus topic because it's so rabid and annoying.

Yes, NC, the ones I know, which is many, since I’m personally connected with over 200 teachers across two counties, are all working as hard or harder.

Sorry if you can’t see the invisible work that goes on, or your school is one of the odd ones out.

I think the unbalance between teacher bashing and other professionals will be down to the fact that this is a discussion forum mainly used by parents. I think you can expect education will likely be discussed more often here than other areas because it's a large part of having children.

Quite a few teachers seem to think they are the only public sector profession and that annoys people.
Yes, you do compressed hours (as in, long hours whilst it’s term time), have low pay and work in a challenging environment of cuts BUT almost every other public sector job is the same and some come with more risks and lower pay. Teachers have a right to complain but seem to think they’re unique or alone in this.

I feel very lucky that teachers at both my children's school are working really hard to set work, and seem to be contactable for queries.

However many teachers on here seem so defensive - we aren't allowed to ask a question more than once without 'NOT THIS AGAIN - ITS BEEN ANSWERED SO MANY TIMES' or being accused of Teacher bashing if we dare to criticize something going on in our own schools.

As with all professions I'm sure there are huge amounts of teachers working really hard, and others struggling to fill the day (BIL is a PE teacher, there's only so much he can do)

And I wish at least one teacher would come out and say the truth on here..... this is a great way to be a teacher. You get to do all the interesting stuff like putting together lessons, pulling sources together, thinking of interesting ways to engage students. Yes, you can't deliver the lessons in the same way and I'm sure many miss those students who really apply themselves or 'get' what you are teaching. You still get to go into school on a rota basis to 'babysit' the key worker students so can feel good about that side. But come on, not having to deal with those disruptive kids who push your buttons, or the ones who just aren't interested, or parents demanding to know why Little Johnny hasn't moved up to the next reading band or been selected for then school football team. Who wouldn't want to extend this way of teaching for a little bit longer.

This will no doubt be seen as teacher bashing but frankly I don't think any profession should be a protected species. In my business I have 3 employees who have made it clear that they would rather stay furloughed, take their 80% pay and do nothing rather than come into work on slightly reduced hours for the next few months - even though I want to open up and get business rolling again so they will have full time jobs to do in 3-6 months time. At least they have been honest about it, even though to me it's an attitude that stinks.

Here we go - I'll start you off.....

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 then instead of rational (helpful) discussion, you end up getting unsupportive doom-mongering answers that verge on coersion to discourage parents to send pupils back in school.

The balance in lacking from both sides - teachers who want safety and parents who want children in school. We could find a middle ground so everyone's happy. I actually think the government's guidance for primaries is a good balance and fair for all concerned. But there are many teachers who will so vehemently disagree with me on this that they refuse to even engage in considering any opposing opinion to theirs.

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!
problem is, many schools either don’t answer at all, or send back stuff like “the DoR says we don’t need to”, which is not helpful. so parents ask other parents.

DoE that is

Quite a few teachers seem to think they are the only public sector profession and that annoys people
No one thinks teachers are the only public sector profession. You've made that up
Teachers have a right to complain but seem to think they’re unique or alone in this
Again, you've misunderstood. They are complaining about the high number of mumsnet threads slagging them off

Frankly I am sick to the back teeth of teachers whinging about being questioned

Honestly as a teacher I am sick of the same old trite shite being tipped out thread after thread. Responses are given again and again but still not heard. Hundreds of posts later the same old, same old is said again. There is no development of the argument, just ‘teachers are being paid to do nothing’. It might be true in some cases. It is not true in all cases. Sadly, you seem unable to accept that.

This is a board called MUMSnet. There are going to be some parents

Last time I looked, I might be a teacher but I am also a mum. So am I allowed to post here?

A lot of teachers don't want to return to classroom teaching, I understand but why is it okay for you to stay home when others have to work also without PPE? Some delivery drivers and supermarket staff are in contact with well over 100 customers every hour, they don't get masks so why should a teacher dealing with 15 children?

We’ve explained this one as well. Hundreds of times.,
a) we want to go back as soon as possible but do so in a way we consider safest for our communities
b) you fundamentally are not understanding how the virus transmits. There is paper after paper that says the danger is not in fleeting contact with people with the virus but in sustained contact. Teachers will be in poor,y ventilated rooms with 15 people for 7 hours at a time. And we are vilified for asking for masks.

I'd be happy if we could just get some of the goady ones zapped.

Personally, I'm more than happy to give advice to people on school things and the general discussion where someone has an issue with their child's school doesn't bother me at all. In general the first port of call for any concerns about individual schools should be directed to the individual school and there's loads of teachers on here happy to advise on how to get a resolution.

I even think threads full of faux concern for disadvantaged students by pointy elbowed middle class parents to be amusingly irritating, but if people who want to use faux concern to promote a course of action that further disadvantages disadvantaged children whilst conveniently giving their own DC a leg up, then good for them, keep going. They're not fooling anyone than other similar parents.

What is frustrating and I'd say isn't in the spirit of Mumsnet are the endless posters who feel the need to comment about 'teachers aren't working/what exactly are they doing/lies and misinformation about the profession'. There's a lot of goady bashing about teachers sitting around on full pay doing nothing (when they're actually doing their job), but nobody is bitching about millions of people on furlough receiving 80% of their salary to not work. Things like this are plain and simple teacher bashing.

They are complaining about the high number of mumsnet threads slagging them off

I think this is purely down to the fact that this is a forum for parents though. If you were to go onto a forum dedicated to discussing issues to do with law, the vast majority of posts would probably be slagging off my profession.

I don't think teachers are alone on MN in being 'bashed'. There is a higher proportion of these threads because their job is directly linked to the target audience of MN.

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?

I teach live classes every day, do all the planning and marking and with three children of my own in the house. Yes, it can be right.

I am not slagging off teachers but I am slagging off the unions. All they do is say no to everything without coming up with an alternative solution.

Good Lord! This thread has blown up since I last posted, with -unfortunately- the type of posts I highlighted earlier. People are entitled to have an opinion, but there's a few PP who are just standing to the side, lobbing incendiary remarks into the discussion.

It doesn't mater which side you take, be respectful. Using generalised, unfair remarks to bash people (how would retail staff feel if they were told that you were NOT working hard, to paraphrase one PP) is just spoiling for a fight.

I agree with PP who said that this is a distraction. Who is ultimately responsible for education in the country? Education has been underfunded for decades. We see the deficiencies now, when it matters.

but nobody is bitching about millions of people on furlough receiving 80% of their salary to not work

There have been threads with titles like ‘why are teachers still getting paid’. I would love to be on furlough, would have accepted it like a shot!

I am not slagging off teachers but I am slagging off the unions. All they do is say no to everything without coming up with an alternative solution

Duh. They don't have to. Not their job. The government is the one who wants schools open, they should be making it work.

I am not slagging off teachers but I am slagging off the unions. All they do is say no to everything without coming up with an alternative solution

The union’s role,is to protect their members. We are living in difficult circumstances and are told by the Government to follow the science. What we really need is to be listened to. Happy to go back with 15 to a class but where do all the extra rooms and teachers come from?! How can a union solve that issue?!

Duh. They don't have to. Not their job

Are you truly a teacher? It is worrying if so.

I have read a number of social media posts from teachers this week describing how despite having no health conditions they are terrified of returning to school or weeping daily about doing so, scared about the risk of dying, wanting to wait until September or next year even.

@Jojobar

This is so true. But if you try and point this out you accused of being unfair. Same if you highlight the potential for child abuse when barely any kids go to school, it's almost like you aren't allowed to say anything vaguely against the agenda of teaching unions.

I think if people were willing to accept that closing schools has massive harms and the education remotely is quite shit in many cases people would feel less need to keep pointing this out.

Oops I should have said "in a crisis", not" when it matters". It matters all the time.

toodle

I think anyone would expect dilemmas about education to come up regularly on a parenting forum, but some of what's on here is ridiculous and inflammatory.

For example, if I had a terrible experience with a hairdresser, my hair turned green and the salon refused to fix it, then I may post a thread for advice on how to get a resolution.
But I wouldn't write a thread or post about how incompetent hairdressers are, how they're conning us out of money, they just want an easy life and are only concerned about their profits.

If I had a rude GP, I may ask on here about how to get a resolution or whether it was worth speaking to PALs.
But I wouldn't turn up on any health thread arguing that GPs are on high salaries but too lazy to do their jobs.

@FlissMumsnet please can you talk with the powers that be. Can staffroom be hidden from active. That'd be a start.