To think the only way forward now for school staff is to strike in Jan

[OverTheRainbow88]

Sadly, I believe, the only way forward now for school staff in to strike in Jan.

Schools are unsafe, understaffed and not ‘covid secure’. This will get much worse in Jan when people are allowed to meet inside in a 3 household bubble and travel freely around ( in England at least).

I think my children's school is doing the right thing. All the non exam years will do home learning until the 12th January. Then return to school.
This was advised to them but I'm not sure who by. I'm not thrilled about home learning again although it's only for a few days (I hope).
Wouldn't something like that be better than a strike?

@GetOffYourHighHorse

'You should probably get a job with the dfe as you seem to have just as hard a time as they do imagining what schools are like.'

Yes I probably should, or a head teacher maybe. The snap shot I see on here of some teachers constant negative attitudes demonstrates that a firm hand is needed .

You are hilarious 😂

You mustn't believe everything that the msm say. Everyone I know in the nhs have been well looked after throughout the pandemic and none are planning on leaving, anecdotal of course.

Ah, but why would I believe anything you say? As you say, very anecdotal. . . and of course, hearsay.

No no it is vital, but so is safety!

Then why didn’t they allow Greenwich to close schools and protect families over Christmas.

It’s not flouting to mix three households for 5 days. It’s lunacy, but allowed. The government has no regard for safety because it put in Christmas relaxation then forced the most infected subset of the population to continue to mix freely up to 5 days before Boris’s Christmas Covid Bonaza.

Wouldn't something like that be better than a strike?

And have the DfE threaten high court action like they did to Greenwich? (But not Basildon because that’s a Tory council)

Great idea. Let’s fuck up our kids education even more than it already is

What is your industry @houseinthesnow?

Please just leave, we will be fine without you. Better without you in fact.

I'd be a little bit careful about making this statement. Because there is a serious shortage of qualified, experienced teachers in this country. And not just in this country. In countries where teachers are better paid, and it's a better quality of life. . .

How much better off are our kids without qualified, experienced teachers, who are prepared to put up with the kind of shit they're getting from kids, administration, parents and Ofstead, for what they're paid and from what they're paid they often contribute towards resources for their students?

Please just leave, we will be fine without you. Better without you in fact.

Very much doubt that. You’ve got no idea so please. I was off for 2 weeks after surgery a few years ago and had kids knocking on my door most days to see when I will be back.

In my huge city we had 9 people at university qualify to teach my specialist subject last year and 8 the year before. I believe at least one of those was due to not pass but the university desperately pushed them through.

If we all resign; who will do the teaching?

As a nurse and parent to secondary school DC I really feel for teachers. However I don't agree with strike action it rarely resolves anything except for serving the government well and, as we know the Tories are not fans of public sector workers.

As parents we need to support teachers we need teachers to feel safe enough to teach our children, teachers are our children's future if you are stressed and overworked you cannot give your best. Do some of the posters understand how schools are currently working? understaffed yet still expected to provide the best for children.

My job is mega stressful and I feel massively let down by the Tories. I think Christmas mixing should be stopped, we are sleep walking into another long lockdown. The government have all but admitted this with the extended furlough and an extra week of online teaching. I want my children to be at school they need to be but, it is not safe. I know the screening is another pressure but it may offer a glimpse of safety, I do full covid screens at work and we only have the paper surgical mask, plastic pinny and gloves, perhaps your school should provide this. I know funds are low I am living this too in the NHS you really have my sympathy and support I am dreading January in the NHS I don't think anyone has a clue how bad these decisions will be.

Perhaps as parents we should support teachers by petitioning for masks and school and blended learning?

@noelgiraffe and even with that budget test and trace spectacularly failed when schools returned in Sept -remember those fun times when children needing a test in London were directed to Glasgow and those in Wales were told to test in the Isle of Wight.

They probably want school staff involved as they know you are organised and capable and less likely to cock it up! Teachers on this thread please ignore any disparaging remarks, drink some wine, sensible people appreciate you just want to educate our children safely.

@2020out I said a great many, I did not say all or even most so I'm afraid if you're counting yourself in that, that's all you.

Yes, they are relatively pampered. Has it escaped anyone's attention what a dire situation some other people are in? Teachers have job security that most people can only wish for, and I don't think they do have poor working conditions. At least I recognise my own fortunate situation and don't have the insensitivity to complain about it when there are people who are struggling to get by.

Someone asked what I had personally done and alluded to me being a horrible individual. Well, while so many teachers and TAs I know were alternating between drinking tea in their garden or making wonderful engaging programs of learning for their own children, I was working at what was supposed to be a full time job but often 60-70 hours a week, while trying to support my children's home learning and keep us all fed, clothed, clean and comfortable - on my own. Only to then have to go through redundancy consultations.

It really does speak volumes when you have to silence someone by reporting them / having their post deleted just because you disagree - because there were no personal attacks in that post! - or retaliate by casting aspersions about them as a person. I would hope for better than that from teachers.

Please don't strike.

I have a huge amount of sympathy with teachers. Am very aware of how tough this year has been. However I fail to see what would be gained by a strike. Apart from a huge loss of good will.

I am also a little sceptical of the hyperbole on a lot of these threads.

I am hopeful that mass testing in schools will really help. It will be at least a year, probably more, until kids get vaccinated. Its unrealistic to expect things to continue as they are until then. It is equally unrealistic to expect kids to be schooled remotely until then.

Test them. A lot. Yes, that might mean teachers doing the tests. it's not hard. I learned how to do it in 5 minutes.

Test them. A lot. Yes, that might mean teachers doing the tests. it's not hard. I learned how to do it in 5 minutes.

Were you also supposed to be teaching Y9 at the same time? When exactly would teachers do these tests?

And the testing in schools (there’s only one round of mass testing proposed) will replace isolating close contacts and make schools less safe, not more.

[quote noelgiraffe]If you want to see the head of the DfE being bollocked for this utter shambles, there’s a video here: www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/eb893fa5-7468-48b9-96ad-ec08ff14f21c[/quote]
That’s very interesting. I wonder who within the department came up with the idea of posting DfE communications on Mumsnet threads?

[quote quietish]@2020out I said a great many, I did not say all or even most so I'm afraid if you're counting yourself in that, that's all you.

Yes, they are relatively pampered. Has it escaped anyone's attention what a dire situation some other people are in? Teachers have job security that most people can only wish for, and I don't think they do have poor working conditions. At least I recognise my own fortunate situation and don't have the insensitivity to complain about it when there are people who are struggling to get by.

Someone asked what I had personally done and alluded to me being a horrible individual. Well, while so many teachers and TAs I know were alternating between drinking tea in their garden or making wonderful engaging programs of learning for their own children, I was working at what was supposed to be a full time job but often 60-70 hours a week, while trying to support my children's home learning and keep us all fed, clothed, clean and comfortable - on my own. Only to then have to go through redundancy consultations.

It really does speak volumes when you have to silence someone by reporting them / having their post deleted just because you disagree - because there were no personal attacks in that post! - or retaliate by casting aspersions about them as a person. I would hope for better than that from teachers. [/quote]
Well,if you think teachers have it so good,it would be very easy to join their ranks.

My impression (I'm not a teacher and would have been very daunted by the prospect of keeping a class of 30 odd teens in order) is that they have been under a great deal of stress, that they are very exposed to covid, beyond most other professions, that many teachers were trying to teach on line while also looking after their own children.

Now they are being expected to organise covid testing, while working in possibly even less covid secure circumstances.

I think there may be some vacancies going, you could perhaps enquire? There are schemes for graduates, but I'm sure there will also be teaching assistent vacancies, whatever appeals or is appropriate.

I was working at what was supposed to be a full time job but often 60-70 hours a week, while trying to support my children's home learning and keep us all fed, clothed, clean and comfortable - on my own.

Um, so were quite a few teachers. Unlike the decadent little picture you paint of teachers experience in contrast to your own.

Teachers have relative job security because they are doing a job that is increasingly poorly paid in terms of the level of qualification required, effort required, and stress - in terms of dealing with faculty, brats, and the brats kids. So not a whole lot of people want to do it, in terms of numbers required, numbers retiring, and numbers applying. Perhaps you should qualify and apply, for that job security?

I think their conditions aren't great. They're freezing fucking cold, they're poorly resourced, poorly supported, a favourite governmental whipping boy, and a parental one, in many families, half the time they're lucky to get time to pee, let alone a lunch break. I'm not saying that others don't suffer equally poor or worse conditions, but I l know my working conditions are something most teachers could only dream about.

@quietish

I didn't report your post. I did think its content was ridiculous and disgusting.

How do you know that a great many teachers were lazy cowards? Have you done some kind of survey?

Even the Op, as stressed as they are, has shown no signs of being lazy or a coward.

I wouldn't want strike action personally unless I knew what it would achieve. I would strike on favour of actual mass testing which would reduce spread in schools and therefore reduce spread in schools and reduce pupil absence. Did you know that average attendance in parts of Kent last week was 55%? Not due to workshy teachers, but due to covid. If we were workshy, we'd be encouraging covid to spread more so that we would have even fewer kids in school. Fewer kids =less marking, you know?

It's covid you're mad at, but you're projecting this onto teachers.

Something that interests me about the whole mass testing thing. I've had a test. It was quite unpleasant. Yes, just uncomfortable, not life threatening, but how often are kids expected to be prepared to undergo tests, for the good of the whole?

Well, while so many teachers and TAs I know were alternating between drinking tea in their garden or making wonderful engaging programs of learning for their own children

Drinking tea! And in the garden, of all places! Looking after their children! Oh the shame of it.

@mbosnz

What also concerns me is that as teachers we should be seen as an adult they can trust, we often create their safe place, I don’t want vulnerable students associating me with causing them harm/an unpleasant experience.

My son still cries when we go to the doctor since his 3.4 year old jabs. I would hate him to associate that with his teacher causing him harm.

That's also a very good point OverTheRainbow88 - I mean, you trained and qualified as a teacher, that's what you're employed to do - it seems like you're also expected to be social workers, community outreach, and now de-facto semi-medical testers.

Which didn't really address your point that possibly the roles you're being expected to fulfill are potentially in conflict - for the students.

It is horribly tough for many people at the moment. Now is not the time to strike. Children need an education and parents need to be able to work. Teachers do not have a monopoly on a very difficult work situation at the moment

Why are nursery staff or private school staff not threatening to strike?