DDs teacher is constantly off sick

[northernnitemarrrr]

The school say this isn't an issue for her education ( year 1) But I just feel if a TA was a suitable teacher then they would be the teacher. And they having random Ta's or support staff cover the classes, so it's always a different person isn't really on. None of the TA's have been there all year, as they don't seem to last long in our class. Maybe it's the class or the teacher but AIBU to be pissed off ?

You could end up with a long term condition tomorrow. I expect you would then come on here outraged that your employer was discriminating against you by sacking you for sickness.

Try having an ounce of empathy.

@MargotChateau really would this be fine for your child? It's Wednesday and no teacher since before half term. Is that really ok?

By the way a schools sickness policy can often mean that staff end up being absent for more than they should be. The amount of absences are counted not the days. I had an issue a couple of years ago where I went to work on the days I felt up to it. I ended up hitting a sickness trigger because of the amount of absences. If I had taken a straight month off I wouldn't have had a sickness review on my record. Next time I'll just stay off for the whole time.

@Tilltheend99 I'm self employed, no sick pay here.

But maybe they have assessed the situation and they think it is fine because of the arrangements that they have put in place? Not ideal, perhaps, but good enough.

What is the actual impact on your dd's learning at present?

Well, ‘lucky’ for me that my cancer diagnosis and treatment are covered by disability discrimination laws and I can’t be sacked for it.
and no, as much as I would like to, going into work to minimise impact on children and colleagues is just not possible. Chemo kind of limits that.
I have been a ‘reliable’ teacher for thirty years and after this particularly rubbish year in my life, I will be again. I would have given school notice of my illness if I had had any. And no, I won’t be paid indefinitely, there are laid out, strict guidelines for how much and for how long I will be paid.
And sorry though I am for the class and my colleagues, I refuse to feel guilty for something which is outside my control, not to mention pretty rubbish for me and my family.
Maybe , if more parents supported schools and teachers when they mention the woeful lack of centralised funding for schools these situations might not be so hard on individual children.

Do you work or have you ever worked op? Would it have been acceptable to me made redundant or replaced because you had some health issues? Do you think that teachers should be excluded from employment law?

Unless you are there all day how do you know the other teachers aren't team teaching with TAs across year 1? A fact - the person who sees the children out at the end of the day is not necessarily the person who has been 'teaching', it's quite possibly just someone called upon to do the end of day tasks.

As for TAs teaching, it's disgusting that most get no extra pay, no classroom support and little thanks. All for under £10 an hour! Please complain.

And it’s sad we live in a society where people are so s**t scared of ‘impacting other people’ and then possibly loosing their jobs that they would force themselves in when really sick.

A well run business has enough staff to cope with eventualities without staff taking on an extra workload.

It is not acceptable for TAs to replace a classroom teacher . The school should have supply staff and if there really is no one available the Headteacher should be taking the class.

Really sorry you are going through that @Podgedodge

Not everyone thinks that way if it’s of any small reassurance. And I agree you have nothing to feel guilty about. All the best with your treatment

I’m with you.

Have some empathy for what could be causing this and thank your lucky stars you’re not ill like this!

If want your child educated to your exacting standards then pull them from school and do it your way.

No?

Then be grateful that they’re doing the best they can with permanently over stretched budgets and staff or maybe offer to pitch in with the pta if you want a voice in how the school runs

I feel for teachers I really do. Everyone thinks they should be able to provide a bespoke service for 30+ children with sod all funding and they can’t even be ill without folk trying to oust them

heads up op that your school won’t fire this teacher to suit your bullshit attitude. There aren’t enough trained teachers who are prepared to put up with you or your little darlings shit anymore. They are leaving in droves… I wonder if you can work out why?

more than 20years ago our top set gcse class did our whole final year without a science teacher and the situations been steadily declining since

don’t blame them tbh… I am an educator and I won’t work in schools

BRAVO - excellent response

@northernnitemarrrr Welcome to Tory Britain.

YANBU to be concerned, but YABU to imagine the school has any good options.

This is how it is.

For those saying they should get supply in, maybe you could become a supply teacher as there aren’t any at the moment! School will also have spent their budget by now.

If they sacked the teacher you would probably still have the TA covering as there is a massive teacher shortage

It’s rubbish, but education is in dire straits at the moment

Good luck with your journey, I hope you’re well and back to normal soon ❤️

That's your choice.

Teachers work really hard, if you think they have an easier life than you, retrain and do it yourself.

You sound dreadfully ignorant about schools.

YANBU to think it could be a problem but what do you actually expect the school to do about it?

Eventually long term sick people have to be let go and replaced which is not against employment legislation if done correctly. Teachers are no exception to that.

www.gov.uk/dismissal/reasons-you-can-be-dismissed

Of course the school aren't going to admit to parents that it's an issue to you, because they have to respect the privacy of the teacher. Your attitude is horrible, frankly. If this teacher is having regular time off on a weekly basis, don't you think that implies some kind of ongoing treatment that they need time off to attend appointments? But you think they should just be made to leave their job and lose their salary, just because your Year 1 child might be missing out by having a TA cover the class for a few hours. Missing out on what exactly?! They're 5/6, not 16 and sitting GCSEs! My OH is a teacher and its entitled parents like you that make him want to leave the profession. Right now he's lying upstairs vomiting his guts up because a parent sent their kid to school with norovirus rather than look after them at home and they vomited all over the classroom floor and now he's caught it. But if he dared to have a go at the parent for that, he'd get into trouble.

Oh good idea - who stands in for the headteacher? 🤣

I’ve said this before but many, many parents seem to mistake teachers for indentured servants or people who’ve been conscripted. People do not have to be teachers. I don’t know why any of them do it, quite frankly, but if I had a child I’d be thankful that anyone volunteers to do it. It looks horrendous.

OP you’ll get your way in time as sickness policies apply to teachers as much as anyone else. It may not be in time to save your child from the tragic situation you think she’s going through but it’ll help the next intake of Y1. Unless of course they can’t recruit to replace her because of teacher shortages but at least your DD will be fine so no worries yeah?

You're incorrently angry at the teacher. The teacher needs sick time. Maybe she has cancer, IBS, whatever.

But she isnt the problem.

Your issue is with the school as you feel your childs education is suffering and you need assurance about the processes in place. Perhaps move your child to another class.

If you arent satisfied ultimately you either need to raise it through official channels as the school being ineffective and why you thinks so or move your daughter.

No, it's not a good situation, but long-term supply can be difficult to get at the moment. I'm sure the school is doing what they can to monitor and try and ensure that the class are still progressing. I would put money on them having the best of the year 2 teachers next year. The head will know they've had a rough year this year and will prioritise accordingly.

On the suggestion that teachers from other classes should come and teach in your child's class a couple of days a week - if your child was in that other class, why do I suspect you'd then be complaining that your child was missing out on 'proper teaching'...