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 ?

Maybe the caretaker could do it? Or one of the lunchtime staff? Or maybe a parent like OP could step up, seeing as she seems to think she knows how a school should be run.

Yes, let’s sack a teacher so your kid has a better Y1 experience.

But if you couldn't go in, would you quote quit?

It's not a horrible attitude, and it's not entitled, it's a perfectly reasonable attitude to ask what the school are doing about it so at least there is some continuity for the kids and they have the same TA for a few months at least. Obviously they can't give personal detailsabout the teacher concerned. When it happened in DDs school they had long term supply or long term TA so at least it wasn't a different person taking the class every week.

Christ, let's not have a race to the bottom in primary schools, or indeed secondary schools. Let parents at least have reasonable expectations of them - if we don't have expectations of what our public services should be it actually lets politicians off the hook in putting reasonable services in place. Part of the problem and why the fucking Tories keep getting in time and time again is because people are so fucking passive and have such low expectations of their politicians and think they're all the same and it doesn't matter. It does bloody matter.

Would you quit*

I've actually never voted tory. I'm saying it as a disabled person, who like many other disabled people works full time.

Lots of disabled people go to work through sickness, stress etc.

Plenty of us work in roles where taking unexpected or a lot of time off would impact vulnerable people, so have a sense of duty.

There’s no-one to replace them at the moment though.

DD’s primary school has three vacancies and can’t get people to fill them. DS’s high school has at least two teachers short, and that’s after dropping French as an offering last year as they just didn’t have the staff.

Teachers have left in droves. There are no supply teachers available.

It's funny how schools bang on about attendance and how just one day off can affect education, yet it's fine for classes to have a TA for weeks on end, which could potentially affect their education. It's always one sided!

It isn't ideal for your DC, I agree, and I can understand your frustration.

However, you can't sack someone for being ill. The teacher can't help being ill.

Ideally the school would sort out long term cover, but there's a massive teacher shortage and schools are under financed. Direct your frustration at the government rather than the teacher.

Of course it’s one-sided. You can make it a legal requirement that children be educated but you can’t make it a legal requirement that an adult educate them. If there aren’t any teachers, what do you propose the school does?

Christ, let's not have a race to the bottom in primary schools, or indeed secondary schools. Let parents at least have reasonable expectations of them - if we don't have expectations of what our public services should be it actually lets politicians off the hook in putting reasonable services in place. Part of the problem and why the fucking Tories keep getting in time and time again is because people are so fucking passive and have such low expectations of their politicians and think they're all the same and it doesn't matter. It does bloody matter.

This is the problem though. Most parents don't think beyond the school gate so they blame the school and the teachers and not the chronic underfunding that's been caused by 12 years of Tory rule. That's who parents should be angry at, not the people regularly working 50+ hours a week at the expense of their own families to teach other people's children.

And it's going to get worse. Teachers are leaving the profession in their drovers, trainee take up is falling and there aren't enough supply teachers to go round, which maybe why this school can't book one long term.

Again, showing your ignorance by blaming schools and teachers. The legal requirement to ensure your child attends school is set by the local education authority and central Government. Schools have to implement it because they can penalised by the LEA and Ofsted if overall attendance drops.

Maybe the caretaker could do it? Or one of the lunchtime staff? Or maybe a parent like OP could step up, seeing as she seems to think she knows how a school should be run.

LEA or academy could surely provide administrative help, it won't be the first time an education officer has been drafted in to help out in schools.

There's a bit more to being a headteacher or part of the SLT than a bit of admin.

Yeah, and all disabilities and long term health conditions are exactly the same, so if one disabled person can work through stress or sickness, everyone else should be able to do the same.

Oh wait...

That's who parents should be angry at, not the people regularly working 50+ hours a week at the expense of their own families to teach other people's children

Parents are still entitled to be disatisfied at schools though if the quality of teaching isn't good or the kids aren't getting any continuity as in this situation. Yes, they also need to raise it higher up the food chain, but I wouldn't just be shrugging my shoulders and going "Oh, well they are so underfunded, nothing can be done."

What a horrid thread! This teacher could be suffering from a debilitating condition.
Fair enough to want some consistency for your child but the idea that a teacher who is unwell should be sacked is awful.

Oh how strange, because you're a Tory's wet dream.

OP, your child is in year 1, have some perspective.

This happens all the time and is unfortunate, but really not a massive deal

Well it's not ideal but in Y1 I wouldn't be too concerned. My DD is in Y11 and from September to March they had no teacher for Food Technology which she's taking at GCSE.
The school aplogised but I'm still not happy. I'm now waiting to see if it affects her GCSE results.
However there wasn't a lot the school could do and there is a shortage of good teachers so it's not as simple as you think. Also they can't just sack someone for being ill. Would you like to get fired for being sick?

My DD has the same, but she’s in Year 10. So many of her teachers are regularly off sick that I’d say she’s had supplies for half of year 10. I don’t know if it’s stress or long Covid or just coincidence, but it’s really affecting her education now.

From what she says, I’d do a better job than half of the supplies she’s getting - they’re terrible.

And when her biology teacher is in (she is one of the ones who is constantly off sick) she just gives them a sheet to complete that takes around 15 minutes, and that’s it for the rest of the lesson. This is a ‘good’ comp btw.

Year 10! I don’t know what the school can do about it, but these kids are losing out.

There's a bit more to being a headteacher or part of the SLT than a bit of admin.

Education officers are likely to have at least SLT experience in schools and will be well aware of the complexities of the role.

quite

As she has been of so much, it is almost certain it will be for a serious health problem. If it is not something resolvable e.g. cancer treatment temporarily, her employment will come to an end.
TAs will not stay because they are not teachers but in this situation are being expected to take on too much responsibility for their level of pay.
The schools will not employ a substitute teacher because they will not have the money.
It is a crap situation, but it is something that no one involved can do anything about.

I’m assuming that the head knows why the teacher is absent, but, rightly, doesn’t share that information with parents.

Or it’s possible the head is taking steps to mitigate the impact of the absence and hasn’t, quite rightly, shared that information with parents.

If there is no supply teacher, or no money for a supply teacher, the alternatives are to have a member of the current staff in the class, which is sounds as though they’re doing, or to offer remote teaching, as was the case during lockdown. Or perhaps HE. If there really are no bodies to put in front of a class, that might be the next step.

Of course it isn’t ideal and in an ideal world, every school would have a supportive leadership, teachers who were never absent, compliant, hardworking children and supportive parents. But we don’t live in an ideal world.