Would you support a teaching strike?

[Strictly1]

Unions are currently talking to teachers regarding the proposed pay rise and government funding.
I do not want to strike but also know changes are needed for our children’s sake. With dwindling external support from agencies - schools are being expected to do more and more on limited resources that I predict will reduce due to squeezed budgets. The proposed pay rises are not funded. None of it is sustainable.

I honestly do not know what the realistic solution is.

YABU - you do not support teachers striking
YANBU - you do support teachers striking.

It would be a bloody nightmare, work wise, but employees would all be in the same boat. Teaching pay in the UK is too low, all it does is result in shortages and poorer quality staff, especially in expensive areas.

Yes - the idea that teachers will only get a pay rise if it's funded from already over-stretched school budgets is ridiculous.

Yes, I support all striking workers.

Agree with this.

Not funding the pay rise means a direct cut to the money schools are able to spend on pupils - it's totally and utterly wrong.

Yes, I would support them.

I voted to strike. First time ever I have said yes in over 20 years of teaching.

Surely after homeschooling, we all agree teachers and TA’s should be paid way more?! Have several teacher friends and support the strike!

I’m a teacher, and although losing pay in order to strike will cause an issue for me in the short term, I will strike for long-term benefit.

Yes- although I’d be gutted for my school age child the pay is way too low for All they do imo

I'm a teacher and I support the strikes.

Yes I would support them, yes it would cause issues but that's the point isn't it, if it didn't strikes wouldn't work. If workers just rolled over and accepted being treated badly nothing would ever change for the better and we'd still be living in the days of no sick pay, no annual leave, no maternity pay. Good luck to them.

Absolutely I would back them, I’m behind all workers taking action to ensure they get the pay and working conditions they deserve.

This.

Yes but I think it's support staff who are paid the lowest.
They need to strike...

They can get treated badly and it's easier to find a ta fhan replace a teacher, they have no power.

I don't think the pay if most teachers is low. It is low of new entrants to the profession but rises quite quickly now.
After 6 years when teachers can get additional points on the Upper Pay Scale for skill and experience- and they are not hard to get:
a classroom teacher can earn up to £43,685 with no additional responsibilites
a teacher who is, for example a Head of a core dept like English or Maths, can earn up to £58, 300
an additional SEN allowance is up to £4,700 on top of those numbers
Lead Practitioners- teachers who are excellent and help other teachers improve can earn up to £67.700
SLT earn between £44,300 in a tiny school up to £123,000 in a huge school as a Head.

You can add additional thousands to those for London and the Fringe.
13 weeks holidays.

I don't think many teachers are poorly paid. Those figure all go up to those points and not everyone reaches the top of every scale but they're not poorly paid.

DH is a Head in a secondary school and he is well-paid. I was well-paid as an Assistant and Deputy Head.

A newly qualified teacher starts on a minimum of 28,000 but within 4 years is on 32,000 and within 6 years of starting is on a minimum of £38,000 if they have not been promoted.

Yes I'm supporting a teacher strike. DP is a teacher so it will hit us in the pocket. But the fully funded aspect is what makes me support it the most. School budgets can not fund a cost of living payrise! They can not. DPs current school couldn't even afford a desk for the teachers and pen pots for the table. Dp took our desk in. And we made pen pots in our own time at home.

Also, on a selfish note I'm a HCP and between us we can't afford the cost of living increases. Every penny counts in our pockets right now and we have had to accept we will be going cold this winter.

If it’s just because of pay, nope.

I agree with @LuluBlakey1 , teachers are not underpaid.

But I do think teacher's pay rises should be funded by the government. If they aren't schools can not afford them without cutting back and the temptation is to attach lower allowances to promoted posts like Heads of Department, increase class sizes so they need fewer teachers or cut other resources or provision for children.

I agree with this too.

This is misleading. A UPS1 teacher in primary earns £38,690 and this is usually where they get stuck. There is no budget for TLRs but all are expected to lead a subject.
I earn £58000 as a HT of a larger than average primary school and 24 years experience and 8 of those in headship.

I would support any striking workers at the moment

Is the pay the main factor that causes teachers to leave, or the difficulties and stresses of the job itself?

I support the job being made more appealing to improve retention of good teachers. If pay is a significant issue then yes I'd support the strike.

I work in another public sector role, and whilst colleagues would like more pay the reason they are leaving is actually the job itself- trying to do the impossible with the resources you have, and worrying about being personally blamed for any poor outcomes resulting from that.

I agree with @LuluBlakey1 too.

There are problems in education but IMO pay isn’t one of them.

But more generally I just don’t think teaching strikes are very successful. They only achieve alienating the people we need to support us, and there is still a feeling of resentment after covid.

That’s a bit blanket isn’t it?

This.