Page 8 | To be really worried about proposed teacher strikes.

katedan · 2023-01-16T13:43:58+00:00

In England not Scotland for context. My twin daughters are year 11 and I am terrified about the impact of teacher strikes on their GCSEs. They have not yet covered the curriculum and every day counts to get them exam ready so strike days will be disastrous for year 11 and 13 pupils ( and lots of other children especially those who are vulnerable) these kids have had their education impacted by covid and now strikes. This will make the divide between state and private schools even bigger. Do you think they will go ahead or if a safety net will be put around exam years if it does.

Saucery · 16/01/2023 18:24

Maximum rate for ‘menial’ jobs. Wow. Have I really just read that?

We have a minimum wage which is good but maybe there should be a maximum wage for menial jobs fuck me, so I did.

FortSalem86 · 16/01/2023 18:24

BlackFriday · 16/01/2023 18:23

Have those children even crossed your mind since the last time their cause was bandied about during the Covid Lockdowns?

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Yes.

Greywhippet · 16/01/2023 18:24

MountainRinglet · 16/01/2023 17:48

YANBU I'm fed up with all this striking. Lots of public sector workers have got well below inflation pay rises and aren't striking. It's basic economics that if everyone gets huge pay rises inflation just keeps on spiralling up. Yes teachers work long days and do extra hours, they also get long paid holidays! Double anyone else. After covid disruption to our children's education now this, I think it's disgusting. As for earning the same in Adsa...really?? I have several friends who are teachers, did useless degrees that couldn't do anything else with and went into teaching as their only option. I'm not saying they don't work hard and are under staffed, but the same is true for a lot of us.

It’s not a race to the bottom

Iam4eels · 16/01/2023 18:25

FortSalem86 · 16/01/2023 18:12

I would be concerned about children whose only hot meal is the one at school or the families whose parent/parents has to take time off work and who won't get paid.

I'm concerned about that child and those families too which is why I support the strikes because the way out for that child/those families is access to quality education with properly funding resources and support measures, with a curriculum delivered by well trained and motivated staff inside fit for purpose school building that are in a good state of repair.

PattyPices · 16/01/2023 18:25

I don't have children in school these days thank goodness but what I don't understand is the pay structure within teaching. Is there a performance related element or are any pay awards spread across all teachers equally, both the excellent and the underperforming?

Blufelt · 16/01/2023 18:25

DonnaBanana · 16/01/2023 18:13

We have a minimum wage which is good but maybe there should be a maximum wage for menial jobs so that shelf stacking etc does not ever compete with a job like being a teacher or a nurse. It should pay to be a teacher, it is a proper profession.

It wouldn’t help because teachers work so many unpaid hours. Min wage is £9.18 per hour, when I was a teacher I got paid £15 per hour. So on paper it sounds like I earned more. But for every hour I worked, I did another 30 minutes unpaid. So my hourly salary was actually more like £10 per hour. That’s a major reason why I left. I would have been happy with being paid £15 per hour if I got paid that for ALL the hours I worked. Excessive workload is the problem.

giggly · 16/01/2023 18:26

Terrified is a bit dramatic, calm your pants Janet

LovelyIssues · 16/01/2023 18:26

Op I am a teacher and haven't heard anything about strikes. Hope this puts your mind at ease slightly.

CaptainNelson · 16/01/2023 18:26

What @WineDup @noblegiraffe @WonderingWanda @Iam4eels and @OverTheRubicon said.
Teachers have no choice but to strike. Our children have been utterly betrayed by a government whose kids can all sidestep state education.
Write to your MP! It's not the strike that will damage our kids' futures, it's the appalling lack of funding for education in this country.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 16/01/2023 18:27

Unfortunately and I’m just being honest here while theoretically if your union strikes you should also strike I’m not sure it will actually translate to many teachers at all

The NEU is the biggest union. And in the 27 years l was teaching, l never knew any teacher not strike as directed by their union. Lots talked about it, but when they day came they did it.

There are unions that don’t support strike action. Maybe you’re hoping all the teachers will be in that? Except they aren’t.

Roseberry1 · 16/01/2023 18:28

Tryinga · 16/01/2023 18:12

If teachers aren’t paid for holidays then they make approx £30 an hour, so about 3x that of the average Asda employee.

I think the talk about salary isn’t helping the cause, it makes many low paid people with bad holiday/pension/benefits think ‘wtf’ to the strikes.

In reality, the issue is the mess in schools and the hideous underfunding by the government that is failing our children. There needs to be long term solutions far beyond a pay rise. Better funding, possibly wiping student loans for those that stay in teaching for x number of years to attract and keep teachers. Many possibilities that hopefully the unions will put forward.

The situation in schools is horrendous. Fully support the strikes despite knowing it’ll put me into more debt to take the days off. I hope it makes people realise how bad it is.

Teachers will be getting the same paid holiday allowance as everyone else, which is added to their working hours pay and divided by 12. Any school holiday time off they get over and above the paid holiday allowance will go unpaid. It might vary here and there, but that's the gist of it.

Greywhippet · 16/01/2023 18:29

FortSalem86 · 16/01/2023 18:12

I would be concerned about children whose only hot meal is the one at school or the families whose parent/parents has to take time off work and who won't get paid.

Maybe have a word with your MP and fight against Tory policy then, because the fact that this is the situation for our poorest students is beyond disgusting and not teachers’ fault!

tinytemper66 · 16/01/2023 18:29

HowDoYouOwnDisorder · 16/01/2023 14:02

One teachers union (Nasuwt) are not calling a strike as they did not get enough teachers to vote (they blamed the postal strike for this, in part, which is somewhat ironic)

I think they will be reballoting soon.

Piggywaspushed · 16/01/2023 18:30

LovelyIssues · 16/01/2023 18:26

Op I am a teacher and haven't heard anything about strikes. Hope this puts your mind at ease slightly.

Do you teach in a soundproof bunker?

Iam4eels · 16/01/2023 18:30

For those worried about children not eating, free school meals will more than likely still be provided just as they have been during the strikes in Scotland and as they are during unexpected closures.

BlackFriday · 16/01/2023 18:30

LovelyIssues · 16/01/2023 18:26

Op I am a teacher and haven't heard anything about strikes. Hope this puts your mind at ease slightly.

Perhaps switcht the news on then?

EatYourVegetables · 16/01/2023 18:30

Do you think about this when you vote?

PriamFarrl · 16/01/2023 18:31

BlackFriday · 16/01/2023 18:07

I wouldn't be too sure about that - I've read that disgruntled NAS/UWT members are going to be jumping ship to NEU pretty darn quick.

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One friend who is NASUWT is leaving to go to NEU right now.

Also, NEU is for anyone who works in education, not just teachers. Support staff got a vote too.

Roseberry1 · 16/01/2023 18:31

WineDup · 16/01/2023 13:56

Yes you are being unreasonable.

You know what you should be concerned about? Good teachers quitting because they can get a similar take home pay working in Asda.

Bright, inspiring people not applying for teaching positions because they know it’s not worth their time or money to train, to do a job that they aren’t suitably compensated for.

It isn’t the strikes you should worry about, it’s a long term work to rule that would have far more impact on learning.

I hate the supermarket comparison because I doubt a person working at Asda will be getting the same pension and sick pay that a teacher, or even most people working in the public sector. Plus, supermarkets aren't all plain sailing to work in. I recall a thread here a short while ago with people saying supermarkets don't just hire anyone, and it's hard work!

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 16/01/2023 18:32

PattyPices · 16/01/2023 18:25

I don't have children in school these days thank goodness but what I don't understand is the pay structure within teaching. Is there a performance related element or are any pay awards spread across all teachers equally, both the excellent and the underperforming?

😂😂😂

Punitive unattainable performance management is endemic across teaching.

Little Johnny not making progress because dad belted mum last night? It’s your problem.

Teen not reaching the target because they’ve discovered weed? That’s your problem?

6th former bust up with gf/bf night before A level? It’s your fault they didn’t get the expected grade.

Petformance management is also used for managing out older and expensive teachers.

PriamFarrl · 16/01/2023 18:33

BotterMon · 16/01/2023 18:10

There's no such thing as a stupid question and if you are a teacher of any note should know that.

I am not a teacher, however run a company and c.70% of staff will not be able to work during random school strikes due to lack of planned childcare. That means my business, and many others, will not be able to function properly. Therefore we may not be able to retain all the staff as we will be massively loss making on strike days but hey, the teachers don't give a shit about anyone else.

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I voted against the strike as I didn’t want to cause problems for working parents. So, we do care.

WonderingWanda · 16/01/2023 18:33

LovelyIssues · 16/01/2023 18:26

Op I am a teacher and haven't heard anything about strikes. Hope this puts your mind at ease slightly.

Are you in a union?

Blufelt · 16/01/2023 18:34

2ApplesShortOfABasket · 16/01/2023 18:09

I am striking.

Last year, our school had to ration paper. This year we are restricted to 1 pack of A4 per class every 4 weeks. Inevitably teachers are going out and buying their own paper as it is impossible on 1 pack.

This should give you an idea on school budget problems. Next year, the government indicated that any pay awards would come out of the school budget.

Any schools that manage it will be taking money currently earmarked for the children. It is an unworkable situation and the government can't be allowed to get away with it.

I’ve been out of teaching for a couple of years now. One of the reasons I left was because I was being begged to plan lessons which used only iPads or computers because we couldn’t afford paper. They knew Ofsted wouldn’t approve of working 100% on screens so I was given a pack of paper and told to save it until Ofsted came in. I had a special paper-based lesson prepared for the benefit of Ofsted and I was holding it in reserve until the day when an inspector walked through the door.

Inkpotlover · 16/01/2023 18:34

Tryinga · 16/01/2023 18:12

If teachers aren’t paid for holidays then they make approx £30 an hour, so about 3x that of the average Asda employee.

I think the talk about salary isn’t helping the cause, it makes many low paid people with bad holiday/pension/benefits think ‘wtf’ to the strikes.

In reality, the issue is the mess in schools and the hideous underfunding by the government that is failing our children. There needs to be long term solutions far beyond a pay rise. Better funding, possibly wiping student loans for those that stay in teaching for x number of years to attract and keep teachers. Many possibilities that hopefully the unions will put forward.

The situation in schools is horrendous. Fully support the strikes despite knowing it’ll put me into more debt to take the days off. I hope it makes people realise how bad it is.

As the partner of a teacher who often despairs of the anti-teachers rhetoric on MN, thank you for such a great, considered, non-hysterical response. The situation in schools IS horrendous and in particular any parent who has a primary age child now should be deeply worried about how the teacher shortage crisis is going to worsen in the coming years. Classes could end up bigger than 30+ and 1-1 SEN provision, pastoral care and any specialist extra curricular activities will end up bottom of the priority list. Heck, there might not even be enough subject teachers in secondary.

I'm not sure what salary you're basing the £30 an hour on, but believe me the vast majority teachers are not paid that much. They will also lose a day's pay for each strike day.

Changechangechanging · 16/01/2023 18:34

the teachers don't give a shit about anyone else

the teachers give a shit about the state of education in this country. They give a shit that TAs are being made redundant because schools can no longer pay for them. They give a shit that there is no money for basic resources in schools. They give a shit that their colleagues are leaving in droves and are not being replaced - jobs being advertised again and again and again. They give a shit that exam classes are going without specialist teaching - or any teaching in an increasing number of schools - where those children are competing for apprenticeships, uni places and jobs with those educated in the independent sector. They give a shit that the quality of our children’s education is now so poor, we worry about how the majority are going to compete in an increasingly global market. If you want a forward thinking, we’ll educated workforce for your business, you should stop thinking beyond your own pocket and start seeing the much, much bigger picture.