AIBU to feel that teachers shouldn't really be striking?

[Pinky1011]

They have 3 months PAID holidays only work 9-4pm, no dangerous or really bad working conditions, great job security, good pensions, They had pay rises last year up to 8%!!! I work in the private sector and haven't had a pay rise in almost 6 years! I just feel compared to alot of other professions, teachers have it quite good? I mean their starting salary is the same as a junior doctor. I get it inflation has wrecked everyone, but surely the issue should be getting inflation down? Not just demanding for more money, which by the way only fuels inflation further. AIBU to feel that teachers just don't know how good they have it compared to the rest of us?

In law or finance people on the pathways to very high salaries are often working 80-100 hours weeks for less than teachers earn (at first). Then it increases. This is why I distinguished between those on that pathway with Magic Circle/ Big 4 etc and the rest. And compared that kind of career path to perhaps what a headteacher of a large academy chain might achieve in terms of salary, in later career.

Many of those working in small firms or not as successful will have lower hours comparable to a standard teacher: 50-60 hour weeks maybe. But with fewer weeks off, and similar kinds of pay trajectories to teachers.

So in general teachers were not really hard done by, in terms of professions. Also the level of study and qualification required to become a lawyer or accountant is higher. But as a broad comparison, it makes rough sense. However, in recent years as I said the refusal of the Government to uprate their pay appropriately to match the private sector has made the comparison no longer hold. As has the erosion of working conditions resulting from schools not being properly funded. So on that basis I understand their anger and think all public sector workers should be given a sensible payrise and education should also be one of the Government's top funding priorities now, after so much neglect. Our state education is beyond a joke now, internationally. It's embarrassing and doesn't bode well for the future of our country. And teachers are rightly furious about this. As we all should be.

Admin staff who cost far less though could be doing that data entry, not teachers! If budgets are pushed then that is bonkers, wasting teachers' time on such mindless tasks that anybody could do.

Admin staff who cost far less though could be doing that data entry, not teachers!

Guess whether we can afford admin staff. Teachers, on the other hand, can simply add it to their to-do list.

Oh absolutely, I am sure that's why it's happening. But what a ridiculous false economy, to waste teachers' time on data entry. 🙄😡

Lots of data entry in teaching.

The holidays aren't paid. I wish people would understand that. The pay is calculated with standard annual leave. The rest of the break is unpaid. Teachers get paid every month, but that is becasue the pay is broken down to go into monthly payments but once again TEACHERS ARE ONLY PAID FOR THE SAME HOLIDAYS THE REST OF US GET.

I don't teach any more. I loved it. but it was very high pressure, and it's one of those jobs that never ends - there's always work to take home for evenings and weekends. It's very fulfilling, but it's hard work. I wouldn't do it now.

That's not true of lots of lawyers. You are presuming we all work in the private sector whereas thousands of us are public sector and earn less than teachers without the benefit of the holidays.

That's not true of lots of lawyers. You are presuming we all work in the private sector whereas thousands of us are public sector and earn less than teachers without the benefit of the holidays.

Oh yes @Willyoujustbequiet absolutely, lawyers or accountants in the public sector are currently much more hard done by than teachers! Jobs which require more technical skills and more study and qualifications than teachers, and in public sector roles attract fewer benefits and longer hours than teachers and have also been hammered by the effective paycuts. And I hear have mostly been offered even lower payrises: as low as 1%!

Those people often aren't valued as much as teachers because the public don't understand what they do, and they aren't so visible. But public services will soon be in a much greater mess across the board unless they also get a payrise to match their private sector counterparts as they will leave and service delivery can't function without them.

Are technical skills more important than other skills? Not even sure what that means. Are you implying teachers aren't skilled, or that their skills are somehow of lesser worth?

Would fully support any public sector employee who strikes. Pretty sure some lawyers already have.

But, in the spirit of MN, I would ask why those highly qualified accountants and lawyers don't transfer to the private sector?<ducks for cover>

I just read the title and correctly guessed how this thread would go.

Errrr... no? I've been arguing teachers and all public sector workers should get a payrise matched to their counterparts in the private sector with similar skills, to rebalance their pay to the market rate for their job/ qualifications. I don't understand your comment.

So, what should teachers view as their 'counterparts' then? Unlike law there isn't a private/public equivalence.

But, in the spirit of MN, I would ask why those highly qualified accountants and lawyers don't transfer to the private sector?<ducks for cover>

And based on data I've been looking at about retention of public sector staff in those kind of roles, that's exactly what's happening. Contributing the the even poorer service in the public sector no doubt, as they lose very skilled employees.

Of course there is. What are teachers in private schools paid? I have never looked this up but that would be the obvious comparator.

Yup, that's a shame. The public sector needs and deserves brilliant people.

My DH is one. Not much more these days , unless at a vvvvv exclusive school, and they are striking/have struck (?) on pensions being withdrawn and on pay.

I think it's about a more general undervaluing of teachers in society this whole thing.

Teachers are amazing. Your kids spend most of their day with them. My DC’s teachers have consistently made huge efforts to get to know them, admire their little quirks, have patiently taught them difficult concepts etc. I think they are wonderful and are completely undervalued - I don't know how anyone can question the value of investing in the education, care and wellbeing of children.
Pay them more ffs

Are you totally off your box? What a load of twaddle - doesn't deserve even this much of a response really. Sort yourself out, OP.

I'd also like to say - although it's stating the blindingly obvious!! - that for all the rhetoric, even if they could, the last thing Government wanta to do is to bring inflation down much. A bit perhaps because it's making people so angry and they care about votes. But don't forget that many of their voter base are insulated: houses paid off, money in savings so happy about the higher interest rates even though this is crippling the working age population, DB pensions linked to inflation, and they have astutely decided to maintain that with the state pension too for now. So: most of their voter base will not feel much worse off at all.

Meanwhile high inflation means that all public sector salaries and pension liabilities and the enormous debt the Government have run up over the last decade reduces every year in real terms, substantially.

It makes all of us poorer, it will make our children poorer. Particularly as we rely so much on imported goods. Granted, the Government has mismanaged things so badly that we were very exposed to the external factors causing this inflation, so they have limited levers in the short term to make it better. But they could do something for the long term. And they will be in no rush to do so.

Absolutely agree with that. Much of all of our future depends upon them.

Jobs which require more technical skills and more study and qualifications than teachers

By what metric? Nonsense.

What are teachers in private schools paid? I have never looked this up but that would be the obvious comparator

This thread is worth a look. Quite the eye opener.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/education/4725670-winchester-why-are-they-striking?page=1

Of course we shouldn't be striking.
But we (schools) should be properly funded to do our core business and shouldn't be picking up the pieces of the underfunding of everything else.