Does anyone NOT support teachers’ strikes?

[Notbeinggoadybut]

I’ve got mixed views. Support that they, as all public sector workers, need a pay rise. And schools need more funding (but the NEU hasn’t badged this as a public reason which is a mistake IMP).

But 12% is a lot when you’re on a £40k salary. The TA’s deserve 12%, the nurses and ambulance drivers with dire conditions and worse salaries deserve 12%. But not from a starting salary of £40k.

Also public services can be dire. I work in one, it can be bordering on a joke and in so many ways such a waste of money. I will be striking on the 1st of February. But I don’t think it’s right - I voted against the strike. I want a pay rise, but don’t feel like it’s right to ask for 10% and strike if I don’t get it.

more job security!

The job has changed beyond all recognition since I started.

Yeah I did read what she put… but it doesn’t matter what she ‘feels’ because this strike won’t help funding, if anything itl take away from it… because it’s to increase wages not funding. I’d support this strike more if it was for funding.

I no not many will agree but I think 28k starting wage, with extra holidays is a pretty good deal, and yes i no those holidays aren’t paid, but that’s still a good wage for it! They do a hard job for decent money and good holidays. I totally get wanting a better pay rise, but don’t we all! I think a strike for better workload or funding aswell as wages would have been more worthwhile.

The government has delayed the manifesto promise of a 30k starting salary for several years. Personally this was an incentive to train, and it didn't happen (and still hasn't).

Gosh, you'd like the school to sack those teachers and replace them with good, enthusiastic teachers, wouldn't you?

Except they can't. There's no one else.

Which is the reason you should support the strikes, because presumably you, like teachers, would like the above situation to improve.

As it stands, looking at trainee figures for this year and next, things are going to get a lot worse that this when it comes to your children having suitable teachers.

It shouldn’t be a race to the bottom, but why don’t we let the people actually AT THE BOTTOM climb get their desserts first? The measly paid TAs, nurses, ambulance workers. I think that every Tom, Dick and Harry striking undermines theirs. Especially when some of those are on salaries of £40k.

Do you think the government only has enough money for teachers or nurses? The best chance everyone has of changing their working conditions is a strike. It’s not the x factor - best strike wins. If the teachers weren’t striking it wouldn’t make the government think the nurses were worthier. They don’t think any of us are worth anything. Hence the need to bloody strike.

You've never known a school close? Several village schools have gone in my area. Usually it would be mixed classes, not replacing support staff as contracts end, redundancies. People know the NHS is struggling because they can't see a gp or get an ambulance, and the wait times at A&E are very long. But it is harder to see that schools are struggling because it's hidden. Yet when staff in education try to tell you, to raise awareness, to ask for support, they are not believed and accused of moaning.

I knew it would be hard work but nothing like it is now.
Budgets have been cut, services have been cut, we have to do so many more roles than just teaching and the paperwork is ridiculous.
And the payscale increases are not automatic.
As an experienced teacher, if you want to change schools you have to drop several pay points to even be considered.
I love the actual teaching but I'm burning out.

Actually no. The demands of reporting, tracking, the administrative aspect of teaching was largely hidden from me as a student teacher.

And the standard is far lower. Literally, we have different standards for trainee teachers. They have far less contact time. Usually we try to give them experience with the least feral classes.

No because it has changed beyond all recognition over the last 20 years.

Teachers rarely strike. I've done it once in 20 years. You can thank Gove for that one. I'm also never off work. I hate causing disruption etc, etc. I am also not looking forward to all the shit that's going to be flung at my profession in the next few months.

But something needs to change.

Pay is one thing, but as pp have said, education is in the shit. I want schools to be better places. I'd also quite like to finish work before 930 most evenings too.

I know a lot of teachers felt conflicted about striking, but I really feel that the government need to listen to us, and mass walkouts might be the only way. I think a general strike should be next. Everyone of us out. Then the bastard government out.

There. I needed that.

Well, this is part of the problem really. It’s not so much the 5% offer this year that’s the problem; it’s the cumulative impact over a longer period.

Do people realise the conditions we work in and the abuse we suffer daily, mostly as a result of a society in free fall. Every single public service needs massive improvement and investment.

Reading this thread, it scares the shit out of me that many of you can vote.

If they do, they don't care. Out of sight, out of mind.

Can you explain that to me as I cannot imagine how that can be. Genuinely.
Has the job actually changed beyond recognition or in actual fact you mean its more stressful than it was?!

The op says that teachers are on a salary of 40k not that it is their starting salary

No I do not support it all. The kids have missed so much education.

Are you for real ? Do you think the job I started in 1997 hasn’t changed in 26 years ?

They might miss a wee bit more if there aren’t any teachers left due to terrible working conditions.

Support depends on needs not labels. If she is happy and learning, with the only adjustment being permission to use a fiddle item, then that's great. There may be many more adjustments even she is unaware of. And she will not be the only pupil with SEN or additional needs.

I interpreted that as 40k is the starting point on which the 12% would be applied and not that is the teachers starting salary

Read the OP again. Second paragraph, final four words.

Has the job actually changed beyond recognition

When I started you had decent textbooks, a board and some marker pens, and an OHP that was shared between the department that you could book. Registers were on paper, mark books were on paper. Communication was via notes in pigeonholes.

The advance of technology has added so much work. Constant emails. Constant data entry. Constant data analysis. And because what you do is online, constant scrutiny. So much time spent in front of a screen now. I guess that goes for most jobs.