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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not send my children to school on the strike days?

191 replies

mumoffourminimes · 25/01/2023 21:55

(Primary) school have said they will open on the strike days with TAs in classrooms instead of teachers and they will not be covering the national curriculum (fair enough). But do I have to send the children in under these circumstances?

Is it even safe to have a school full of children and half the number of adults?

I'm especially thinking of the younger years, unfortunately there have been some violent incidents in both yr1 and reception classes and there are some kids that really need the supervision.

I don't want to send my children in for babysitting services, i'm at home on maternity leave so I don't need that, lucky I know. So AIBU not to send them?

OP posts:
Eyerollcentral · 26/01/2023 20:11

mumoffourminimes · 26/01/2023 20:07

Yes you have to be part of a union and one that has voted to strike in order to legally strike.

Jesus wept…you are not taking part in the strike though are you? That’s for the teachers in the school. You aren’t a teacher in the school are you? The headteacher is saying to teachers who aren’t members of the union on strike that they still have to attend their place of work as it remains open.

Original poster
mumoffourminimes · 26/01/2023 20:14

That was supposed I don't support them enough to say either break the law or pay a fine @Eyerollcentral

Thanks @Hickerychickery, I'm frustrated the HT has taken your view on this and is pushing for all in school with low adult numbers

OP posts:
liveforsummer · 26/01/2023 20:14

We haven't had any dc in school during our strikes although after school club were allowed to run during the last one for already registered dc. As a TA myself I can confirm that friend control is a skill we are incredibly familiar with and I'm sure your dc will be safe. Are SLT not striking though? Who would the TA's go to with a welfare concern for example? If you can keep them off then I probably would. They aren't missing any work after all

Original poster
mumoffourminimes · 26/01/2023 20:14

Please don't be rude @Eyerollcentral it's unnecessary

OP posts:
Eyerollcentral · 26/01/2023 20:15

Hickerychickery · 26/01/2023 20:10

I agreed with the strikes.

The problem is that some people really need to go to work. There has been too much disruption to other vital services such as healthcare.

so ideally those who could keep their children at home would as you suggest op. If you can’t because vitally need to work, send them in with a TA to cover.
I don’t think people with vital jobs sending their children in should be viewed as scabs. The last thing we need is more ambulance delays, cancelled operations, cancelled trains etc because these parents don’t have childcare for school hours…..

That’s exactly the point of a strike. To cause maximum disruption. To demonstrate how much disruption withdrawal of the teachers’ labour causes to their school and to society. So yes if you were in solidarity you WOULD keep your children home from work and your WOULD take a day’s leave from your own work to look after them to demonstrate the integrated nature of the labour of teachers in running the country.

User1794329709 · 26/01/2023 20:17

The rudest people on all of these threads are the teachers, you can tell them from the posts

liveforsummer · 26/01/2023 20:17

I don't want an unauthorised absence note!

Call them in sick then!

Eyerollcentral · 26/01/2023 20:17

mumoffourminimes · 26/01/2023 20:14

Please don't be rude @Eyerollcentral it's unnecessary

I haven’t been rude. I am frustrated by you saying things that are incorrect and passing them off as facts. You don’t have to be a member of a union to support a strike. You won’t get a fine for absence during strike action.

Justalittlebitduckling · 26/01/2023 20:18

Keep your kids home. It will be chaos at school.

Eyerollcentral · 26/01/2023 20:18

liveforsummer · 26/01/2023 20:14

We haven't had any dc in school during our strikes although after school club were allowed to run during the last one for already registered dc. As a TA myself I can confirm that friend control is a skill we are incredibly familiar with and I'm sure your dc will be safe. Are SLT not striking though? Who would the TA's go to with a welfare concern for example? If you can keep them off then I probably would. They aren't missing any work after all

As far as I know headteachers certainly (not sure about VPs) cannot be a member of teaching unions, they have their own organisations

User1794329709 · 26/01/2023 20:19

I would book a holiday and make the most of it

Original poster
mumoffourminimes · 26/01/2023 20:20

liveforsummer · 26/01/2023 20:14

We haven't had any dc in school during our strikes although after school club were allowed to run during the last one for already registered dc. As a TA myself I can confirm that friend control is a skill we are incredibly familiar with and I'm sure your dc will be safe. Are SLT not striking though? Who would the TA's go to with a welfare concern for example? If you can keep them off then I probably would. They aren't missing any work after all

Unfortunately one of the classes is an absolute handful. DC5 has come home with black eyes before and the teacher told me it "wasn't an accident" so I think minimum supervision in that class is not safe for my little DC. :(

OP posts:
Original poster
mumoffourminimes · 26/01/2023 20:20

Justalittlebitduckling · 26/01/2023 20:18

Keep your kids home. It will be chaos at school.

I wish I could! How to convince the HT🤔

OP posts:
Original poster
mumoffourminimes · 26/01/2023 20:22

I'm frustrated with you misrepresenting my posts and saying things you can't possibly back up like "you won't get a fine"

OP posts:
Gnomeo8 · 26/01/2023 20:24

My eldest is going in. She's in Yr 11, has double English that day and is a dyslexic student who needs a grade 6 in English to go on to study the a-levels she needs to get to her dream career. She is working her socks off and is just about getting the marks she needs to get that grade. Her school is open for Yr 11s only on the strike day(s). Nice to know that some people will think of her as a scab!!

Eyerollcentral · 26/01/2023 20:25

mumoffourminimes · 26/01/2023 20:20

I wish I could! How to convince the HT🤔

Show quote history

Op think about it sensibly for a moment. The headteacher is not a member of the union on strike. They cannot encourage their pupils to not turn up to school or they would be in breach of the duties on them as a headteacher. They may well support the strike, they may not. They may not be a member of their union. The one thing they cannot publicly do is back strike action. They are obliged to give you the legal information as there is a strike planned in the school they are responsible for running.
What do you think the head teacher is going to do realistically if your children aren’t in? 3/4 of the school is unlikely to be in.

liveforsummer · 26/01/2023 20:36

As far as I know headteachers certainly (not sure about VPs) cannot be a member of teaching unions, they have their own organisations

Perhaps different in Scotland then as all our SLT have been absent during the strikes and deputy head was on the picket line yesterday. We can't have any dc in that HT normally responsible for in case of a welfare concern needing reporting. (After school club was allowed in on this occasion as run my an outside organisation but hadn't been during previous strikes)

liveforsummer · 26/01/2023 20:44

Unfortunately one of the classes is an absolute handful. DC5 has come home with black eyes before and the teacher told me it "wasn't an accident" so I think minimum supervision in that class is not safe for my little DC. :(

I work in one of those classes my self and tbh when it comes to the actual crowd control aspect myself (and nearly all of my colleagues) are better at this than the teachers and would absolutely manage it for the day. I imagine the teacher is alone with the class at times, however you really don't need to send him. As I said earlier, just call him in sick. Problem solved!

SirSamVimesCityWatch · 26/01/2023 20:54

For everyone saying they won't cross a picket line, there may well not be a physical picket line outside the school anyway. When I was a teacher and on strike, we all went to an organised demo in the city centre*, we didn't picket the school.

*in the morning, and then the pub in the afternoon.

Eyerollcentral · 26/01/2023 20:58

You surely know what they mean is they won’t undermine the strike action of teachers by metaphorically crossing the picket line, don’t you?

Hellibore · 26/01/2023 21:00

My child's class teacher left at xmas and they have replaced her with a NQT.

SirSamVimesCityWatch · 26/01/2023 21:03

Eyerollcentral · 26/01/2023 20:58

You surely know what they mean is they won’t undermine the strike action of teachers by metaphorically crossing the picket line, don’t you?

Yes I know that is the main meaning, but there have been a couple of posters talking about walking past striking teachers, so I assume some people at least think that those on strike will definitely be outside.

User1794329709 · 26/01/2023 21:14

Won't the teachers picket though so they know which parents didn't support them and let their DC go to the school

Eyerollcentral · 26/01/2023 21:14

Hellibore · 26/01/2023 21:00

My child's class teacher left at xmas and they have replaced her with a NQT.

2/3 of the teachers I know plan to leave in the next two years. They can’t put up with it any more and these are devoted teachers.

SEND2022 · 26/01/2023 21:15

User1794329709 · 26/01/2023 21:14

Won't the teachers picket though so they know which parents didn't support them and let their DC go to the school

It isn't that black and white.