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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Work set for strike but kids told by teachers not to bother

120 replies

WellyBoot12345 · 31/01/2023 20:39

My children’s secondary school is closed tomorrow and some very generic work has been set by, I guess, someone in the senior leadership team. I quite get it that it’s generic stuff and won’t be marked, but children have both said that their teachers have told them they’d rather they didn’t do the work. I’m not happy about this - I don’t have a problem with the strike but school is closed, that’s causing the disruption that the unions need for things to get better … but suggesting to the children not to bother with the work impacts on my children’s learning and attitude to homework. Also seems pretty disrespectful to the person who has gone to the effort of setting it. I’m out at work tomorrow and there was only a slim chance that they would do anything anyway … but now they feel they have permission to do absolutely nothing at all tomorrow and future strike days and I’m the evil mum for saying that they should. AIBU for being peeved about this, and would you say anything to the school? (Or AIBU to believe my pesky kids that the teachers said this??!!)

OP posts:
Postapocalypticcowgirl · 31/01/2023 21:26

Cryingbutstilltrying · 31/01/2023 21:23

Primary school are not setting anything.
Secondary has said they won’t set anything but would suggest homework gets done if the kids have any already set. They have also reminded the kids about the extension level reading etc but that’s not required normally either.
The DC have got a hectic day of gaming with their friends planned, so I’m expecting nothing at all from them!

If it’s generic stuff then it sounds like a teacher who isn’t part of the union is doing this to be ‘in work’ when the school is shut due to insufficient staff being there to open to the kids. So it won’t be massively relevant or important.
I wouldn’t sweat it. I also wouldn’t criticise though, this must be a very tricky time for any staff who aren’t striking union members.

It'll be even trickier for them if some of the striking teachers leave because of the way they've been treated by other staff/SLT. Or if those teachers leave the profession due to the issues they are striking over.

I'm not saying it isn't tricky for everyone, but is it worth undermining and upsetting your colleagues (who feel strongly enough about the issue to lose a day's pay) for the sake of setting some generic cover work?

Worriedlip · 31/01/2023 21:28

I refuse to believe him and make him do it anyway. If its been set its being done. End of. Done care that I'm mean mum. Teaching my dc application and to make an effort.

@ZenNudist not really. You're not teaching him to care about his work and make an effort. You’re teaching him his mum doesn’t believe him, doesn’t care about his input and he must obey you without question. See how that works out.

Woodchiponthewall · 31/01/2023 21:31

It’s the middle of winter, everyone is knackered. What’s wrong with them having a rest day? Why don’t you, as their parent, give them something meaningful to do at home? Teach them a life skill.
I’m a teacher and told any students who asked today that in my opinion it would be a waste of time for them doing any meaningless work set for them. Be kids for the day. Or spend time with your family. If you are so worried about their attitude to learning being badly impacted book a day’s holiday and teach them yourself.

Icantremembermyusername · 31/01/2023 21:32

DC's school is closed and they have online virtual lessons with staff who are not striking. There is also generic work set for lessons where the teachers are on strike. We have agreed DC will complete the virtual sessions and leave the rest as a) the work shouldn't have been set and b) no one is going to check it and give feedback.

DC has also had the 'detention until it is all completed' warning. As a teacher (not NEU and therefore at work tomorrow) I'll fight that if I have to - no way are they completing meaningless work just so a box can be ticked by SLT!

chupachump · 31/01/2023 21:34

WellyBoot12345 · 31/01/2023 21:24

I quite get that striking teachers shouldn’t be working on or for a strike day and I absolutely wouldn’t expect them to mark it and won’t get my kids to hand it in. I’m sure that it hasn’t been set by the striking teachers but by someone in a different union.

Maybe it’s the ‘if teachers aren’t going to mark it don’t bother’ understanding that is getting to me. I don’t want my children to have the impression that school work is a means to an end, a way of just ticking a box and avoiding a detention. It should be about developing independence and self-discipline, being curious etc. I’m probably way too idealistic to have teenagers! Anyway, I’ll bow out of this, I’ll go and chase rainbows somewhere else!!

How about using it to teach your kids integrity in supporting striking workers. Have a little sociology/politics lesson.

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 31/01/2023 21:35

I don't think that homework set by someone else, that isn't going to be marked, is a remotely good learning tool anyway.

Plus I wouldn't want to encourage my kids to think that undermining a striking staff member is a good thing to do.

Different to encourage them to do some revision or the likes, but randomly set stuff is unlikely to add anything meaningful to their education so what's the point?

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 31/01/2023 21:38

Yes, I've told my students in exam years that it would be a good idea to do some meaningful work tomorrow- but by Y11 or older, they should hopefully have some idea of what is meaningful to them.

I'm not convinced generic revision set by SLT or whoever (our SLT have not done this, btw) is the way to go.

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 31/01/2023 21:39

I also don't think a teacher showing an honest attitude to pointless work is something that will teach a negative attitude to homework.

One of my DS's teachers is one who is very, very honest about stuff. Often there is "This is set. Do it if you want, it's not likely to negatively impact you if you don't, but it certainly won't do you any harm" type extra work. That honesty means that when that teacher says "This is important. You must do it" the kids really listen.

TimeToFlyNow · 31/01/2023 21:39

My year 5 has 4 and a half hours of work to do tomorrow. I'm quite pissed off about it

Headabovetheparakeet · 31/01/2023 21:41

hryllilegur · 31/01/2023 21:14

I would use the opportunity to teach my kids about how strikes work - and tell them not to do scab lessons set by the SLT.

Wow.

GinClassHeroes · 31/01/2023 21:42

WellyBoot12345 · 31/01/2023 21:24

I quite get that striking teachers shouldn’t be working on or for a strike day and I absolutely wouldn’t expect them to mark it and won’t get my kids to hand it in. I’m sure that it hasn’t been set by the striking teachers but by someone in a different union.

Maybe it’s the ‘if teachers aren’t going to mark it don’t bother’ understanding that is getting to me. I don’t want my children to have the impression that school work is a means to an end, a way of just ticking a box and avoiding a detention. It should be about developing independence and self-discipline, being curious etc. I’m probably way too idealistic to have teenagers! Anyway, I’ll bow out of this, I’ll go and chase rainbows somewhere else!!

The people in a different union shouldn’t be setting work for striking teachers. No union would sign this off - we were specifically told by our union not to undermine the work of another union when they were on strike and we weren’t.

Spiderplantation · 31/01/2023 21:42

The teachers might feel wary of telling the pupils that they should support the strike by not doing the work, so are suggesting "not bothering" and assuming the intelligent children will understand that they're not supposed to encourage a particular political stance so can't explain why it is so important not to break a strike by following the senior management in opposition to the strike .

Spiderplantation · 31/01/2023 21:47

Headabovetheparakeet · 31/01/2023 21:41

Wow.

Show quote history

I've taught my primary age child this. I'd consider this basic ethics and citizenship. I've explained that the home ed might have been set as a way to help less able children, so might not be ill-intentioned scabbery, but that we do not cross picket lines in our household and will tell the school this.

maddy68 · 31/01/2023 21:48

They won't be marking work that they did when on strike so if they want to do it fine. If not have a nice day off

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 31/01/2023 21:49

TBF, striking has been a great opportunity to talk to students about what union membership means and why it is important. A lot of students don't know what a union is or how to join one- even if they have part time jobs.

Personally, I think it's pretty essential information for all workers to know. Yes, by all means choose not to join a union if it's an informed choice, but I don't think it's great that some young people don't know what a union is or how it could help them.

ilovesooty · 31/01/2023 21:53

That spammy advert has spelling errors 😂

ohfook · 31/01/2023 21:55

I would imagine if a teacher has indeed said this, it's because they're pretty fucked off at a colleague (who would possibly benefit if the strike were to achieve its aim) undermining their efforts.

What is the point in setting generic worksheets that are never going to be marked. It wastes the time of the person setting the work, wastes the time of the kid and undermines the efforts of the teacher. Just pointless all around.

Justalittlebitduckling · 31/01/2023 21:57

I think setting busy work for kids that doesn’t aid their learning is pointless and sets them
up for crappy work later in life. Kids know it’s pointless. Better for their long term motivation that their teachers are being honest with them.

Who’s going to mark the work? Senior Leadership?

Headabovetheparakeet · 31/01/2023 22:16

@Spiderplantation

And you're teaching your kids to call teachers from non striking unions scabs?

GinClassHeroes · 31/01/2023 22:21

Headabovetheparakeet · 31/01/2023 22:16

@Spiderplantation

And you're teaching your kids to call teachers from non striking unions scabs?

Being in a non striking union is not being a scab.

Being in a non striking union and undermining the work of a striking union is.

There is a clear difference.

Also, I’ve been on a teaching picket line and there is absolutely no yelling, it’s all friendly. Well, except the angry people driving by swearing at us. Thankfully there aren’t many.

Hedonism · 31/01/2023 22:23

Not all of the teachers are on strike though. Ds school is shut for his year group. But presumably not all of the teachers are striking because some will be in different unions. So... Is it ok for his non striking German teacher (for example) to set him online German work to do tomorrow?

Personally I'm getting lockdown flashbacks and would rather he spent the day playing football in the park with his mates, but that's beside the point.

GinClassHeroes · 31/01/2023 22:26

Hedonism · 31/01/2023 22:23

Not all of the teachers are on strike though. Ds school is shut for his year group. But presumably not all of the teachers are striking because some will be in different unions. So... Is it ok for his non striking German teacher (for example) to set him online German work to do tomorrow?

Personally I'm getting lockdown flashbacks and would rather he spent the day playing football in the park with his mates, but that's beside the point.

It’s okay for his non striking German teacher to set work for their own class.

Its not okay for his non striking German teacher to set work for their colleagues classes; be that German, French, maths or Biology.

hryllilegur · 31/01/2023 22:28

It’s completely fine for non striking teachers to set their classes work. They are not striking. So they’re at work as usual.

What’s not ok is for them to set work for striking teachers’ classes. That undermines the strike action.

Headabovetheparakeet · 31/01/2023 22:28

@GinClassHeroes

Would a parent necessarily know if their child's teacher is striking? I thought some schools were closed because there wasn't enough teachers in.