Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed about teacher strikes days

132 replies

Strikedays · 03/04/2023 12:06

Dates of strikes:
2nd March - Thursday
15th March - Wednesday
16th March - Thursday

Proposed dates:
27th April - Thursday
2nd May - Tuesday

Am I BU to be annoyed that 3/5 of the strike days land on a Thursday?

Why couldn’t they be on different days each time?

I fully support teacher strikes.
The amount of work they do out of teaching hours is massive and if you added up all of the hours they do they’re on a very crap wage.
They also have to deal with crap from students, parents, Ofstead and often other staff members.
It is very stressful, lonely and one of the few jobs where you have to stress about having done work before you get to work.

But it is really annoying me that most of the strike days have landed on a Thursday.

This must make it very difficult to find childcare if Thursday is the one day you don’t have anyone to look after them.

My own DD is in year 10 and I don’t need childcare but she has a lesson once a week on a Thursday which she needs for her GCSEs.
Missing 3 lessons is equivalent to missing half a terms amount of lessons.
This is massively impacting her but it must also be stressful for the teacher too.

YABU - it doesn’t matter that they keep landing on a Thursday.
YANBU - it does matter and they should make sure it lands on different days.

OP posts:
parrotonmyshoulder · 03/04/2023 12:08

It’s not really meant to please anyone.

Cosyblankets · 03/04/2023 12:08

What subject is she doing that 3 lessons is half a term? A half term is 6 weeks ish. So one lesson a week?
Have i misunderstood?

BlackFriday · 03/04/2023 12:09

Well, it depends where you live. Ours have mainly fallen on a Wednesday.
They avoid using Mondays and Fridays for obvious reasons and as far as I can see, they have spread them out over the remaining three.
That aside, strikes are meant to cause disruption so...
How about writing to your MP to reiterate the support you say on here you have for teachers?

Original poster
Strikedays · 03/04/2023 12:09

Cosyblankets · 03/04/2023 12:08

What subject is she doing that 3 lessons is half a term? A half term is 6 weeks ish. So one lesson a week?
Have i misunderstood?

Sorry I meant to say per half term.

OP posts:
Neededanewuserhandle · 03/04/2023 12:10

I fully support teacher strikes.
You don't.

cyclamenqueen · 03/04/2023 12:11

Cosyblankets · 03/04/2023 12:08

What subject is she doing that 3 lessons is half a term? A half term is 6 weeks ish. So one lesson a week?
Have i misunderstood?

Lots of schools operate a two week timetable

Forever42 · 03/04/2023 12:11

Well, they are designed to annoy.

2nd March was a regional strike day so it was Thursday for you but Tuesday or Wednesday in other parts of the country.

Original poster
Strikedays · 03/04/2023 12:12

Neededanewuserhandle · 03/04/2023 12:10

I fully support teacher strikes.
You don't.

Why?

Because I want them on different days instead of the same day so it doesn’t negatively impact students, parent or teachers?

I’ve not said that there should no strike days.

OP posts:
Toomanybooks22 · 03/04/2023 12:13

I suspect the longer the strikes go on, the more they will lose support because the impact is likely potentially unsustainable for some families.

Noodledoodledoo · 03/04/2023 12:14

Local to me it's been 3 Wednesdays and a Thursday. So different days for us.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 03/04/2023 12:15

Because I want them on different days instead of the same day so it doesn’t negatively impact students, parent or teachers?

Thats why they are doing the same days. Maximum impact. They’re not going to do Friday or Monday. So that only leaves 3 days to strike.

Cherrysoup · 03/04/2023 12:16

I’m a teacher and I’m bloody annoyed, but I don’t see what else can be done. We can’t just roll over and go ‘Oh well, the enormous campaign didn’t work, let’s just crack on’ which is what I’d love to do, particularly as speaking exams are the week of 2nd May! I completely understand the use of the same day is ruddy annoying and impacts both of my Year 11 groups. So frustrating and frankly disruptive.

toomuchlaundry · 03/04/2023 12:16

The way things are going you won’t have any teachers for certain subjects, so the odd strike days are going to pale into insignificance compared to that

DrHousecuredme · 03/04/2023 12:18

They're supposed to annoy and inconvenience you though. What would be the point of a strike on a nice convenient day that nobody minded?
Maybe channel your frustration into petitioning your local MP about supporting better working conditions for teachers?

Original poster
Strikedays · 03/04/2023 12:18

Noodledoodledoo · 03/04/2023 12:14

Local to me it's been 3 Wednesdays and a Thursday. So different days for us.

I didn’t realise they were different days for different areas.

If it falls on the same day then it must be disruptive for students, parents and teachers.

OP posts:
ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 03/04/2023 12:19

Strikedays · 03/04/2023 12:18

I didn’t realise they were different days for different areas.

If it falls on the same day then it must be disruptive for students, parents and teachers.

Show quote history

It’s meant to be disruptive.

noblegiraffe · 03/04/2023 12:20

Strikedays · 03/04/2023 12:18

I didn’t realise they were different days for different areas.

If it falls on the same day then it must be disruptive for students, parents and teachers.

Show quote history

If it falls on different days then it's disruptive for students, parents and teachers.

Perhaps we should strike at the weekends so that nobody is disrupted?

Original poster
Strikedays · 03/04/2023 12:21

DrHousecuredme · 03/04/2023 12:18

They're supposed to annoy and inconvenience you though. What would be the point of a strike on a nice convenient day that nobody minded?
Maybe channel your frustration into petitioning your local MP about supporting better working conditions for teachers?

I get that completely.
But it’s impacting the students most of all.

Alternating the days would still be disruptive without impacting the students and teachers.

The students having that subject on that day is either going to be massively disadvantaged compared to other students or the teachers are going to have to put in extra work to try and cover the required content needed for the exams.

OP posts:
Ilovemycatalot · 03/04/2023 12:22

I’m annoyed the government is not having discussions with them and putting decent offers on the table. My dd is in yr10 and it’s really disruptive to children’s education. But it’s the tories so I guess education is bottom of their list.

Original poster
Strikedays · 03/04/2023 12:23

noblegiraffe · 03/04/2023 12:20

If it falls on different days then it's disruptive for students, parents and teachers.

Perhaps we should strike at the weekends so that nobody is disrupted?

Show quote history

How is it more disruptive for students, teachers and parents to do it on different days rather than on the same day??

OP posts:
MelchiorsMistress · 03/04/2023 12:26

If you’re worried about the impact on your child's
education then write to your MP in support of
teachers. The sooner the government make a realistic offer the sooner the strikes can stop.

cardboardbox24 · 03/04/2023 12:29

I know how you feel OP- Thursday is my main work day (and I'm self-employed so lose a day's pay every time). I also support the strikes but get that sinking feeling when I see the dates announced!

LeevMarie · 03/04/2023 12:31

Cherrysoup · 03/04/2023 12:16

I’m a teacher and I’m bloody annoyed, but I don’t see what else can be done. We can’t just roll over and go ‘Oh well, the enormous campaign didn’t work, let’s just crack on’ which is what I’d love to do, particularly as speaking exams are the week of 2nd May! I completely understand the use of the same day is ruddy annoying and impacts both of my Year 11 groups. So frustrating and frankly disruptive.

When does this end, though? The more strike days that occur, the more public support will be lost. The Education Secretary is aware of this, so I feel that this could be a massive own goal. I'm not entirely sure that mass public opinion was with teachers in the first place. There's a fine line between making a point and punishing children and families and I think the NEU is hovering dangerously close to that line.

It's not really a case of 'rolling over', either is it? An offer has been made which wouldn't have been forthcoming were it not for the initial industrial action. Additionally, anyone who believes that a change of government would result in a marked improvement in the offer is also kidding themselves.

donttellmehesalive · 03/04/2023 12:32

Please write to Gillian Keegan to tell her how disruptive the strikes are and to urge her to enter negotiations with the unions with a view of improving the previous insulting offer. If we don't strike, you'll see worse disruption given the state of recruitment and retention.

RoyGBivisacolorfulman · 03/04/2023 12:33

Toomanybooks22 · 03/04/2023 12:13

I suspect the longer the strikes go on, the more they will lose support because the impact is likely potentially unsustainable for some families.

Interesting as a poster said the other day it wouldn't bother parents as they can all home work now.Hmm

Swipe left for the next trending thread