Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

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:
Fizbosshoes · 03/04/2023 13:50

I agree with your point OP. DS missed 3 of 6 practical tech lessons meaning it was impossible to complete the project. Thankfully he is not in an exam year but would have much more of an impact if it was GCSE or coursework.

It would still be disruptive if the strikes were over any of the midweek days

Original poster
Strikedays · 03/04/2023 13:52

Pubesofsoberness · 03/04/2023 13:47

I know but they fo. It just causes my youngest who's autistic massive anxiety. He doesn't work well from home.

I made the decision last time that we weren't doing it and the school haven't said anything about it but still

Show quote history

Have you spoke to the school and asked them not to set any for him?

Is it on satchel?

OP posts:
wonderstuff · 03/04/2023 13:54

I’m a teacher who has been on strike and will be for the next dates and I agree with you, it was raised at the last meeting. I think that the dates were to coincide with other unions actions, and it has been different days in different areas.

However, the bigger picture is that there is currently a shortage of teachers, that’s only going to get worse if pay isn’t improved and the recent offer from government was a joke. They seem set on not going back to negotiations so I’d expect more disruption after these days.

Please write to your MP, we don’t want to be on strike but we need a better offer.

Original poster
Strikedays · 03/04/2023 13:54

Fizbosshoes · 03/04/2023 13:50

I agree with your point OP. DS missed 3 of 6 practical tech lessons meaning it was impossible to complete the project. Thankfully he is not in an exam year but would have much more of an impact if it was GCSE or coursework.

It would still be disruptive if the strikes were over any of the midweek days

Yes this is what I’m trying to say but I’m not articulating it very well.

If they’re on the same day then they’re going to disrupt certain students (and teachers) much more than if they were on different days.

OP posts:
hettiethehare · 03/04/2023 13:55

I agree with your original point OP as well. DS has missed 3 out of 6 of one rotation of his carousel of tech subjects as well as the vast majority of strikes have been on a Thursday for us.

And DD has an external provider doing a club using school premises on Thursdays - she has now missed 3 of those sessions as the school premises aren't open. I'm not such an arsehole as to insist that the provider refund us for those lessons, but it is starting to grate a little.

Original poster
Strikedays · 03/04/2023 13:55

Newname221 · 03/04/2023 13:49

Wait, are you a teacher?

Show quote history

Yes I am.

OP posts:
ScrubName19 · 03/04/2023 13:56

I don't get why they are not also on monday and Friday? it would be better for my DC as due to their autism the change in routine twice in one week school/weekend(at home) is awful. I agree they should be spread out across all the days and I realise they are meant to be disruptive but they seem to be pretty much only disrupting kids (and parents). Due to significant numbers being able to work from home and vulnerable/key worker children being allowed in to school (at least here) it appears to be maximum disruption for kids and very little disruption for government. Maybe all parents should strike too on these days as they may work for places the Tory government would care if it was shut for a day!

I do support the teachers just I am skeptical on whether these strikes are actually hitting the government where it hurts or just hurting the kids. I don't have a solution though and appreciate teachers trying to get adequate funding for education so will continue to support the strikes and remind myself my anger in this situation continues to be towards the government!

Newname221 · 03/04/2023 13:58

Then why did you refer to teachers in the third person throughout?

This reads incredibly strangely knowing that you are a teacher yourself.

JemimaTiggywinkles · 03/04/2023 13:59

I definitely think the strikes should go ahead because they do deserve more money and we haven’t done all of this just to back down now.

I honestly think most teachers would have accepted the below-inflation offer if it had been fully funded. Every teacher I know point-blank refused to even consider if it was okay enough for them because when the unions said any pay settlement had to be fully funded they meant it, and so did their members. It was the starting point for absolutely everything. Unfortunately, the government refusing to acknowledge the scale of the funding crisis in schools has completely pissed off almost all teachers to the point where I don't think the same offer (but fully funded) would be accepted in future.

FWIW, I work in a private school for approx the same salary as a state school teacher. No way in a million years would I go back to such a toxic environment, not even for a 10% increase. It was just too depressing to dealing with the consequences of underfunding schools and external support. Ofsted were bad, but worse was the everyday strain of trying to help a kid with significant mental health problems with no way of getting any external support.

DanceMonster · 03/04/2023 13:59

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 supposed to be disruptive, that’s the point of striking. Why else would people strike?

Newname221 · 03/04/2023 13:59

ScrubName19 · 03/04/2023 13:56

I don't get why they are not also on monday and Friday? it would be better for my DC as due to their autism the change in routine twice in one week school/weekend(at home) is awful. I agree they should be spread out across all the days and I realise they are meant to be disruptive but they seem to be pretty much only disrupting kids (and parents). Due to significant numbers being able to work from home and vulnerable/key worker children being allowed in to school (at least here) it appears to be maximum disruption for kids and very little disruption for government. Maybe all parents should strike too on these days as they may work for places the Tory government would care if it was shut for a day!

I do support the teachers just I am skeptical on whether these strikes are actually hitting the government where it hurts or just hurting the kids. I don't have a solution though and appreciate teachers trying to get adequate funding for education so will continue to support the strikes and remind myself my anger in this situation continues to be towards the government!

I mean, it worked in Scotland, so I don’t see why it won’t eventually work in England.

Somebodiesmother · 03/04/2023 14:00

Strikes are supposed to be annoying and disruptive.

JulianCasa · 03/04/2023 14:03

Strikedays · 03/04/2023 12:21

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.

Show quote history

They’ll be more disadvantaged if the government don’t fund payrises though. Fewer actually qualified teachers teaching them and schools will be losing many, many support staff. I am a union rep at my primary school and our business manager told me quietly we’d have to lose 7 TAs (out of about 20!) if this offer was accepted.

LividNC · 03/04/2023 14:05

I assume they’re not on Monday or Friday to avoid jibes of “long weekend”.

Pubesofsoberness · 03/04/2023 14:11

Strikedays · 03/04/2023 13:52

Have you spoke to the school and asked them not to set any for him?

Is it on satchel?

Show quote history

I have told them he won't be doing it. It's a work booklet handed out by the head teacher

mac1974 · 03/04/2023 14:16

My DD is already off school that week in March on the Thurs & fri for polling & teacher training so potentially she's only in one day that week.
Crazy.

mac1974 · 03/04/2023 14:18

May not March sorry.

Disneyblueeyes · 03/04/2023 14:24

You're worried about it disrupting the children?
Of course it is, it's supposed to be disruptive.

Please look at the bigger picture.

Also regarding the public opinion of teachers, nobody cares anymore. The opinion can't get much lower anyway. Most of the general public have no idea what goes on in schools so we don't even need to care what they think.

Original poster
Strikedays · 03/04/2023 14:27

Newname221 · 03/04/2023 13:58

Then why did you refer to teachers in the third person throughout?

This reads incredibly strangely knowing that you are a teacher yourself.

Because the days of the strike don’t affect me and because I’m not talking about the individual teachers being on strike or whether it’s good or bad etc.

I’m taking about why the unions have put the majority of them on the same day.
My job is irrelevant.

Why does it read strange?
I’ve not said anything negative about teachers and I’ve said several times how I support them and the strike.

OP posts:
Original poster
Strikedays · 03/04/2023 14:29

noblegiraffe · 03/04/2023 14:19

But I support the strikes, just not having them on the same day which I don’t think is something I would write to the MP about is it?

OP posts:
Theunamedcat · 03/04/2023 14:29

Complain to your MP etc on how disruptive these strikes are to your child's education

You can even email these days no need for a stamp

Forever42 · 03/04/2023 14:30

I don't really understand your complaint here. You are saying the strikes should be on different days but they have been on different days! I have taken strike action on:

Wednesday 1st February
Wednesday 1st March
Wednesday 15th March
Thursday 16th March
and now action is planned for
Thursday 27th April
Tuesday 2nd May

So three Wednesdays, two Thursdays and a Tuesday.

CallmeAngelina · 03/04/2023 14:30

Strikedays · 03/04/2023 14:29

But I support the strikes, just not having them on the same day which I don’t think is something I would write to the MP about is it?

Show quote history

Have your read the OP on that thread?
It's worth a few minutes of your time.
It's worth a few minutes of everyone's time, actually.

Original poster
Strikedays · 03/04/2023 14:31

Disneyblueeyes · 03/04/2023 14:24

You're worried about it disrupting the children?
Of course it is, it's supposed to be disruptive.

Please look at the bigger picture.

Also regarding the public opinion of teachers, nobody cares anymore. The opinion can't get much lower anyway. Most of the general public have no idea what goes on in schools so we don't even need to care what they think.

No I’m worried about it disrupting certain children.

Some children will not have covered enough of the topic whilst other children will have covered it all.

That’s disrupting a certain number of students but not the others which isn’t fair.

OP posts: