AIBU that some children are missing 7 school days due to strikes and others none

[jazzyfazzy766]

So today my childrens school was closed for strikes for the 7th day, not even partially open. My children have missed 7 full days of school since February. My nieces go to a school 2 miles up the road and they haven't missed one day as they have only closed classes of striking teachers and none of the teachers have striked for the full 7 days as they say it isn't fair on the children.

The local secondary has been closed as well apart to year 11's but the secondary in the next town has been open.

It just seems unfair that some children have missed over a weeks education whilst others haven't.

I understand why teachers are striking and if all schools closed and all children were treated fairly I would find it easier to accept but this just seems so unfair on some children having to miss out. Our school has cancelled 2 school trips as well which probably can't be rescheduled!!!

I found out today as well that in my kids school only a handful of teachers were striking but as teachers don't have to give much notice the Head decided it was better to close to all classes so parents could arrange childcare rather than give very little notice to parents on which classes were closing when the teachers had given their intentions.

If the next three back to back strike days go ahead that means my children will have missed 10 days of school and twice a week at the moment they need to be at school for 745am for catch up lessons because of covid!!

Makes me so cross that SOME children are suffering. It needs to be consistent across the board. This isn't our childrens fault and SOME are being penalised!

@Shinyandnew1

The teachers are still unhappy with it
A lot of families were put under enormous strain and hardship having to take unpaid leave from work
It has damaged parental/teacher relationships further
It was bloody awful for the children's education

Its been a bad outcome for everyone

Busybody2022
Once the other unions are involved all schools will likely be closed so you will have equality then...
Parents who want the strikes to end need to get the government to engage. The unions are ready to negotiate when the government get serious. The latest unfunded offer was an insult. Even colleagues who are generally less engaged were furious and if anything I think it hardened resolve from those who had been undecided.

I've had chemotherapy cancelled due to NHS strikes. My sons friend has had open heart surgery cancelled, I think you need a bit more of a sense of proportion. Why does 7 days at home equate to children "suffering"- they are still likely to have far less days at home than many privately educated children

Hilarious comment about taxing everyone more over £35k to pay for teachers’ rise.

would teachers be exempt from the tax rise? Or would you have to pay teachers even more to mitigate the tax rise? And, methinks, the poster earns at the most £34k….

they need to raise their wages and then this wouldnt be happening

The only thing that seemed unfair was that one of our dc went to school on strike days and the other from the same school went to the park.

Surely it would be better if everyone missed out? Might be more of a push from the public on the government to resolve it.
My DC has missed 6 days. I've written to my MP who's told me that teachers get paid enough.
Most of the schools in my town are open so I imagine mine was one of the few letters he received.
I totally support the strikes but it does rankle a bit as I spend yet another day sorting out childcare while my other friends are just sending their kids to school.

Are people realising there is not just 1 teaching union? So some schools/classes etc. are open depending on the union the teacher belongs to.

I agree with you, frustrating that our school has closed for 6 days with only a select few kids in (including headteachers kids) when at work most colleagues kids have been in some of the time. Strikes are supposed to be disruptive, it's just a shame that these are most disruptive to a bunch of kids. Will the strikes make the kids education better? Not any time soon. Proper government policy and funding and a reversal of austerity will improve schools but by the time that's worked it's way through the system my kids will be heading out of it. Increasing pay, while it'll help teachers won't in itself change much. It won't for example improve recruitment because entry pay is already higher than most jobs but people still don't find it appealing.

According to the DfE each 1% raise will apparently cost £270m. Teachers will get a rise automatically of 4.5% but want another 12% raise. So that’s another good £3.25bn. Where is this money coming from? The taxpayer.

We are already in the mire with Covid which cost between £310bn to £410bn. And yet people want more. And then get so surprised/shocked/upset when someone states the bleeding obvious ie: there are going to have to be tax rises and people will feel poorer for a bit.

Yes teachers have had a real pay cut. As have we all. But having my own business I have to make it up by just getting more work. The tax payer doesn’t just pay me an automatic increase or £12 for every £1 I pay into my pension.

You realise that some children's education is being compromised on a daily basis due to lack of teachers/resources etc though?

^This. I don't think parents realise how much time their children probably spend being 'taught' by cover supervisors and non-subject-specialist supply teachers, and how much that will be affecting their education. (No disrespect to cover teachers - I was one.)

In the absence of successive governments showing any signs whatsoever of doing anything else to improve schools and make teaching more attractive, a pay increase would be something at least. The situation is desperate. 6 days lost to strikes should be the least of parents' worries as far as their children's learning is concerned.

And people wonder why there's a gap between children who attend state schools and independent schools.

It's only going to become a fucking chasm thanks to Covid, lockdowns and striking teachers.

But everyone on MN apart from me supports strikes. Anyone who supports them can't grumble about their children being affected by them.

Whether schools are open will depend on the amount of people in a union that has stated strike action and how many of those eligible choose to strike. This will vary from school to school.

You honestly think it’s the teacher’s fault there is a gap between private and state schools?

My ds’s school hasn’t closed at all as they head doesn't support the strikes. It doesnt mean he is receiving a good education on strike days though. Unqualified TA’s are supervising the classes while they do worksheets. And even before strikes, he wasnt receiving as good an education as my friends’ children at private schools who, while doing far fewer days at school, have access to much better resources due to proper funding. They are always at an advantage.

my union isn't striking atm so ive set work for all my classes to do remotely. That’s 4 classes today and 5 classes last Thursday. Out of those 9 classes of between 12 and 32 teenagers per class, four handed work in.

Teachers will get a rise automatically of 4.5% but want another 12% raise.

Incorrect on both counts.

Well this shows a complete lack of understanding. Well done you.

And people wonder why there's a gap between children who attend state schools and independent schools

Vast sums of money, that’s why.

Problem with that thinking is all ‘costs’ in the economy are not equal.

If you want to grow the economy (and without imported labour) you need a highly educated workforce, so it’s an investment.

£5.3b was lost to fraud as part of the furlough scheme and apparently The Govt can’t even be arsed to get any of it back. That is not an investment. Wasted PPE contracts are not an investment. Stupid government IT systems that fail to work and no one is held accountable are not an investment.

etc. etc. and suddenly £3b seems like a small number relatively.

It is unfair the government are continuing to let children suffer because they won't pay teachers appropriately, yes. I'm not angry with the schools or teachers though

Wait until you find out that children in Scotland and Wales are not having their education disrupted because their teachers have had a fully funded pay rise agreed!

Children are not taking the full brunt of teachers striking, they are taking the full brunt of the government's refusal to fund education properly. If this carries on, if teachers just let the government run rough shod all over children in state schools then we will lose even more staff and we will be in a situation where some schools will have to employ unqualified, inexperienced babysitters instead or they'll have to close gor a afternoon a week. Then we'll see really inequality to accessing education, only it will be long-term.
Support your school staff or take your children out of school.

It's probably more than one teacher involved.

No, I don't think that it's the teachers' fault. They were hardly responsible for lockdown, however much they embraced it. However, I don't think that going on strike is helping. While their pupils are bumming around town and Tesco (I saw no shortage of them today), their private school contemporaries are being educated as normal.

One problem that the teaching profession has is that so many people are put off working in state schools because the expectation is that you'll subscribe to whatever lefty agenda is doing the rounds at any particular moment. I'm hardly a fan of the Tories, but state school teaching and teachers are both associated with left-wing politics which a lot of people who would potentially be excellent teachers find very off-putting. Striking just reinforces the image of bearded, besandalled, CND-badge wearing Geography teachers. Teaching ought to be removed from party politics (as ought the NHS, which is another shit-show).

Our schools just did their strikes earlier. We had loads of disruption at the time. (Scotland)

It will get worse if we let the government continue.
Underfund state education, make state schools survive on real-term dwindling budgets whilst the elite send their children to public schools. Is it not obvious that this government does not believe in fair access - to education, to healthcare, to participation in democracy...they are willfully creating the haves and have not because it suits them.
Sickening.