Do you think teachers are paid too little?

[Looooop]

I've just read an article about a teacher (presumably who wasn't on MP1) who has to take on 2 other jobs to make ends meet.
I'm sure I'll get flamed, but ECTs start on 28k. I and other people live on way less than that, I don't understand why an experienced teacher of a few years should need 2 extra jobs?

I don't get this view though, there are tonnes of unfilled public sector roles- many entry level so if people think this way they could take on these roles. I'd also take it up with your employer who is no doubt making £££ whilst you're on crap pay.

Also public sector workers pay tax too...

I work with one ex teacher but she quit because of the kids not because of the pay. Maybe she'd have been more willing to put up with the kids if the pay was better, I don't know.

They're paid adequately for their skill set and the job they do.

Not in any meaningful sense. The are paid money out of taxation and they are taxed so have to give some of it back. It'd be exactly the same if they were just paid less but exempt from tax.

I agree. Paperwork and all the admin needs to be reduced. The pay is fine, but the expectations and pressure that comes with that needs to be addressed. Too many teachers leave the profession due to stress.

Teacher here. I'm on UPS now in London. Husband also a teacher. We definitely felt reasonably paid until about 5yrs ago. But now with no lifestyle change whatsoever- in fact our housing costs have gone down- we are skint. Our wages are just going less and less far. Teaching friends all say the same.

But plenty of people are leaving and thats the problem. Roles that are vital to society- teachers, doctors, nurses, military...what happens when they keep leaving and we face even more critical shortages? Also public sector workers pay tax too, I'm not sure why people bring it up as an argument as if they don't. I don't think it's an aspirational view that instead of fair wages we should be hoping that people leave for jobs that add little value to society.

We can’t hire any for the wages on offer so it appears that market forces disagree with you.

Thank goodness you aren't a teacher!

I was a teacher for almost 25 years and I think pay is about right. London should get a higher weight though.

They always post this. Think they get a kick out of it.

When did you leave?

I wouldn't be a good teacher at all in the current system anyway. I've got absolutely no time whatsoever for kids who come to school to mess about and disrupt the education of kids who come to school wanting to learn. I'd just kick them out and tell them to walk the streets. They aren't going to amount to anything so might as well speed up the process and keep schools for well-behaved children who are eager to learn and get on in life.

Is that what happened to you?

Maybe people need to realign their expectations in terms of their worth.

As a pupil at school? Yes, I got pissed off with all the bad behaviour and didn't understand why it was tolerated.

I have never been a teacher. I think I'd rather work just about any other job.

Even if the system was reformed and they kicked out all the bad kids, I probably still wouldn't want to teach.

As private sector pay rises are higher than teachers’, and iirc private sector graduate salaries higher on average than teachers’ pay too, basing teacher salaries and pay rises on comparable private sector pay seems like a decent start, tbf.

They finally have yes after accepting falling way below inflation. I think it's great that professionals are realising their worth.

Yes - but it’s not just pay is it?
we need to pay better to attract grads who then get a teaching qualification - any big standard office job pays better than teacher pay.
There's a teacher shortage for a reason - pay and conditions.

Teachers have been whingeing endlessly for years about how underpaid they are. Their skill set is very limited compared to many people on higher salaries and this is reflected in what they are paid.

It doesn't really matter whether the general population think they earn too little, just right, or too much. If teachers don't want to do that job for that amount of money, and it would seem a majority don't, then it is too little.

I've worked in both secondary and primary education and I've seen the expectations from teachers increase to an unsustainable point.

Apart from the huge responsibility, I wonder if non-teachers are aware of what the working day is like for most teachers? It came as a surprise to my husband (not a teacher) that you don't get breaks/lunchtimes as such - you will be on a duty or running a club nearly every time. You so-called 'frees' will be spent covering lessons. You need to get there well before the children ( 7.30 am) and of course, can only start your admin (planning, meetings, marking etc) when they've all gone home so you often work well into the evening and at weekends. I've had so many remarks about teachers knocking off at 3.30 etc.....groan.

So many things make teaching a much more stressful job than it was a generation ago - or even a decade ago, from what I hear. Behaviour has worsened for all kinds of societal reasons, while sanctions have decreased. The attitude of both students and parents to teachers has become disrespectful and unsupportive in many cases.

I used to compare it to being an actor. You go 'on' first thing in the morning and boy, you'd better know your lines and have all your props in place. Unlike most jobs, there won't be any downtime where you can go to the water-cooler, take 2 mins to chat to a colleague, get a cup of coffee or even go the loo when you need to.

Yes, I know many jobs are stressful but the scrutinised performance aspect of teaching and the relentless pressure of the school day make it very tough to sustain in a way it wasn't 30/40 years ago. As pps have said - if it was easy there'd be people lining up to do it. It looks easy only to those who've never tried it, or who have very little imagination!

No, the people we need to be teachers know how much their skills are worth and are choosing not to become teachers as they can get more pay elsewhere.

That’s why we cannot recruit people to train as teachers. That’s why there aren’t enough teachers for every class.

‘Teachers have been whingeing endlessly for years about how underpaid they are. Their skill set is very limited compared to many people on higher salaries and this is reflected in what they are paid.’

Thats a bad joke I presume? Or perhaps you don’t have children, because that’s the only reason I can think of that someone would make such a stupid pronouncement