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?

It’s the usual goady shit that gets trotted out on these threads. I assume they do it for fun. It wouldn’t be so funny if it were their kids without a teacher so I assume they have no skin in the game.

If you think that teaching has no more importance than, say, a retail job where no unpaid extra hours or planning goes into it.

@Annabel073 showing you have literally no idea of the impact education has on prosperity or peace.

The healthiest, most peaceful and productive countries in the world invest in their education systems, and that means making sure teachers' pay and conditions attracts bright motivated people.

No, I meant did you get chucked out of class and made to walk the streets?

Trying to figure out why you have such contempt for teachers and constantly pop up on these threads (and others) to flaunt your ignorance on a variety of subjects.

Yes I don't know of any staff who work in Tesco having to sit at home and plan how they will scan items or stock the shelves for the coming few weeks or take people's shopping home to scan for them

Very few 'bright, motivated people' will go into teaching and that has very little to do with the salary.

yes, too little. As are TAs. My DS’s teacher has taught him so much and developed him in ways I never could have, in the 8 months he has been in school. Other people do live on less than a teachers salary but I value what they do on a very personal level. For the work that they do, they are underpaid

@Annabel073

"Very few 'bright, motivated people' will go into teaching and that has very little to do with the salary"

Interesting. Does your view apply to other public sector workers, doctors, social workers etc? What, in your view, is a profession likely to attract bright motivated people, then?

I honestly don't know how much teachers are paid, but I have a career where I am expected to work outside of 9-5 hours (as in, not contracted, but it's very normal and if you want to keep your job, you have to accept you'll need to work evenings and weekends). I don't have to deal with children all day (which I would find additionally difficult). I earn about £47K a year. I wouldn't do what I do for less. The teachers I know are much more overworked than I am.

A volunteer from the RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry) came into a school that I was doing work experience at whilst I was still doing my degree to run some revision sessions.

He had a PhD. I was falling asleep listening to the guy, as were the kids.

He may have been skilled in his research project, but certainly not at keeping the attention of 30 foundation Science students.

He was so bad, that one of the teachers asked me to take over. I had no experience of teaching beyond some private tutoring. I, however, was able to improvise and keep the attention of the students as well as actually teach them something.

Teaching well is a very unique skill that not everyone possesses and takes years to master. Doesn't matter how academic someone is, not everyone can teach.

Reallyareyousure.... I have worked for both primary schools and subject specific for older children. Many years in both, you comprehension of what happens in Primary schools is very misguided

They are paid too little. Teachers are leaving the profession in droves & it will cost far more to replace them than to pay them more. 1 in 3 leave in the first 5 years. And the proposed pay rises are not funded. They have to come out of existing budgets.

I think the current deal Scottish teachers have is probably about right although I think other ps workers should be brought in line with teachers

The holiday are good. But the contracts (in England) are shit as is the workload if done right.

So overall could be better

Some of those, yes.

No I was at school trying to learn, getting pissed off with bad kids misbehaving and teachers too often being weak and ineffectual in preventing them from disrupting the lesson.

Do you think teaching should attract bright, motivated people, or do you think that parents should be happy with their child having an inadequate teacher or no teacher at all?

Very few 'bright, motivated people' will go into teaching and that has very little to do with the salary.

Unfortunately yes, this is currently true - the current pay and conditions, and the state of the education system, means that exactly those people who should be going into teaching are not choosing to do so.

This is obviously catastrophic for the future education of the country’s children, and its long term prosperity.

What can we do about it? Improve job conditions, including pay, and really focus on putting in the political will, energy and funding to improve the education system.

@Annabel073 can you name a profession that you think bright motivated people more are likely to be attracted to?

Its a good salary for the job i imagined teaching to be before I worked in school admin. Its a crap salary for the job it actually looks to be, now I have seen what its like in person.

But @Annabel073 is saying it has very little to do with the salary. I'd like to know what she means by this.

That would vary widely depending on their individual qualifications, personality, interests, location, long-term life goals - I can think of many and I'm sure you could too.

@noblegiraffe 4 1/2 years ago.

I think they are largely underpaid for what they are required to do. I couldn’t do it. If their wages aren’t going to increase then the workload should so they do fairer hours for the pay they do get.

@Annabel073 my opinion is that bright, motivated people are attracted to professions where they are fulfilled, not just by the salary. However, I think the salaries of teachers and nurses are now beyond comprehension, considering the work they do.

Please do tell us what professions you think attract bright motivated people. I'm interested.

I left teaching because it was too little pay for the amount of work I was doing. It wasn’t necessarily too little for a reasonable lifestyle as I don’t live in an expensive city but the stress and long hours were not for me.

I think you’d be surprised by how much the situation has deteriorated in that time around workload. The number of pupils with SEN and mental health issues has shot up.

Recruitment has collapsed too. The number of trainees this year and next is actually horrifying. And of course the job of picking up the pieces of there not being enough teachers falls to those still in the job.

And you left four and a half years of pay cuts ago.