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

Teachers strike... what will actually happen in end?!

382 replies

SpringPop · 28/06/2023 18:55

My school is striking again next week with others that have teachers from the particular union.

All that is happening is parents are getting massively angry. Kids are missing out. I've used so much holiday on strike days as I have multiple children. I know my anger should not be directed to school but exactly where can I direct it to? I'm pretty sure my MP wouldn't care. He's completely useless.

The government don't seem to care.

I personally think something needs to change in that profession and funding in my area is shocking! It's probably not attracting the best people to the profession and certainly is driving people away.

However, am I right in thinking rishi and co don't care?! Teachers could do 5, 10, 100 days and it seems they won't budge right?

Parents don't seem to care or get angry enough, short of tweeting about it or writing to MP. It isn't really enough to get this resolved.

How do you think this situation will end?

OP posts:
TheSnootiestFox · 01/07/2023 15:04

noblegiraffe · 01/07/2023 15:01

You can't manage a grown up discussion so insult me instead!

Actually I posted graphs and figures that illustrated that you were wrong.

But they didn't prove me wrong, just as they didn't prove you right.

noblegiraffe · 01/07/2023 15:04

If you need help understanding the graphs, please ask.

TheSnootiestFox · 01/07/2023 15:05

noblegiraffe · 01/07/2023 15:04

If you need help understanding the graphs, please ask.

Well, I rather think I need to make the same offer to you 🤣

lifeissweet · 01/07/2023 15:07

There are hundreds of thousands of teachers in England. Some are excellent. Some are not so great. Like any profession.

We know people don't think 'the sun shines out of our collective arses', we know exactly how a lot of people feel about us. You've made your feelings absolutely plain, despite seeming to be under the impression that you are superior to ALL of the rest of us.

If YOU were still in the classroom you would be the only one that isn't part of the problem, apparently.

So tell me... What shall I tell my teacher colleagues they are doing wrong? How have they contributed to the lack of teacher recruitment personally?

I don't know what your story is, but you seem be quite bitter and twisted about something. I hope you can manage to work through it. Especially if you want to take that attitude back into a school.

Saywhatevernow · 01/07/2023 15:13

TheSnootiestFox · 01/07/2023 14:24

If that's aimed at me, it's actually a parent that's held QTS for 22 years being aghast at the state of the teaching profession today, specifically the quality of teachers serving currently. Hope that helps.

Show quote history

If the cap fits.

TheSnootiestFox · 01/07/2023 15:18

lifeissweet · 01/07/2023 14:56

The irony of this, TheSnootiestFox

This is a major issue. You think all teachers are crap, apparently. Yet you, an apparently experienced one, can't get a job because you are too expensive.

This is the teacher brain drain in action.

Teachers like me are stuck. Stuck at the top of the pay scale with quality of life going backwards, can't change schools because no one will employ an experienced UPS3 on a UPS3 salary when they can take on an ECT for much less... so I left the classroom, but carried on in Education. Many others just leave altogether.

So I wonder why the SLT in schools are getting younger and less effective and teachers are young, last 5 years and seem to produce a level of contempt in you that is really bloody hurtful and offensive?

Join the dots.

Bloody hurtful and offensive was having some manchild that would have been at primary school when I started teaching 'manage' me, and my department, and in one year manage to alienate us all to the point 3 took early retirement, I jumped ship and another one went just after me. Hurtful and offensive was being told I'm too old to do my job properly by a Senior Team that were all under 40, (I was 44,) and being insulted by my colleagues because of my religious and political beliefs (I'm a practising Christian and a card carrying Tory.) The vibe in schools is woke, left wing, ageist and militant and if you don't fit in with that, you struggle!

That said I absolutely would go back, but I think it'd have to be in the Independent Sector to fit in with my personal ethos now, which really doesn't help the current situation in state schools!

noblegiraffe · 01/07/2023 15:19

TheSnootiestFox · 01/07/2023 15:05

Well, I rather think I need to make the same offer to you 🤣

Show quote history

I’m good thanks, as you demonstrably don’t know what you’re talking about.

Saying that you were paid just fine as a teacher in 2014 and concluding that teachers are paid just fine in 2023 after years of real terms pay cuts.

Complaining about the quality of teachers in the profession but not linking it to the fact that the pay and conditions are so poor that recruitment is in crisis and we cannot hire the quality of staff that we would like and instead are having to put sub-par teachers in positions they would never have previously achieved.

I mean, 🤷‍♀️

TheSnootiestFox · 01/07/2023 15:21

lifeissweet · 01/07/2023 15:07

There are hundreds of thousands of teachers in England. Some are excellent. Some are not so great. Like any profession.

We know people don't think 'the sun shines out of our collective arses', we know exactly how a lot of people feel about us. You've made your feelings absolutely plain, despite seeming to be under the impression that you are superior to ALL of the rest of us.

If YOU were still in the classroom you would be the only one that isn't part of the problem, apparently.

So tell me... What shall I tell my teacher colleagues they are doing wrong? How have they contributed to the lack of teacher recruitment personally?

I don't know what your story is, but you seem be quite bitter and twisted about something. I hope you can manage to work through it. Especially if you want to take that attitude back into a school.

No, I'm just fed up of teachers whinging about how stressed and underpaid they are when most of the UK can claim the same right now.

lifeissweet · 01/07/2023 15:21

But, noblegiraffe, it's because we're woke lefties.

If we all voted Tory there'd be no recruitment problems. Or something...

lifeissweet · 01/07/2023 15:23

No, I'm just fed up of teachers whinging about how stressed and underpaid they are when most of the UK can claim the same right now.

I think an awful lot of the UK are making their feeling known about this too. As is there right.

I'm not sure I've heard your solution to recruitment yet.

What's the plan?

lifeissweet · 01/07/2023 15:24

*their

Typing too fast.

Feenie · 01/07/2023 15:25

TheSnootiestFox · 01/07/2023 14:30

And yet you don't understand that you're not providing value for money currently, let alone becoming more expensive 🙄

Show quote history

You’ve got to wonder at the mentality of someone who specifically seeks out threads to throw this kind of sweeping judgement at a person they have never met.

TheSnootiestFox · 01/07/2023 15:29

noblegiraffe · 01/07/2023 15:19

I’m good thanks, as you demonstrably don’t know what you’re talking about.

Saying that you were paid just fine as a teacher in 2014 and concluding that teachers are paid just fine in 2023 after years of real terms pay cuts.

Complaining about the quality of teachers in the profession but not linking it to the fact that the pay and conditions are so poor that recruitment is in crisis and we cannot hire the quality of staff that we would like and instead are having to put sub-par teachers in positions they would never have previously achieved.

I mean, 🤷‍♀️

Show quote history

No, again, let me explain..... YOU don't think that I know what I'm talking about. That's fine. I think you're being ridiculous. I'm just as entitled to my opinion as you are to yours. Just because YOU think something, it doesn't make it fact. Same goes for me as it goes. But you don't get to go around telling people they don't know what they speak off when clearly they do, they just have different opinions and experiences to you. I really can't imagine who you think you are? 😬

TheSnootiestFox · 01/07/2023 15:31

Feenie · 01/07/2023 15:25

You’ve got to wonder at the mentality of someone who specifically seeks out threads to throw this kind of sweeping judgement at a person they have never met.

Show quote history

Erm, I think you're overthinking this 🤣 I haven't sought out anything, I've merely commented on a public discussion forum on the Internet. And having my mentality questioned just because I dare to disagree with you? Isn't there a name for that........

BookLover7777 · 01/07/2023 15:32

TheSnootiestFox · 01/07/2023 15:18

Bloody hurtful and offensive was having some manchild that would have been at primary school when I started teaching 'manage' me, and my department, and in one year manage to alienate us all to the point 3 took early retirement, I jumped ship and another one went just after me. Hurtful and offensive was being told I'm too old to do my job properly by a Senior Team that were all under 40, (I was 44,) and being insulted by my colleagues because of my religious and political beliefs (I'm a practising Christian and a card carrying Tory.) The vibe in schools is woke, left wing, ageist and militant and if you don't fit in with that, you struggle!

That said I absolutely would go back, but I think it'd have to be in the Independent Sector to fit in with my personal ethos now, which really doesn't help the current situation in state schools!

Show quote history

Your answer here speaks volumes. You're attacking all teachers on this thread as being rubbish because YOU were managed out of your lasting teaching role after someone decided you weren't up to the job. Whether that was a fair assessment or not of your teaching abilities, you shouldn't tar the entire profession as being below standard just because you've got an axe to grind. Likewise, dismissing someone as a manchild just because they're younger than you makes you sound old and bitter.

Feenie · 01/07/2023 15:33

There is disagreeing - I.e. having a sensible debate, and then there is hurling professional insults at someone you have never seen teach. Something wrong there. Strange way to get your kicks.

namechangenacy · 01/07/2023 15:34

@Feenie agreed. It's really baffling.

We are all sat here watching this one poster, insult, throw names and criticise teachers when they have no real life current lived experience as a teacher but is saying as a parent it's complete the same thing.

Also I'm gonna say it - you sound like one of those parents that teachers dread. Ironic since you probably encountered some as a teacher who wouldn't hear about their "little darling" being punished.

Feenie · 01/07/2023 15:34

It would be like any of us saying we bet you were a shit teacher anyway. Unnecessary and undignified.

Saywhatevernow · 01/07/2023 15:35

BookLover7777 · 01/07/2023 15:32

Your answer here speaks volumes. You're attacking all teachers on this thread as being rubbish because YOU were managed out of your lasting teaching role after someone decided you weren't up to the job. Whether that was a fair assessment or not of your teaching abilities, you shouldn't tar the entire profession as being below standard just because you've got an axe to grind. Likewise, dismissing someone as a manchild just because they're younger than you makes you sound old and bitter.

Show quote history

I think this is it. Also, I know plenty of UPS getting jobs around here as the vacancies are so high. It must be hard when you’ve been knocked back after trying to get back in. I think this is where the anger is coming from. Nail and head.

namechangenacy · 01/07/2023 15:37

Also I think we can all guess why you were managed out. And it's doubtful it was your age tbh.

Although that would probably be a preferable thing in your head to swallow than the alternative.

BookLover7777 · 01/07/2023 15:40

namechangenacy · 01/07/2023 15:37

Also I think we can all guess why you were managed out. And it's doubtful it was your age tbh.

Although that would probably be a preferable thing in your head to swallow than the alternative.

I suspect it wasn't age related either. If someone can be so disparaging to people they don't know on a forum, imagine what they could be like to people they do know in real life. I bet the 'man child' 🙄was happy to see her go.

TheSnootiestFox · 01/07/2023 15:46

BookLover7777 · 01/07/2023 15:32

Your answer here speaks volumes. You're attacking all teachers on this thread as being rubbish because YOU were managed out of your lasting teaching role after someone decided you weren't up to the job. Whether that was a fair assessment or not of your teaching abilities, you shouldn't tar the entire profession as being below standard just because you've got an axe to grind. Likewise, dismissing someone as a manchild just because they're younger than you makes you sound old and bitter.

Show quote history

Do tell me where you're getting that from? Because my last performance management cycle showed me to be outstanding. I wasn't managed out, I chose to leave because I have no time for the younger, aggressive type of teacher that was all about the data and to hell with the kids and I didn't want to deal with resisting that and bringing up my own 2 kids under the age of 4 simultaneously. I objected to the insinutation that because I was over 40 I'd missed the boat for moving into an SLT. And if I was so shit, and given the amount of kids that are now in their thirties that maintain I was a good teacher and inspired them in some way then I would question that, then I'm no loss to the profession and you can all stop asking me to go back 😁 I just absolutely will not be bullied (because that's what you're trying to do) into agreeing that striking is the right course of action and that you all need a pay rise, and if you're all sat there watching me demonstrate that then crack on!

TheSnootiestFox · 01/07/2023 15:48

BookLover7777 · 01/07/2023 15:40

I suspect it wasn't age related either. If someone can be so disparaging to people they don't know on a forum, imagine what they could be like to people they do know in real life. I bet the 'man child' 🙄was happy to see her go.

Show quote history

The man child was disciplined for the bullying and harassment of 3 of my former colleagues the next academic year and side stepped into the next county where he left teaching soon after. And yes, he probably was delighted I left!

Feenie · 01/07/2023 15:49

There’s only one poster exhibiting bullying behaviour, I’m afraid.

lifeissweet · 01/07/2023 15:55

Can I suggest you step outside of your personal experience here and look at the big picture? And by that, I don't mean extrapolate your own experience across the whole teaching profession - but accept that yours is not the only experience and that there are far bigger forces at play.

Bare fact: We can't recruit teachers
Bare fact: Teachers are leaving
Bare fact: Even leaving aside pay, unions can not get the DfE to engage in conversations about workload and Ofsted - other measures that may improve retention.

What is the solution?