AIBU to think that the teachers at my grandchild's SEN school are being really cruel in striking for 11 days over their already mahoosive pension contributions?

[ILikeBigHutsAndICanNotLie]

It's a special school for kids with lots of SEN needs and the teachers already went on strike for lots of days last term and made their picket line where the children leave school every day so they had to see them shouting and waving signs and blowing whistles. Now they're going to strike for another 6 days this month and it seems so wrong to do that to kids who already struggle with their learning. AIBU to think the teachers should try and find another way and stop hurting the kids chances for the future and causing huge stress and anxiety plus lost earnings because the parents have to stay at home to look after the kids?

Children's futures are going to be increasingly harmed if there's no change within the sector.

@LolaSmiles so essentially the kids of today are the fallguys for those of the future? That's kind of my point really - why make children the victims?

AIBU to think the teachers should try and find another way
What do you suggest?

They're fighting for your granddaughter right now too

Education is a shit show and Sen provision even more so

This is the crux of it. Change needs to happen or there will be no decent teachers left. Hell, there might not be any teachers at all, even crap ones if something isn’t done.

My child goes to a special school too, when he misses days for any reason including strikes it can be tough. But he and all the other children at his school deserve to be educated by good quality staff who care about what they’re doing.

And it’s completely normal to have picket lines at the place of work you are striking from.

Sorry but teachers are allowed to think of their own financial situation, families and wellbeing as well. They are people not equipment for the use of parents and students.

Would you not strike if you were overworked, underpaid and working in shit conditions? Or do you suggest they just suck it up?

YABU to suggest because it impacts children the teachers should just put up and shut up. They should get decent pay and pensions for their work. If I were a teacher/nurse/similar I’d be fuming that we were all in it together to pay out a shed load to businesses during covid to pay people to not work but there is no funding to be found to give key workers pay rise/better working conditions etc now. Public sector workers are constantly being told they can get something later but rarely do and the idea they should never protest in the manner they are legally able to because of the nature of their jobs is ridiculous. If they are that crucial then maybe we ought to all be paying a bit more tax to fund better pay. If they aren’t all that crucial then them being on strike would not be a problem

Maybe support the staff as they are the ones trying to support your child amidst all the underfunding. It's not just about wages and pensions (although that is enough frankly)

1. Don't vote tory
2. Support the people that are on your side, stronger together

So what would you do if your monopoly employer won't negotiate?

Is it possible that they thought 6 days in one month would be easier on the kids than 6 odd days spread out randomly?

so essentially the kids of today are the fallguys for those of the future? That's kind of my point really - why make children the victims?
They're already being let down!

They're already feeling the effects of problems within the system.

If you think that having no strike days means everything would be rosy then you're naive at best.

Strikes are supposed to be disruptive OP, that's the whole point of them..why would you want demoralised underpaid staff teaching your grandchild anyway - wouldn't you prefer they were well remunerated and highly motivated?

I would love to hear your suggestions for what they should do instead of going on strike, going on strike is the last resort for most workers - people don't get paid for strike days.

(Also YABU for using the word mahoosive.)

I don't really understand what you mean. You suggest in your headline that the teachers are on strike over their "mahoosive" pension contributions. Do you mean "despite having a generous pension scheme"? Maybe the pension terms could be on the table if pay rises are being discussed. I'd say the pension is worth an additional 10k a year or more to a teacher.

In terms of teachers striking, well, knowing a few teachers personally, they work incredibly hard under difficult conditions. The deserve to be properly compensated for their work, and their only real bargaining chip is the withdrawal of their labour.

I went to a teachers strike protest/picket in my lunch break. They chanted Gove, Gove Gove, out, out, out. Then got a 7 year-ish old kid to stand on a stage and say how great his teachers were. It wasn't very rationale or reasoned, and they didn't seem too different from any other anti-government protest. Plus the unions did everything they could to help teachers avoid having to teach during and after the period of covid restrictions. They seem quick to state how children depend on them but also quick to throw them under the bus to suite.

The children are already suffering or at risk of suffering because of the dire situation in education and teaching, especially SEN.
You must be aware that teachers are highly qualified and could choose careers far better paid than teaching!
Where will your dgc's education be in a few years time if their school has to rely on a succession of supply teachers or TAs standing in for because posts can't be filled. Teachers are leaving in droves - their "mahoosive" pension contributions are neither mahoosive nor adequate remuneration for the job.
It's taken strike action to get people's attention let alone politicians'.
Your dgc's teachers want to stay in their profession! But it's economically not viable for many. Let alone the stress.
They are striking to ensure your dgcs continue to receive a good education. Not mythical children in the future.

Where is this? Is it state or private?

You're very fortunate that your DGC has a special school place to go to. Thousands of children like him are in limbo on waiting lists up to two years long, because of the lack of places, and lack of staff. We have to encourage and retain teachers especially in such a difficult area of education. We lack teachers in all phases of education I England, and within that, teaching in special education is not popular. It's physically and mentally demanding (I did it for 40 years, and my DD and son in law are also special school teachers).

Teachers are workers like everyone else & they have a right to fair terms & conditions. It’s ridiculous to suggest they shouldn’t strike because of the “poor SEN children.” They’re not working out of the goodness of their heart, they’re working for money.

You are angry at the wrong people OP.

YABU- teachers have every right to strike for better working conditions and it’s widely known that provisions in SEN schools are even more lacking.

Can you think of a better way (that hasn't been tried) get the teachers a fair wage and pension deal?

Where are teachers striking?
It's hard but ultimately the government (if this is England)does not care about SEN provision and would probably just as soon have these schools close down.
Teachers want to teach but they want to be paid appropriately. Lobby your MP, try to make changes that way and hope that all the many good teachers don't leave the profession completely.

It's not just SEN kids missing out with the strikes it's ALL kids

Neither is more special

Teachers have the right to strike. Nobody is doing anything wrong

There are more teachers leaving the profession (excluding those retiring) than entering it. If something doesn’t change then your grand daughter may not have teachers for the rest of her education.

I’d be angry at the govt not the teachers.

Some one who strikes is someone who wants to do that job but finds aspects of the conditions unacceptable. The other option is to leave. Which many teachers are already/have done.

If the strikes impact you then maybe your reaction should be to support them trying to do the job that’s clearly important to you.

I don’t think you can reasonably put forward an argument that your income is being negatively impacted so they shouldn’t fight for their incomes.

yabu. Strikes are supposed to inconvenience you.

besides, what other options do teachers have? in the end, it should also be in your interest (or that of your granddaughter's) to have a well paid teaching force.

I also doubt that 6 days off school in addition to the other strike will have any long term impact on the students' future. Tory cuts left, right and centre will do that (not just for kids with SEN).

I am saying that all as a parent of 2 DC with SN, one of which is attending a special school!