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?

@DyslexicPoster I'm not sure if you've misunderstood me. I'm retired from nearly four decades of teaching in special schools. My DD and Son IL are also special school teachers. We know only too well the problems that beset parents our pupils and those who are still way down the waiting lists. I was talking about teachers moving, not children.

The shortage of special school places will be exacerbated by the school making this decision. Much as I was devoted to helping the kids in my classes, one's pension is vital and I'd have had to prioritise it over a few days of work, and look for another job if the strike fails
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Special school teachers rarely strike. Almost all the teachers at my school and my DD's school refused to during recent pay rise strikes.
But one's pension is FAR more important than a pay rise. The staff at this school are right to fight to keep theirs. And if they win, the children will too, because their teachers will stay.

So what I'm saying is that the patents should write to the school's governors/owners in support of those teachers.

Be angry at the cause not the symptom.

Yabu - take your anger and frustration out on the local and national government.

SEND funding is woefully inadequate.

All teachers are amazing and most go way above and beyond. Teaching in SEND education is very niche and takes a very special kind of teacher- I say this as an EP.

The teachers at your gc school are fighting FOR your gc. Support them.

@Shadowchaser

Many of us earn less, have worse pensions and don't strike . Sorry I lack sympathy. I have friends who are teachers and none are striking, it's far from universal

Don't blame the teachers, blame the government. If we can afford to 12.5m pensioners an 8.5% pension increase without the hint of a quibble, we can afford to give the 0.5m working, economically productive teachers ^at least* as much with a quibble too. Teachers are not paid enough. Its appalling.

@gogomoto you sound beaten. Poor you.

No one wants to strike. It is a last resort.

Of course the benefits, if successful, will be felt by those non-striking too. Quite handy that.

You seem to have missed that they're striking because the school wants to make their teachers' pension much shitter, they're not striking because they want an even better pension.

This shitter pension will lose the school teachers and affect recruitment if it goes ahead.

I don't think that would be a good outcome for the kids at the school.

If the number of specialist care plans, which I assume, is EHCPs, is to be reduced by 20%, there are going to be fewer children able to have the specialist provision that your grandchild has OP. That will mean more staying in mainstream and the concomitant pressures that brings. It won’t be long before there are no teachers in mainstream or special schools, willing to sacrifice their lives and families for such a poor return.

Yes, striking is inconvenient and yes, you could argue more so for special schools. But that’s the point of them and unless you want your grandchild returned to a mainstream school, or maybe no school at all, put up with the short term inconvenience.

I taught all my working life. That’s rare now. There are reasons why people stay in the profession for such a short time. On another forum, there’s a teacher, back at school for a few days, who is already burned out. It’s not worth compromising health and well being for such a poor return.

If teachers don't take action there soon won't be any SEN schools. The government is certainly not interested.

Relatively speaking, teaching is not well paid so a decent pension scheme is effectively part of their earnings. Imagine begrudging that.

Do you read the Mail OP? Strikes are a sign of desperation as no one is listening, not an attack on pupils.

It's not universal because this is a single school that is taking this unilateral action to deprive its teachers of their TPS. Not a national strike.

It simply couldn't happen nationally. The TPS has already been drastically reduced and is no longer 'gold plated'. If it was removed entirely from all state schools, we'd barely have any teachers left in the country.

Children with SEN are being failed by the system the most.

Those of us with a decent school place for our kids are privileged indeed.

The inconvenience of strikes is nothing compared to the shit show that will happen for most kids if things carry on the way they are or get worse.

Striking teachers have my support 100 per cent and TA s especially who barely earn enough to live with COL nowadays

I dont suggest anything. SEN kids are always fucked in education.

I'd like a wand and for my kids to be NT.

In the same way that teachers shouldn't have to get shit pay, conditions and pension cuts and should fight for their family. Neither should I be inert.

But I can't leave. I can however send my son to another provider at KST.

Teachers are in short supply so can leave. SEN kids are NOT in demand.

I can't give the staff anything. I'm not on the board. I'm not their employer, school aren't talking to parents. We hold no power here.

My opinions and ability to help the staff is zero. I can't even express support as we are kept at arms length

It's not a race to the bottom. Just because you're satisfied with less doesn't mean everyone else has to be.

@saraclara Ah OK yes I misunderstood you. Yes parents are writing to school including me, non stop and showing staff support. I don't want to go into too much. Like OP not naming the school, there is a fear here.

Unfortunately, we've reached a situation where it's better they strike than not.

It isn't just teachers of SEN kids it's all kids.
What do you suggest? Asking nicely?

Ah thanks. I'm glad we're on the same page now!

And thanks for what you're doing too support the staff. I hope things are resolved fairly, for the sake of staff, pupils and parents. All the best.