To think that on the whole...

[LadyGlencoraPalliser]

schools have the best interests of children at heart and teachers are intelligent and reasonable people who genuinely do their very best for all their pupils?
Because it hasn't felt like that on Mumsnet for the past couple of weeks.
There has been a flood of posts from people who are outraged, disgusted, appalled and furious by one aspect or another of their children's education.
You would swear they were sending their children off to be educated by the childcatcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
I always though parents and schools were meant to be a partnership and, frankly, I am gobsmacked by the suspicion, mistrust and downright hostility towards school displayed in some of the posts I've been reading lately.
I can't imagine how the teachers on here must feel at times.

"the impression you could gain from being on MN is that many mothers are very angry."

I think many mothers are.

I am quite happy with the school and my life but I do feel like I spend quite a lot of time in a state of barely supressed rage.

I put it down to a combination of PMT, pre-menopause, small toddler, stroppy older kids and frustration at being stuck at home.

Perhaps the school is the one sitting target for all the simmering ire that lurks underneath our calm mumsy exteriors.

Totally agree with LadyG...

I am reading all these schooly threads avidly, as dd has just gone into primary...some of the threads are useful and interesting (the reading/phonicky stuff), some are sad, (the bullying ones) but at the same time, can be curiously uplifting as the support and advice given makes me proud to be a MNer and the satisfactory outcome that can come from such a thread...(thinking about ComeWhine and BakerGirl's threads last week) and some are just mindblowingly precious....."my child got told off by the teacher, how very dare she! I'm going to the HT/LEA/DM/PM/ about it". That's just bonkers.

I think any of us sending our children "out there" into the big bad world of school has, at various points, got that brick feeling in the stomach- wtf am I doing, what's going to happen, is my baby going to be loved.....

But I think teachers, 99% of them, 99% of the time, are doing a thankless task, especially in today's climate, and like everyone else, are just doing the best they can....

Agree with Bucharest about precious parents. I think a major problem teachers face is that if they try to discipline a child at the school, the parents won't back them up. School and parents need to show a united front and approach to discipline / morals / behaviour / importance of education.

Which, sadly, does not seem to be the case all the time, thus making teachers' work all the more difficult.

I think there's something very sad about someone who assumes that everyone is out to get them and their child and looks for opportunities to complain/ argue/ shout about their rights. I see it on here and in real life and I often feel they must be very, very bitter, miserable people. Having a disabled child makes me very aware of needing to be vigilant, and indeed I will always complain when needed, but I don't look for reasons to complain to keep me going!

Riven, all those things are obviously terrible.

But I still stand by what I said cos I hate it when all teachers and all schools are tarred with the same brush because of some bad teachers and some bad schools.

Teacher here and I don't really notice it. People are more likely to post when someone does something wrong or they are annoyed. The protest vote is the stronger one.

I love a good argument, so relish those posts

I am also a teacher, and it would be crazy to suggest there are not bad teachers out there; I have worked with some absolute lunatics. There are also some amazing teachers, who receive little in the way of appreciation. I like to think I fall somewhere between the two...

It is a profession that demands of you emotionally and physically- you can't have an 'off' day and get away with it! I am not going to carp on about it- there are huge issues in teaching that I disagree with, but if I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't do it, and I love the fact that there are no boring days.

I can genuinely say I don't think I work with any teachers who don't enjoy their jobs, if they do they are certainly keeping it quiet.

I love love love my job and often walk in with a huge smile on my face and sometimes dp has to phone to ask if I am coming home

What is there not to love:
You teach a subject you love 9 (if secondary)
It is never dull
You are always a few weeks from a holiday
Young people are fab.