Why do teachers still have jobs?

[StrangeTimes]

So my husband has just lost his job from next week. He's a coach driver. My best mate has lost her job from this week, she used to work in a cinema. I have many friends now out of work and desperately trying to get jobs in supermarkets.

However teachers will not be working now for many months, so how come they're not being made redundant?

I'm not being goady I genuinely want to know. I'm glad they are still being paid, I'd hate for them to be in our position. But why?

Are other jobs "safe" like this too?

[alloutoffucks]

Just to say - the choice is not make everyone redundant then recruit.
Lots of places are putting staff on short time working. Basically a retainer that i more than benefits, but not a lot of money. So they don't have to rerecruit.

I don't want this to happen to teachers. But I do think they don't realise what is normal for many other workers including skilled workers.

[EmbarrassingMama]

Any office job worker is safe, so long as they can work from home and the wider economic situation doesn't collapse their business.

I'm sure you know the answer to your odd question. Try recruiting 500,000 teachers in a week once this is over if you fire them all today. Also, they are still working - try listening to the announcements.

[Pinkerpellosa]

Considering teachers are so blessed and oh so lazy OP, will you be signing up for teacher training college asap so you too can be a lazy teacher and do f all? The job's open to anyone

[My2catsarefab]

"Not being goady" ? Nice to know in this unprecedented time that you think teachers should be expendable. Or at the very least are questioning why they are not. Teachers are putting their own health at risk, and that of their families and DCs to continue working and ensuring continuity, reassurance and familiarity for children and you're basically asking why they aren't being sacked once schools are shut. Shame on you.

[Waxonwaxoff0]

Teachers are still working. And to be honest they do a much more important job than coach drivers etc.

I will likely be laid off in 2 weeks. It sucks but I'll have to cope. But my job is non essential in the grand scheme of things compared to teachers, NHS workers and others.

[alloutoffucks]

No need to fire them.

[alloutoffucks]

Coach drivers are essential if it means getting essential workers to work and back. Non essential if it means taking people on holiday.

[Sotiredofthislife]

FFS. We are setting work, marking it, being available for students during normal working hours. We will need to manage the cancelled exam situation and who knows yet what work that is going to involve? Many of us will be working in school with key worker children.

Most importantly, when all this is over, it will be teachers who are picking up the pieces of the children struggling with the loss of grandparents and potentially younger family members (including parents) because we will be the constant in their lives.

If it helps, many supply teachers will be out of a job though.

[CherryPavlova]

I’m really sorry your husband has lost his job. It must be unbelievably scary and it must seem that others are working from home doing not very much. I’m not sure that includes teachers but can see why you might think that.

I suspect people with HGV and PSV licences will be in quite high demand shortly so, if you hold your nerve, I think opportunities will come up. The military are down to do lots of driving but with cuts to armed forces in recent years, there won’t be enough.

I think delivery drivers are in quite high demand already and that might be a stop gap.

[ADreamOfGood]

Yeah, teachers have it so good! That's why the profession is overwhelmed with applicants for training and there are too many teachers for the work available.


Oh wait...


You can apply to train as a teacher at any time if you think it's so fantastic.

[NeverGotMyPuppy]

Oh goody, another wide-eyed faux innocence post about teachers

Good to know not everything has changed in these 'strange times'.

[LolaSmiles]

PrettyLittleLiar20
Because new poster + goady topic is sadly a common recipe for those not posting with genuine intentions.
There's regularly threads on MN where a new poster posts something goady, then claims they had no idea/were just asking a question and they don't understand why people have responded negatively.

[RHTawneyonabus]

I really didn't know you were still working

fair enough, but the number of people who can’t seem to think a few steps ahead really baffles me. Did you think that we would just stop educating the entire country for six months?

[LambriniSocialist]

However teachers will not be working now for many months, so how come they're not being made redundant?

Yes, let's make all teachers redundant. What a great idea in a country that is currently losing its shit because schools are closing.

Give me fucking strength.

Still, like a PP said, it is quite grounding that in a world that is falling apart, Mumsnet still keeps going with the teacher bashing!

Maybe when the apocalypse comes, all that will be left will be cockroaches, Cher and a solitary person banging away on a keyboard about how unfair teachers' holidays are!

[keeponkeepingonagainstcorona]

Do people get that the economy is completely fucked?

Yes public sector workers retain their salaries, because the government is borrowing and borrowing to pay them. The private sector which relies upon making a profit to survive is going down the pan. As that happens the government can wave good bye to any Tax, NI, VAT, Rates, and council tax receipts as no one will be able to pay them. What are they going to do? Send in balliffs, make them homeless....? That isn't going to help. How are they going to pay the public sector with their income stream cut? Is your public sector salary as safe as you think?

Businesses which go under won't just start up again as the virus recedes. They are gone. The owners won't have the assets to restart. Private schools are likely to close. Parents won't be paying fees.... That's a whole influx into the state schools that the state can't afford. Private health care will also struggle - again a big influx into the state system that the government can't fund.

Yes, shut the country down to control the virus, but the implications of this are huge. Big names in retails are folding. The hospitality industry is done for. Millions of people will lose their jobs. Literally the only industry that is thriving is food retail. But for how much longer. If all flights are grounded between the UK and Europe/US the supply chain is going to struggle. We as a nation cannot feed ourselves. I wonder if it isn't the virus that will kill us all.... it will be poverty and starvation.

I await the influx of posts stating saying I am catastrophising. But am I? Or is it just economic reality?

[amandalives]

I'm not a teacher but have kids in school. As others have said why on earth would they all be out of a job now and then the recruitment process start in a few months. In my opinion the children also need to see the same staff present in school after all this to ensure the transition back is smooth.

[PrettyLittleLiar20]

Ok I get it abit. It is toast. I completely disagree with her opinion like most people on this thread but I won’t report it because I don’t think it’s broken any rules. It gets on my nerves when people just post ‘reported.’ Makes me think of the tell tales in school who tell the teacher ‘he called me this, she said that..’

[whymewhyme]

Schools and college will remain ooen for the vulnerable children

[PrettyLittleLiar20]

Goody not toast

[PrettyLittleLiar20]

Goady* I haven’t had my coffee yet.

[DodgeRainClouds]

Schools are still going to provide care to key workers children and vulnerable children. So your post is ridiculous

[diddl]

" it will be poverty and starvation."

Well yes, it's a real possibility, isn't it?

The virus needs to be slowed as much as possible so that there is more of a chance for NHS to cope.

But what will be the reality for a lot of people afterwards?

No job, no home, no hope??

[TooTrueToBeGood]

Public sector jobs - funded out of the public purse so employers still have access to money for wages. Also generally unionised so employees have reasonable terms and conditions. Many/most provide services to society that are essential regardless of the current crisis and many are even more vital now than they were pre-crisis.

Private sector jobs - lots of variance. Many businesses have little cash in reserve so if their revenue takes a hit (as will have happened to many recently) they simply don't have money to pay wages. Bosses will have to make cuts out of necessity. Lots of employees on zero hour contracts or short service so little or no protection.

The problem here is not the public sector. It is that we have allowed so many of those working in the private sector to be so vulnerable.

[CodenameVillanelle]

If schools made teachers redundant they would have to pay redundancy packages. For some teachers that will be several months of pay.
Then schools will open again and they will have no teachers, and be no better off financially.
I mean, that's the pragmatic reason why people with essential jobs aren't being made redundant. The more obvious reason is because it's immoral and illegal to make people redundant when their job role still exists.

[saraclara]

Like I said I'm glad they are safe in those roles.

It’s obvious you’re not glad at all. Otherwise why post?

Exactly. Your OP oozed with resentment @StrangeTimes