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?

[SallyLovesCheese]

We will need some system to check the work they are doing just like we do with all remote workers in the UK

We use whatever system all remote workers in the UK use, then. What's it called?

[LolaSmiles]

Xenia
Or we could allow schools to direct their staff accordingly.

For example, once GCSE/A level classes leave, many staff have gained time when they would previously have taught y11/13. This time is used to prepare for the next academic year, write schemes of work, review assessments, write internal reports and evaluate strategies from this academic year.
Then consider that different staff have different teaching allocations depending on their role and many staff have been using their protected PPA time to cover in recent weeks in the spirit of coming together during an unprecedented situation.
Then consider that staff are contracted to work 195 days a year, but many will be in during the holidays due to the circumstances.

We absolutely do not need someone outside of school telling us what we should/shouldn't be doing.

[LouMumsnet]

Thanks for the reports about this thread. We can see that the wording of the OP has upset a fair few folk - which is the last thing any of us want at this very worrying and uncertain time. That said, we're pretty sure that that the OP didn't intend any offence - we're all in uncharted waters here.

As there are so many valuable posts explaining why and how many teachers will continue to work over the coming weeks, we're going to leave the thread standing as we think it's important.

But please be mindful of our Talk Guidelines when posting and consider that we're all in need of some extra kindness and support right now.

Peace and love.

[Picassosdove]

I'm a teacher with an underlying condition. School is open for Senior pupils to finish course work/ generate evidence for the foreseeable.
I have a severely depleted team and feel I have no choice but to go in and ensure young people get their qualifications in my core subject.
When that work is done I will be setting work / marking online .
I find your o p extremely offensive after the most challenging week of my 30 year career so far.

[copperheart]

My kids came home yesterday - both in Year 12, they have been given very little to do - I hope this changes because missing out on a term of teaching will have an impact unless the teachers are really crap.

[PurpleDaisies]

Copper it’s been a really hard week this week at school. Schools have not been closed, despite what the government has said. We’ve been scrambling around trying to make it work safely and calmly for very worried children in the face of massive staff shortages. We had no idea who would be allowed to come in on Monday until the middle of the night on Thursday. There have been stroppy emails from parents demanding work for their children to do this week when they have chosen to keep them off while the school was still open. The vast majority of us have never taught via entirely online learning before.

Give the schools a minute to get sorted. Every single year 12 is missing this term so your little darling won’t be disadvantaged. Congratulations on not missing the opportunity for a bit of teacher bashing though.

[notchickenagain]

It's weird how teachers are professionals but never afforded the same respect as others on here. The op compared them to coach drivers and someone who worked in a cinema. I bet doctors, lawyers, bank managers etc wouldn't be snubbed in the same way. I'm sure it's been said many times but teachers will either be in school, working from home or self-isolating. Op, do you want to enquire about other public sector workers or was it just teachers?

[copperheart]

Every single year 12 is missing this term so your little darling won’t be disadvantaged. Congratulations on not missing the opportunity for a bit of teacher bashing though. But some schools/teachers seem to be more on the ball that others, so I think where their school/teachers have not been so well organised my little darlings will be at a disadvantage.

[copperheart]

Why can't coach drivers or cinema workers have respect too, why is it just reserved for doctors, lawyers and bankers?

[LolaSmiles]

copperheart
Think about what sort of logistics are required to arrange work for y7-10 and 12 that can be studied at home, set up online systems that can cope with more developed remote learning, staff the school the last few weeks with increasing absences from staff and students, collate material for those who don't have internet at home, work out how free school meals students will be fed for the near future, plan staffing to supervise the key worker children when the list came out a while after the announcement, pull together a information on y11/13 progress for when the government decide how grades will be awarded when not all staff are present and so on.

Then consider all of that plus staff supporting year 11/13 who haven't a clue what they've worked towards, have had their education ended with short notice, and are facing uncertain times.

Then think about how a couple of days wait for your child (with over a year left on their course) before a weekend is tiny in the grand scheme of things.

Schools are doing their best. A couple of days wait over a weekend for A Level students who typically have 15-20 lessons a week is not a big deal.

[notchickenagain]

Conpletely missed the bit where I said professionals copperheart but never mind....

[copperheart]

Conpletely missed the bit where I said professionals copperheart but never mind.... It's not the point - we, in all our roles deserve respect...we all play our part.

[MyOtherProfile]

@copperheart give them time. Presumably your school uses some kind of app for putting up homework etc? That's what we have been told to monitor to get work and links to other outlets.

[Noodlenosefraggle]

Everyone deserves respect apart from teachers, it seems. I dont teach in schools anymore thank God. But the teachers in my children's school are on their knees. They are expected to still go in because every tom dick and harry has decided they are a key worker so they will have to look after everyones kids while still setting work on Google Classrooms. My kids teacher were in tears on Friday. I doubt they were crying with joy at the thought of a 4 month holiday. If you dont like what your school is doing or if there isn't enough work up after Easter, take it up with your headteacher. Dont take every opportunity to slag off all teachers.

[notchickenagain]

Lol it was the 'point' of my post, but carry on misunderstanding....

[saraclara]

I spoke to my daughter last night. She now has to work doubly hard. For each lesson she now needs to do double the planning. The stuff that she teaches the children in front of her will be different from the stuff the kids at home will be doing online. Same subject, same objectives, but the way it's delivered is entirely different. The kids in school can't do the online exercises because they don't have individual computers, and the kids at home can't do the stuff the ones in school can, because they don't have the equipment.

She was close to tears. And doesn't even get the Easter holiday to recover.

[Saoirse7]

Saraclara,

She needs to have a word with her school. That's a ridiculous level of expectation. Not sure where she is but here we are operating as childcare facilities only, schools are not places of education for anyone in school.

[Wisenotboring]

They are still working!!! Schools remain open to certain children, online resources being prepared and delivered, preparation of accelerated delivery tin exam groups when they do return etc. Plus, i think many schools are actually continuing to provide care over the holidays...n

[BelleharePenguin09]

I’ve said it before BUT it’s worth saying again. People have it in for teachers because everyone and her dog hated at least one teacher they had, somewhere along the line. For umpteen years, and forever more, they have harboured/ will harbour a big, fat grudge.

Oh and everybody knows teachers have really long hols and they knock off at 3.30.

[saraclara]

@Saoirse7 it's a special school. Most of the kids (she has high functioning but often violent teenagers) can't function under change. So the only way to keep them calm is to carry on as normal. Just occupying them otherwise would lead to more problems. It's just not worth it.

But the new regime hasn't started yet. I'm hoping that as next week progresses, they'll find ways to preserve the teachers' mental health better. At this point though, she's worried sick.

[CuppaZa]

Ridiculous thread OP.

[historygeek]

I am a teacher in a VERY deprived area. I will be:
a) looking after vulnerable children whose home lives are so awful we cannot expect them to stay indoors with their own parents.
b) giving out food to children and families that will starve otherwise.
c) looking after the children of key workers
d) my school will be open 7 days a week until 6pm including the holidays
e) setting and marking work
f) putting my health and the health of my family at risk so this can happen.
g) paying for childcare whilst I do this
But yeah, you're right, I should probably just get the sack.

[Saoirse7]

Any chance of the coward of an OP returning to this thread to respond?

[angell84]

@historygeek if those vulnerable children's home lives are so awful, why do social services let them live there.

Genuine question

[Ihateselfishbastards]

It’s not a competition.