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Original poster

Parents - how do you feel about teaching unions?

359 replies

Musicaldilemma · 27/01/2021 19:39

Following various exchanges in real life and on here, I was wondering what other parents currently feel and think of teaching unions? Do you know a lot about them? What do you feel their role is and should be in this pandemic? If you are able to, please clarify if you are a parent married to a teacher or teacher parent. Or just a parent like myself with a few friends who are teachers. I was interested to see that teaching unions in Switzerland, for example, really pushed the message that schools must be and stay open for children’s mental health.

OP posts:
stayingaliveisawayoflife · 27/01/2021 20:41

What do you think about this campaign? It was launched yesterday. To be completely upfront I am a teacher and an NEU member who is interested in any opinions.

Parents - how do you feel about teaching unions?
JiminyLeeCricket · 27/01/2021 20:43

I'm in the NASUWT - they have written some stern tweets this pandemic.

👏👏

starrynight19 · 27/01/2021 20:44

@stayingaliveisawayoflife

What do you think about this campaign? It was launched yesterday. To be completely upfront I am a teacher and an NEU member who is interested in any opinions.
It’s what school teachers have been doing forever. We always buy resources for our students / classrooms. A million pounds from the union to provide stationary will be a great help for students without.
Lavanderrose · 27/01/2021 20:46

I 100% support teaching unions. You can’t have well educated children without happy teachers.

NovemberR · 27/01/2021 20:47

@katedan

I think they are doing significant damage to the reputation of the teaching profession, after the many strikes in the 80s teachers were seen as work shy and lazy in the last 40 years most people had a lot of respect for teachers and the tough job they do but the unions have made teachers a laughing stock again and you see far more teacher bashing again. I cant believe any teacher who cares about the kids they teach and their welfare would choose to not be in school currently especially those who teach the exam years who will know that following their union and refusing to work will have a massive impact on the childrens futures! For those who think the unions are doing the right thing you need to get out of teaching and retrain as you are in the wrong job!!
Clearly not a teacher.

Clearly doesn't understand anything about unions.

Monkeytennis97 · 27/01/2021 20:49

@stayingaliveisawayoflife

What do you think about this campaign? It was launched yesterday. To be completely upfront I am a teacher and an NEU member who is interested in any opinions.
Yup I bought two GCSE resources this week and an A level one too out of my own pocket (about £20). Pretty average weekly spend.
NovemberR · 27/01/2021 20:52

What is the actual point of this thread, by the way?

I'm a parent. My opinion on any professional union is utterly irrelevant. Unions exist to support their members in safer working conditions and practices. And I would support this for anyone in any area of work.

Why would any teacher or teaching union have any interest in what parents feel about their union?

I don't imagine the police care about my opinion on police unions - or that bus drivers care about my opinion on transport unions. I cannot see the point in these repeated threads frothing about teachers unions closing schools.

It's fucking ridiculous.

alwaysraining123 · 27/01/2021 20:52

Absolute disgrace. When everyone else has pulled together they’ve refused to allow teachers do their jobs, set unreasonable and unachievable demands, down played the risk to others, manipulated the presentation of data, become arm chair epidemiologists/medical experts (I don’t set myself up as a teaching expert unless
I’m forced to Wink), and put the lives of children and their education on hold. Teachers have continued to claim their salary whilst people have been forced to give up their own job to look after or home school their children. Crazy times.

Bettyboop82 · 27/01/2021 20:53

I’m a parent and also a teacher. The unions do not represent what me and my colleagues want or feel is best for the children. I haven’t once been consulted as to my opinions on the issue and I feel they are going too far. Schools need to be open!!!!

noblegiraffe · 27/01/2021 20:53

What is the actual point of this thread, by the way?

The OP got into a row on another thread and insisted that the vast majority of parents hate teaching unions. She started this thread to try to win an argument.

noblegiraffe · 27/01/2021 20:54

I haven’t once been consulted as to my opinions on the issue

Which union are you in? Mine has been sending out surveys by email, has yours not?

LostFrog · 27/01/2021 20:56

Maybe this is unfair, but I haven't heard a lot of constructive thoughts from the teaching unions about how to make schools safe. I would rather have teachers and kids in PPE if necessary if that means that schools can open. I haven't heard them calling for that, only that schools should remain shut.

MoreW1ne · 27/01/2021 20:58

The unions aren't there for us as parents and neither is their priority children. They're only priority should be their paying members. That's the whole reason they exist, just like any other union. Of course, supporting and protecting members will generally have a positive effect on the education of children but that's not their job.

The only 'damage' they've done to the teaching profession is not fighting hard enough in september for school safety.

Anyone thinking that the opinion of the teaching profession has been negatively affected by the recent union actions has either been very shielded/privileged for years or hasn't shown any interest until this pandemic.

Arguable, I'd say I've felt more support and appreciation from parents during this time (real world, not MS) as a teacher.

coronafiona · 27/01/2021 20:58

I wish I was in a union, is what I think. I'd love to have a job guaranteed and protected at the end of all this. I am underperforming at work constantly because I can't work properly and teach. I feel utter, utter despair tonight.

Bettyboop82 · 27/01/2021 21:00

@noblegiraffe NASUWT

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 27/01/2021 21:00

Not a teacher but I am a member of a union. So broadly supportive and I was glad they were able to force the government to reconsider reopening schools to everyone in January.

mrshoho · 27/01/2021 21:01

@NovemberR

What is the actual point of this thread, by the way?

I'm a parent. My opinion on any professional union is utterly irrelevant. Unions exist to support their members in safer working conditions and practices. And I would support this for anyone in any area of work.

Why would any teacher or teaching union have any interest in what parents feel about their union?

I don't imagine the police care about my opinion on police unions - or that bus drivers care about my opinion on transport unions. I cannot see the point in these repeated threads frothing about teachers unions closing schools.

It's fucking ridiculous.

Quite agree.
NovemberR · 27/01/2021 21:01

@noblegiraffe

What is the actual point of this thread, by the way?

The OP got into a row on another thread and insisted that the vast majority of parents hate teaching unions. She started this thread to try to win an argument.

@noblegiraffe. Thank you.

a) I think she is mistaken. Most parents are intelligent enough to realise that teaching unions did not CLOSE schools
b) if they do hate teaching unions then it demonstrates a basic ignorance of both the teaching unions' demands and power
c)why would teachers care?

This is a dumb argument.

noblegiraffe · 27/01/2021 21:02

I haven't heard a lot of constructive thoughts from the teaching unions about how to make schools safe

Why do you think that despite the teaching unions having lots of thoughts about how to make schools safer, you haven't heard them?

Like this very mild ten point plan from the NASUWT?
www.nasuwt.org.uk/article-listing/plan-to-keep-schools-safe-during-pandemic.html

mrshoho · 27/01/2021 21:03

@LostFrog

Maybe this is unfair, but I haven't heard a lot of constructive thoughts from the teaching unions about how to make schools safe. I would rather have teachers and kids in PPE if necessary if that means that schools can open. I haven't heard them calling for that, only that schools should remain shut.
Try reading further than the daily mail headlines and you might get somewhere.
Bitbusyattheminute · 27/01/2021 21:04

I'm a parent. And I'm a teacher. I'm married to a parent. I'm the daughter of a shop steward. I was brought up tales of halcyon days where unions were forces to be reckoned with. I support unions in principle, even if I don't always agree with what they're fighting for. I often wonder if those who oppose unions actually know what unions are for.

noblegiraffe · 27/01/2021 21:05

[quote Bettyboop82]@noblegiraffe NASUWT[/quote]
Check your emails, they're full of surveys like these. My local branch is also holding regular zoom meetings.

Parents - how do you feel about teaching unions?
saraclara · 27/01/2021 21:06

My opinion on any professional union is utterly irrelevant. Unions exist to support their members in safer working conditions and practices. And I would support this for anyone in any area of work.

Exactly that. They advocated to keep their members safe. That's what their members pay for.

I would hope that the shop workers union and the police union were/are doing the same for them.

saraclara · 27/01/2021 21:08

@LostFrog the teachers' unions absolutely WERE asking for PPE in schools, and for kids to wear masks in secondary. Their aim was not to shut schools, but to make them safe.

And what would make them safer for teachers would also make them safer for children.

MotherForker · 27/01/2021 21:11

A union is its members. They are democratic organisations, they only work on behalf of members. Any campaigns orr views are only put forward after discussion with members.

The NEU have done several surveys, held members meetings and spoken to reps who are elected by members to represent their views.

Anyone who says their union does represent their views needs to yet more involved in their union.