Page 5 | Parents - how do you feel about teaching unions?

Musicaldilemma · 2021-01-27T19:39:06+00:00

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.

Monkeytennis97 · 27/01/2021 21:50

Has there been a call out?🎺

0gfhty · 27/01/2021 21:51

I feel like there needs to be a union that fights for the rights of children and parents that has as much sway and respect as teaching unions. I feel like there is zero representation for children and parents

starrynight19 · 27/01/2021 21:53

@YardleyX

Key worker’s children were cared for in a central hub. It was staffed on a rota basis by various council employees. They were instructed to ensure that absolutely no teaching took place in those hubs.

In this area, all children were invited to spend one 4hr day in their school between June - July. No teaching was allowed to take place in this day.

Not what happened in the majority of primary schools. And who ‘looked after them’ on the day they went into school having no teaching ?

Literallynoidea · 27/01/2021 21:53

Very angry

MrsHamlet · 27/01/2021 21:53

@longandwide

If everyone refused to work until their workplace could be guaranteed covid-free, there would be no food on the shelves for all the teachers to eat while they do 8 hours a day on Zoom mainly watch Netflix

The sheer entitlement of their demands - and they still expect full pay and pensions. All in it together my a r se

Hmmmmm - full online timetable from March and again this term. Teams, not zoom. So yep. I do expect my full pay and pension contribution, thanks

rawlikesushi · 27/01/2021 21:54

@longandwide

If everyone refused to work until their workplace could be guaranteed covid-free, there would be no food on the shelves for all the teachers to eat while they do 8 hours a day on Zoom mainly watch Netflix

The sheer entitlement of their demands - and they still expect full pay and pensions. All in it together my a r se

I'm in school teaching 50% off my class every day, and supporting those at home too.

I have to plan every lesson twice, for school and for homelearning.

I spend my evenings talking to groups of pupils on zoom, phoning families I'm worried about, delivering or collecting resources.

I mark submitted from home even if it's a grainy, blurry, impossible photo.

I have done this throughout, since last March, including the Easter and May holiday on a rota (unpaid holidays btw).

yawnsvillex · 27/01/2021 21:54

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starrynight19 · 27/01/2021 21:54

@YardleyX

Key worker’s children were cared for in a central hub. It was staffed on a rota basis by various council employees. They were instructed to ensure that absolutely no teaching took place in those hubs.

In this area, all children were invited to spend one 4hr day in their school between June - July. No teaching was allowed to take place in this day.

And what did that have to do with the unions. Sounds more like a local authority decision if it was all primary’s in your area.

YardleyX · 27/01/2021 21:57

Yes, a Labour run local authority who unfortunately bows down to the union pressure every time.

MrsHamlet · 27/01/2021 21:57

@0gfhty

I feel like there needs to be a union that fights for the rights of children and parents that has as much sway and respect as teaching unions. I feel like there is zero representation for children and parents

Teaching unions have sway and respect? Since when????

I take your point NotFrozen - but the fact remains that I am entitled to be represented in putting my own needs first. That's why I'm in a union.

rawlikesushi · 27/01/2021 21:57

@0gfhty

I feel like there needs to be a union that fights for the rights of children and parents that has as much sway and respect as teaching unions. I feel like there is zero representation for children and parents

The entire fucking country knows that kids need to be back in school the minute it's safe to do so. Why do you need a union? What would they be fighting for? Opening schools too soon and increasing community transmission?

thecatfromjapan · 27/01/2021 21:59

@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.

Excellent post.

OP has 'Mummy issues' about teachers and teaching unions. methinks.

rawlikesushi · 27/01/2021 21:59

@YardleyX

Key worker’s children were cared for in a central hub. It was staffed on a rota basis by various council employees. They were instructed to ensure that absolutely no teaching took place in those hubs.

In this area, all children were invited to spend one 4hr day in their school between June - July. No teaching was allowed to take place in this day.

Nothing to do with the unions.

Why can't people do their research before randomly placing blame?

Nat6999 · 27/01/2021 22:00

Teaching unions are only there to support their members, without members there wouldn't be any unions. The biggest fault is that since Mrs Thatcher took power away from the unions workers rights have been eroded.

Dustyboots · 27/01/2021 22:00

I feel like there needs to be a union that fights for the rights of children and parents that has as much sway and respect as teaching unions. I feel like there is zero representation for children and parents

Very good point

HermioneWeasley · 27/01/2021 22:00

I’m a parent with lots of teacher friends

I think the teaching unions have damaged the reputation of the profession. They have shown zero interest in the education or welfare of kids and come off as hysterical and work shy.

cyclingtowardsbethlehem · 27/01/2021 22:01

@mrshoho I'm not arguing unions aren't misrepresented. I was a shop steward for years (different union mind).

They don't only communicate to members. They also communicate to government, whose policy they are trying to change, and they played right into their hands this time I'm afraid.

The measures EI suggest are here: www.ei-ie.org/en/detail/16760/education-international-guidance-on-reopening-schools-and-education-institutions

It's a set of asks that is much more focused on the system and the child as well as the teaching staff. It's probably not perfect either but it does at least recognise there are a range of interests at play here and a strong response tries to find a way through that. If you are genuinely interested there are about a million press releases on their website from various TUs where you can look at the different focuses they have in their asks. Quite often the main asks are actually around education equity.

If someone as pro union as me thinks they did a weak job in their comms, then there is something a bit amiss.

Pieceofpurplesky · 27/01/2021 22:01

Katedan teacher bashing has been worse the last 5 years than ever before. I care about the kids and I am teaching them - just in a very different way.
I would like to see you preach to the children in a local school who had a young teacher (30 with two children of her own) die of Covid - see how traumatised they are. Or the kids in my school who had a fellow pupil seriously ill with Covid. Or to the three staff members who have had family die. Or the countless kids who have lost grandparents etc. Go have a chat with those people. I have .
Then come back and tell us we are a laughing stock because of unions.

rawlikesushi · 27/01/2021 22:01

@YardleyX

Yes, a Labour run local authority who unfortunately bows down to the union pressure every time.

Rubbish. None of the teaching unions fought to dump kids in a central hub, staffed by council workers, with no teaching. You can't just make stuff up to reinforce your world view.

longandwide · 27/01/2021 22:02

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rawlikesushi · 27/01/2021 22:03

@HermioneWeasley

I’m a parent with lots of teacher friends

I think the teaching unions have damaged the reputation of the profession. They have shown zero interest in the education or welfare of kids and come off as hysterical and work shy.

They exist to protect their members.

YardleyX · 27/01/2021 22:03

They fought to close schools, knowing that this was the alternative 🤷‍♀️

saraclara · 27/01/2021 22:04

@Dustyboots

I feel like there needs to be a union that fights for the rights of children and parents that has as much sway and respect as teaching unions. I feel like there is zero representation for children and parents

Very good point

That's what the Children's Commissioner is for.

www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/

rawlikesushi · 27/01/2021 22:04

"Btw teachers - I know many of you think you are wonderfully clever and superior, but we aren't as daft as you all think."

I was happy to believe you until I read the rest of your uninformed rant.

MrsHamlet · 27/01/2021 22:05

No way on god's clean earth was having 20% of kids in school (being taught nothing) and sending round a few downloaded worksheets and doing a token 20 min internet session every other day a full time job for all teachers across the UK.
If you had issues with your children's schools, you needed to take that up with them.
If you are currently having issues with your children's schools, you need to take that up smith them.