Any independent school staff striking next week?

[conistonoldwoman]

Just as it says..they're are loads of fully paid up members of teaching unions working in private schools so wanted to support you lot for joining the day of protest.

I am not striking, nor are most of my colleagues.

There will be one or two striking, and some are saying they are yet to decide.

We don't have the problem of not being able to cover striking colleagues' classes, so any strike will be ineffective at our local level.

I am very happy to be branded a scab.

I'm debating it. The main issue which I don't think a lot of teachers know about (it came as a shock to many at our school) is that independent school teachers will be kicked out of the TPS :(

Is that a definite Willow?

Do you think many teacher will move back into the state sector?

It's part of the government proposals. Quite a few in our school have said they will move and it could be a real problem for recruitment in the private sector. If schools have to close that is going to be a big issue for everyone as government funding wouldn't cope with a large influx of students moving from private to state. One London borough looked at what would happen if 10% of privately educated children went into the state sector and they concluded that they couldn't cope.

Last time my children's school went on strike (over unfair dismissal of a senior school teacher) the school provided free childcare for the day.

I didn't think independent school teacers were part of the pension scheme so they can't strike as you strike against your employer who is not the government/LA so these chanegs are nothing to do with their employer.

Many independent schools are part of the TPS.

In fact according to the ATL 90% are. I can't see the tories doing this tbh, I would imagine most independent school customers are tory voters and this could have ahuge impact

Several independent schools are also opted in members of their county LGPS schemes for their staff who are not members of the TPS

It's not actually that big a deal to independent schools whether they are in the TPS or not. If not, there are plenty of private pension providers that will step in. Other companies manage just fine.

The reasons independent schools use the TPS is because it is overly generous and no one is going to walk away from free money. When the TPS becomes more in line with the market, it is neither here nor there who manages the pension fund.

TPS "manages the fund"
there IS NO FUND
TPS is an unfunded scheme - contributions go into the tax take each year and pensions come out of it

It's certainly a big deal in my school MindtheGapp

I thought a lot of independent school teachers were members of ATL, which has a "conscience clause" so they are not bound to collective strike action in the same was as those who are members of eg NUT which has no such provision.

I think it is spread fairly evenly across the main teaching unions, tbh. I think most teachers just stick with the union that gave the most freebies they signed up with at college.

All I can say is that at my school, the vast majority of teachers in my are ignoring the strike. I can think of only one definite (and she is "not doing it for herself" because she is over 60 - so she will probably not bother in the end when her altruism falls on deaf ears). We've had a few discussions and most people do not see the point. The pensions issue, as it affects independent schools, can be solved by moving to a private pension - just like any other organisation in the private sector.

My children's other two schools have said that they will be open as usual on Wednesday.

Teachers in the state sector can also opt out and move to a private pension.

If that was a solution that provided the same pension for the same contribution, with the same level of security in the provider, do you think anyone would be striking?

It shows how uneralistic/unfair to the wider taxpayer the TP is.

The TPS has previously been valued (last time was in deficit, despite strident voices asserting otherwise), and does include in it's existing terms, the provision for increasing contributions. It's not an unrealistic scheme.

But teachers need to accept that the longevity time bomb applies (look at the actual stats - longevity us rising, and teachers aren't as short lived post retirement as I have sometimes seen claimed).

The Unions state that the scheme is cost neutral to the tax payer, and that therefore my last two paragraphs are wrong.

Great!

There's a really, really simple way out!

Remove the unlimited guarantee that the taxpayer will pay any future shortfalls in contributions to liabilities. Essentially, tell the unions that their position is so convincing that in future the money will be where the mouth is. They could still use publicly funded officials to run the scheme (no new costs), and need not build up a fund (pay into and be paid from general governmental funds), but either pensions would have to be variable (to match contributions - I'd see this as unfair, but those convinced there is no deficit wouldn't have a problem as they are clear that is an impossible scenario; or the contributions have to be variable.

It does mean the end of teachers crossing from one sector to the other though.

Not really. There are loads of people who change jobs and change pension schemes at the same time. I personally have three pension schemes. If independent schools leave the TPS, I will have four. My NI number is on that number of computers.

I teach in a state school which has a fair few staff that have taught in independent schools and we also lose staff to independents. Quite a few staff left the independent sector because of pensions concerns and a few colleagues who were looking at moving into the independent sector are now staying put . A small sample but just my observations.

So pensions will soon cease to be part of the decision making process.

I think it is somewhat naive and short sighted to think that the teachers pension will be a deciding factor in the choice of job one may take.

Certainly it was never a consideration for me- and if I were a younger man I doubt very much it would be a factor now. For a professional teacher the choice has eventually to be whether one wants to teach or whether one wants to classroom manage.

There certainly isnt going to be a big influx back to the state sector . No jobs for a start. Lets be realistic.

Jabed I work with with a few teachers who have already come back into the state sector because of their pension .

There are certain state schools who see staff coming to and from the independent sector and I think this will happen less. The jury is out with regards to how serious this is.

I did not enter teaching for my pension. It it has been one of the reasons I have stayed .

twinklytroll, I have seen a couple of teachers leave my school recently , going into the state sector. I cannot say what reasons they gave for moving but I am fairly sure it would not be the real reason. The real reason was they found they couldnt hack the teaching. The standard required was just too high. The HT was charitable (and realises that not all teachers are independent school material) and gave references which secured them alternative jobs. Both claimed as their reasons for leaving that they wanted to return to the state sector but in fact they had no choice as they were being asked to find other posts.

Other than that no one has even considered leaving.

Of course both your sample and mine are small and it remains to be seen how it affects anyone further down the line.

I can't imagine that the pension arrangements have been a factor in moving from independent to state, especially as independent school teachers are in the TPS at the moment.

Also, it is quite common in the independent sector for the school to pay the 6.5% employee contribution - sadly, not mine :)

Those who work in the private sector outside of teaching must find this discussion quite bewildering.

As for reasons for moving from the independent sector to maintained, a tiny few will do it for ideological reasons. Most will do it because they are relocating due to their spouse, or are on a temp contract (eg maternity cover) and just want a job.

The financial sector were speculating in the summer that the changes to the TPS could mean independent schools have to increase fees to cover a pension scheme ...