Teachers Strike Using children as a weapon

[Ruimon]

Teachers should not use children as a weapon for their politically motivated demands. Who pays teachers wages? Why have they got so much time to organize strikes? We have all had to forgo pay rises and reduced pensions due to the last government and the banking scandal, why should teachers be any different.

Auld, I'll have a look for you.

I'm NUT and a parent to school age children and I'm out on Thursday. I don't like the changes to pay and conditions (who does?) but I'm striking largely because I hate what Gove is doing to the education my own DCs will be getting.

I'll be losing £61 that day. Worth every penny to show my displeasure I feel.

I need to RTFT but are there any MN teachers going to the rally in London?

choc olives coming right up.

Boffin, my ds 13 also strains my acting very interested talents to their limits. I don't fucking care why the warhammer space marines have epaulettes...

I don't accept the notion that they're using the children as a weapon.

It's hard to imagine how they can take industrial action without impacting children. How would you feel if, say, the army came in to teach the kids? Would that make it ok to have a strike?

Auld (can you email me, btw? Lost your email a/d)

Scotland did not take the TIMSS/PIRLS tests in 2011. In 2006/7 they did a bit worse than England. It must be all that Irn-Bru in the water

2007 TIMSS results

2006 PIRLS results

In the 2009 PISA tests they were marginally better than England.

PISA 2009

It's funny isn't it. When the financial markets crashed and when it was revealed that bankers bonuses were at times coming close to the GDP of small island nations, the argument was that in order to retain the talent (those that managed to crash the system) it was important to reward them. Otherwise they might leave.

Yet the argument does not appear to apply to teachers. 'Standards are falling' the propaganda is (though I strongly dispute this) Let's punish the teachers by cutting their pay and conditions.

I think the lesson from this is, that in order to maintain fantastic pay and conditions, we should do our jobs to the least most of our ability, totally trash the system, leave thousands in poverty and jobless. If not, we may take our skills elsewhere.

Some of us have already left. I earn double what I would have done as a classroom teacher now, for half the hassle. Their loss.

I also could earn a lot more elsewhere, but stay in education (HE) because I believe in it.

Oh and just to really annoy the right-wingers, we have just had a strike called for the 31st October. And I will be striking

Good point, slug.

This strike isn't having a lot of impact - it hasn't even hit the DM today.

Much more focussed action is required. An indefinite strike by all unions would be the answer.

It's because they're not in a strong position today because of the Free School story. So they're probably not putting out any press releases and trying not to draw attention to education.

a brilliant written article here on the reasons why we are striking

teachers holding parents/kids to ransom again

I don't think I'd get much if I ransomed the children I teach, no one would want them back

I support the teachers.

Not Gove. Not Laws.

As I read all these posts, surrounded by coursework, my laptop endlessly whirring away and the stack of marking I have to work on; I am smiling at the supportive posts.

Teachers are not using kids as a weapon, the purpose of a strike is to bring people's attention to it. I certainly do not intend to be teaching when I am 68!

I love my job, I don't like the work/life unbalance I have to say! I knew what I was getting into, absolutely, but working with ever changing conditions, ever changing grade systems, ever changing GCSE specifications and the constant fear of the OFSTED call is a nightmare. You can almost hear the collective sigh at lunch time on Wednesdays when we know we're good for another week.

The reason most people have been irritated is because they have had to sort out child care, which they would normally get for free eh!

agree that OFSTED have gone off kilter a long time ago

When it comes to using children as weapons for politically motivated demands, Michael Gove has a lot to answer for. As a parent, I'm getting incredibly fed up with all the bad will, uncertainty, stress, expense, dismantling of systems and general destruction he leaves in his wake. My children deserve more stability than this.

Ruimon do you ever tweet as @Toryeducation? just an idle thought..

I did kind of wave ds around to emphasise my chanting during the march against the Iraq war, but I never thought of using him as an actual weapon. He'd make more of an impact these days. Then again, I can't get him off the ground. Bugger, there's always a snag. [snag]

Spaniel, you can have him for ransoming if you like. Mind you, I am not making any promises...

I would be interested to hear the views on the striking from people who have worked in the private sector and then gone into teaching and those who went straight from university.