My child's school is striking next Wednesday

[Cherryblossom200]

Hi all,

Just found out my daughters school is striking next week. The email from the head tried explaining its not just about pay, but about cuts to education as a whole. I understand there are a huge amount of problems, however striking is the wrong way to go about it especially when it concerns children. They have lost so much time in school over covid this seems ridiculous. I'm a working parent, we all have our issues right now but I can't walk out and strike. To say I'm angry is an understatement.

I'm sure this will be an contentious issue and some might disagree, which is fair enough. But I'm fuming at the moment and needed to vent!

Some of my friends schools are staying open, it looks so far like only two schools in the area are striking.

Well let’s take it one at a time. Regardless it’s national there’s not much employers can complain about.

I really do hope that something good comes from it. But I'm very pessimistic if it will..

I got my PGCE in 2008. Of the 32 teachers who graduated alongside me, only 12 of us now still teach in a school or college. That's why we are striking- retention is appalling because pay and conditions are terrible.

Ambulance staff, nurses, railway workers, civil servants , or is just the teachers you don’t support ?

Fuck the government. My support is with teachers all the way

I support everyone, but the disruption is cause's is awful. As I said I really hope all these strikes actually achieve something.

My children are very young. I am concerned that by the time they get to secondary school there will be so few experienced, qualified teachers and support staff that the schools they attend will be falling to bits, wild and full of children not recieving the support they need and therefore ruining lessons because they can't cope.

They need to attract and, more importantly, retain more qualified staff.

The whole point of a strike is disruption

Don't be so short sighted. They're striking for your child. For fully funded pay rises that aren't robbing from existing school budgets and essentially the children. The education system is in crisis. 1/3 of the teachers who trained in last decade have already walked away from the profession. Schools are struggling to recruit. Direct your anger at those to blame: the government.

Found out today ours was closing. They should have said that last week as it was the inevitable conclusion.

Your anger should be directed towards the Government who have been deliberately running down public services and ignoring the voices of all those working in health, education and social care. Write to your MP - don't blame the teachers who are striking as an absolute last resort.

This is exactly what will happen if nothing changes, it’s already started

Staff do not have to tell the Head what union they are in

Given that this government only gave 10% of what was needed to recover after covid, given that they’re expecting schools to cut other budgets to fund teacher payrises, it’s a bit rich of them to talk about the disruption of strikes.

If this government cares about disruption and education, they would be bending over backwards to sort out the fact that the number of people who want to teach is falling. They can’t get the science and computer teachers. Teachers are leaving. They can’t get the support staff as they get better pay in Aldi.

It will take money and they could find the money if they put their minds to it (lord knows that they waste plenty!).

Instead Rishi Sunak is off for a fucking jolly at his grace and favour home discussing how he can save his skin.

wankers.

I support the strikes by the way.

Agree @MrWhippersnapper . I support the strikes if that was not clear from my post

we all have our issues right now but I can't walk out and strike

Maybe join a unionised working environment then?

Not necessarily. Ours is staying open but not all year groups.

Point still stands.

And it could be just one day if the government negotiated.

You are entitled to your opinion but that won't change anything. Teachers in the NEU are within their rights to choose to strike if they wish. They are also not obliged to tell their school management. Technically they could have said nothing and just not turned up on the strike day, so you should be grateful for the notice you have had.

I can appreciate the inconvenience it causes to working parents- that’s the last thing teachers want but they deserve to speak out about conditions/pay/pension/workload.

I am working from home so I’ve offered to have some children round for play dates (4 8yr olds in total 😬)
perhaps see if that’s an option for you?

I know, I was agreeing with you !

Contact your MP here

I worry more about the education of future generations if experienced teachers continue to leave and no-one enters the profession due to poor pay and working conditions. A few missed days will be nothing compared to the effect of that.

@Cherryblossom200 it isn't the school that strikes, it is the teachers. and every school will have some teachers striking.

I dont know how old your child is, but if they haven't already had their education impacted by lack of teachers then I guarantee they soon will