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.

Flounce because you have no answer

I don’t think i’ve ever heard a Union go to bat for quality of service

That's because it's not allowed? It has to be a trade dispute between employees and employer, not the customer unhappy with a product.

I'm in Scotland, next week's strike will be the 4th for my DC. It is very disruptive but that's the point isn't it. Is the (Scot/UK) govt listening? Doesn't look like it.

What a shit time to be alive, this is what the Tories have done to our country.

Wtf are you on about?

no, I head up a finance team if you must know.

Show me you don’t know what a union does without saying you don’t know….

^This

True. Which is why i think it’s a bit disingenous to include it at this stage in order to win some support with the public.

??

Teachers care about the children and can see the direct impact of austerity. They’re doing it because it needs pointing out.

The media certainly haven’t been.

'Believe it or not' your comment "However, Striking about pay isn’t a solution. Punishing kids isn’t a solution" I totally agree with.

The education system is a shambles...the whole of the Uk is a mess. To the point I'm thinking would it would be a better option to move abroad. I'm absolutely sick and tired of this country, I honestly don't see in my lifetime or my child's this ever getting any better.

Our education system is archaic, the European system is way more advanced in so many ways.

Well I support them even if I'm taking a days leave to do childcare.

When my kids were little I took a part time job in a local secondary school and was a governor at their primary. These experiences gave me some idea how tough things are in schools

Plus trade unions have been campaigning on the impact of school cuts and teacher retention rates for a long time….

Back so soon ??? That was quick

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

The schools aren't striking -some members of one of the unions are striking.

What's your solution? We continue training and then losing teachers within a couple of years due to overly stressful and unmanageable work conditions? Teachers just suck it up and get in with it for the sake of the children? The children are the reason teachers are striking-to ensure they get well qualified, healthy, enthusiastic staff teaching them-not burnt out and knackered and leaving!

I don’t think that comment was me?

unions have been talking to the government for years and have been ignored. Striking is a last resort.

Please don’t interrupt. i was replying to someone else who didn’t sink the conversation to insults.

Apologies maybe it was someone else's but whoever said it I can't help agreeing with.

@Cherryblossom200 You'll get nowhere on MN. The vast majority of people who post about this stuff are card-carrying union members. FWIW, I agree with you.

If nothing else, the children will learn about politics, unions, workers rights and the shit show that is our government, if parents can be bothered to explain this to there dc.

Grammar like this suggests that children need more time at school and less time learning about workers' rights.

As others have said, channel your anger towards our corrupt government, who take massive taxes in and line their own pockets instead of putting it fairly towards education of our children.
contact your MP

Teachers have not been left with a choice.

I think saying this is punishing the child is completely overblown especially in the face of the state of education.

Many schools are falling apart quite literally. Many children are being failed - eg the lack of SEND staff which fails the children with SEND. Or the lack of qualified teachers.

During covid, the government did nothing to protect children and lord knows how many kids got covid and ended up very ill as a result. Yes covid put children in hospital.

After covid, they only put in 10% of the money needed to reverse the huge damage to the disrupted education (which will cost more in the long run).

I just can’t get on board with the idea that strikes are damaging with no energy towards the government who’ve overseen far worse.

I those ranting about the strikes and school closures aren't Conservative voters.

Posters like this make me despair. Resort to name calling (I’m not a union member), but do not engage in the actual issue here. Which is the massive under funding of schools and failure to recruit and retain teachers!

Do you want your children to be taught by unqualified individuals for most of their education ?

Its a PITA but I believe its for the greater good.

4 days of children at home for strikes or 18 years of children at home, trying to support them through Oak Academy because there aren't any actual teachers left in schools? Hmmmm tough decision.

Yes, it's hyperbole but honestly anyone with children, or ever planning to have children (or grandchildren) needs to support the strikes for their own benefit.

No, I'm not striking. I'm with NASWUT. But my children's school will be closed. I'll have to pay for childcare.

Bard6817

Teachers are only allowed to strike about pay and conditions.

It's not 1 day its 4

Lots of us working parents can't afford to take unpaid leave or use annual leave to cover these additional days