Teachers to strike - 30 June

[meditrina]

breaking now on SKY

Overwhelming vote by 2 teachers' unions (92%)

I wondered what the other unions were planning.

but teachers are reluctant to strike too, as this thread shows. other workers are reluctant to strike too, afterall, they lose pay over the strike day. however, they will stand to lose much more in the future if they don't try to change this. they feel like there are no options. the government isn't listening and just responds with 'we will change union laws'.

We always finished at lunchtime so the teachers could clean the desks and stack them in the hall. Unfortunately, many primary schools can no longer afford a caretaker.

Oh and there was also all the 'valuables' that had to be put in the loft as school was regularly broken into during holidays. At one school the kids came back in Sept and had to go without a break time or outdoor games for almost a week until the council finally sent someone to pick up the junk including condoms scattered around the playground.

NASUWT - waiting for results of legal challenges, balloting in Autumn
NAHT - balloting now for industrial action in Autumn
NUT - planning 30th June industrial action
ATL - as above
UCU - has already been on strike, and will join us on 30th June aswell.
ASCL - surveying to ballot for industrial action

One place I worked had a caretaker who wouldn't carry heavy items like furniture up stairs. Bit of a bugger in an Edwardian building on four floors.
So the teachers always did it.
I think working to rule for a year would be a very effective protest.

isnt work to rule quite hard to do in school though? would it be like the list of things that teachers are not meant to do, but do because actually there is no one else to do it.

Thanks Feenie

Do you know, Goblin, I actually think teachers are, in the main, public sectors workers without the public sector mentality that private sector workers always use as an insult.
We work over hours, lift stuff we shouldn't, do other peoples jobs when needs arise etc. I once had to pick up my pay cheque from the council offices as I'd just changed banks. The sign sdaid the desk opened at 1pm. At 12.59, the man was sat there, ready but would he open his little window? Would he f*uck! He waited until the second hand reached the hour then lifted the hatch. Can you imagine if teachers or nurses worked like that?

I don't even know what the rules are. Is it my job to change nappies? To buy and prepare snacks? To clean wee off the floor? Perhaps I should read my contract although I'm sure it says something vague like I'll do everything I need to do to be an effective teacher.

It is hard to do when it involves the children, but it impacts hugely on raising parental awareness.
No after school clubs, school events, no 'can I have a quick word' no doing ties or shoelaces or looking for kit, no chatting, either to children or parents.
Nothing to detract from the mechanics of learning.
Education in its purest, coldest and most inflexible form.

Yes, it does say something like undertake the hours and tasks required to carry out your duty.

No nappies, no cleaning, no helping open stuck bananas or ringing home for anything the child needs.
No school trips, although considering the complaints on MN, that might meet with approval.

But back in the 80s, your duty was plan, teach, assess.
Everything else was extra.

I do sometimes think parents forget that you give up your time to do things like after school clubs. There is no alterior motive there; nothing to be gained from them other than offering a bit of enrichment to the kids. Oh and the two Saturdays a year for school fayres and the two Fri nights a year for junior discos.

And Dh always went nuts at the amount of money I spent on buying resources. In how many other jobs do the majority of workers regularly spend there own money on equipment needed day to day. Why? Because the resources in many schools are inadequate and strangely, teachers feel a need to enhance the learning of the kids in their care.

ulterior

I think it the was the work-load agreement or something?

I don't recall cleaning wee off the floor being in the job description, or buying class resourses from your own purse. But, yes, you do need to be an effective teacher which obviously includes 'everything'. Oh and don't forget sick...it's great when it's mixed into the carpet, don't you think? Or better still, all down one side of your own clothes

I just think it might be a difficult thing to do?

Many parents give up time too to run brownies and cubs and wotnot.

Surely nappies are the one to one/lsa responsibility. Not the class teavher?

To be honest i dont think this govt gives a shit. This will beCamerons miners. Who can hold out longest? Him or public sector workers?

Work to rule ???? Dhs 70-80 hours a week down to 32?

No gcse catch up sessions and course work sessions every day after school til 5 since January ????

How truly shit would the kids exam results be then? How low could these kids self esteem plunge.

Work to rule would have the hugest impact, none of it good.

But it may make people realise what they do.

I would refuse to work to rule, I think I woudl be incapable of doing it even if I tried.

I run after school clubs not just because the students enjoy them but also because I enjoy doing it. Teachers are not saints, like most people we do what we need to do to get our job done well.

I think they should strike-aside from the many compelling reasons-you cant or shouldnt just go around changing the T&Cs of contracts for the worse. Fair enough for those new to the profession (although I don't agree) but those who have a few years or even months left-its reprehensible.

TAs DO do nappies but when we're short staffed, which we are pretty much every day, and a nappy needs to be changed, it needs to be changed. I can't let a child sit in a soiled nappy until a TA is available. I don't think it's my job as a teacher but it's my job as a human being to ensure that the children in my care are clean and comfortable. So I do it.

Likewise, when someone wees on the floor for the 3rd time this week, it needs to be cleaned up.

teachers do nappies at my school.

the work load agreement was a list of jobs that teachers shouldn't do from what i can remember. it includes things like admin, data analysis, moving furniture, cleaning, etc. all of which we do despite the agreement because there is no one else to do it.

Surely thats the schools fault. Teachers shouldnt be doing nappies. In dds school teachers never change nappies. Thats why the kids in nappies like dd have one to ones. Otherwise youd leave 30 kids running wild while you dealt with a nppy!
Maybe thats the advantage of a fully inclusive school? Nappies are expected so TAs and one to ones are employed?

LawrieMarlow we also have a residential trip running over the 30th June. Our teachers on that trip are going to continue to run the trip as normal, but in order to show support technically will be registered as striking and are giving up a day's pay. By doing this no teacher at our school will be allowed to cover their lessons on that day as technically they are on strike. Not sure what will happen at your DC's school but I imagine the trip will still run tbh.

There are 5 children in my class and 3 TAs (so 4 staff) - we work as a team. None of the children are actually entitled to 1:1 assistance despite needing it (for personal care/ safety reasons) so we are actually very lucky to have such a good ratio. I plan, teach, assess, monitor etc but I also do nappies if required (although not as a matter of course), dishes, floor cleaning etc. I suppose I could leave a child with a dirty nappy for half an hour til a TA comes back from their lunchbreak but I wouldn't.