Teachers to strike - 30 June

[meditrina]

breaking now on SKY

Overwhelming vote by 2 teachers' unions (92%)

I think, as I understand it, from April 2011, the changes will affect all pensions for teachers, even in those pensions currently being paid out [or at least the change from RPI to CPI].

This is on top of the recent agreed [agreed between unions and the government to change the pensions and raise the age of retirement for teachers in, I think, around 2007-correct me if I am wrong].

By the way, I am not sure if many children in secondary school will feel too put out about this one day of action. However, they as parents in ten years time, may well feel put out when they find there are no teachers to teach their children, because nobody will want to join the profession if it carries on as it is.

Teachers on 30k for 6 months work

What are you on about?

"During industrial action by others, members can be directed to undertake some extra duties, but that direction must be reasonable. This includes members of the support staff who should continue with their own duties and not, for example, cover classes for a teacher who is on strike.

Whilst we do not take industrial action, we respect the right of others to do so.

Members should therefore NOT take up the duties laid down by their colleagues unless circumstances are so special that individual consciences dictate otherwise."

VOICE hand book

'Does anyone know what happens if you are in a different union? My union isn't striking, but isn't there an unwritten agreement between teaching unions that you don't undermine the strike of another union by covering the work of another union member?

So as a member of NASUWT I would be breaking that agreement if I covered the work of a striking NUT colleague (therefore undermining their strike action)? Is that right? Or am I just making it up??'

No, you are right. The miners called strikebreakers scabs and blacklegs and worse.

20k. That's interesting isn't it.

And now, paying 9% of that into a pension plus tax and nat ins. And paying off the 9k per year student loan in order to be a teacher.

Makes you wonder who, if anyone, would want to be a teacher in the future!

SomethingWitty
I am so relieved to hear that I won't have to spend a fair part of my holidays writing new schemes of work.....

Teachers (like other Union members) can in fact only strike about issues affecting Pay and Conditions.......not about the implementation of new National Strategies, paperwork, etc.

Good on em I say. I fully support them. My DH is public sector and his union is atm threatening strike action. I will fully support him if he strikes. He's currently facing loosing his 12% shift allowance yet still expected to work unsociable shifts that chop and change at a moments notice.

195 days worked per year

I see witty - no-one is allowed weekends or holidays, you all work 390 days a year (from your figures) and I never work at weekends or in the holidays.

Must be an interesting universe you inhabit.

'Teachers on 30k for 6 months work are never going to get sympathy although not many understand the hard work and stresses involved.'

So in order to get the point across, as we do not have the sympathy or support of the public, then striking is a last resort.
What's the point in writing new schemes of work anyway? Aren't they planning on giving us a new National Curriculum anyway?
Out with Rose and in with Gove. Until the next turn of the carousel.

somethingwitty if you think we actually work only 195 days per year then you clearly have a very limited understanding of what teachers do.

Well witty, if it's such a great job because of the holidays, short working days and pay and pension, why aren't you a teacher?

Erm... 195 days in the classroom teaching children.

Do you think teachers just waltz up, teach during school hours, have a lunch break and wander home again? Teach off the top of their head? Do no planning or preparation or paper work? No marking? No additional study?

If it is that easy 9 - 3 for 6 months of the year why isnt everyone doing it?

Do you really believe that teachers only work 195 days witty?

somethingwitty - you know all about teaching and workload then?

Yes teachers have a set number of teaching hours. But when do you think planning, prep and marking takes place, not to mention other paperwork and admin, report writing, parent's evenings, meetings, moderation of coursework and marking, display boards, etc?

Do you have children at school? Would you be happy with a teacher wo only stuck to those xx number of working hours/days?

And £30k is not what all teachers get. And £30k is not a great professional salary either, not considering you need a degree AND a post grad qualification. Compare it to other professions.

Isn't it out with Rose and in with Jamie Oliver and Peter Andre?

Of course she believes that, and no amount of teachers saying that we work over and above and beyond that is going to change the opinion of a huge number of posters, so why bother trying?
Yes, I have a fantastic job on an excellent salary with a good pension and fabulous holidays. And I will fight to keep them with any legal methods that I can.
Your turn witty.

Lego: thanks - the RPI to CPI change is not retrospective - it applies only to future index-linking.

Anyone else? About how time already accrued will be treated under new proposals?

*192 days of teaching a year" - that is only one part of a teacher's job. There are many more tasks that take place on top of these das.

People who think teaching is easy, a question: have you ever done a presentation to people at work? The work, the preparation, the pressure, that is what we do for 5 hours a day. My DH does presentations once a fortnight to clients in his job, and can't imagine doing it all day every day. It is exhausting, and takes loads of presentation. Then factor in behaviour management on top and you have the most stressful job in the country.

'Isn't it out with Rose and in with Jamie Oliver and Peter Andre?'

But are they going to be any good at teaching all the lists of dates and facts and knowledge that Gove is planning on inserting into every orifice going?

takes loads of preparation* not presentation

That is not counting weekends, of course witty. And is only counting "directed time" - not any time during weekends and during the holidays which teachers inevitably have to spend preparing lessons etc. Or any time they spend taking the children on residential trips/ running after school clubs. It is estimated that teachers actually work about 50 hours a week: so using ONLY the 39 weeks you have quoted that is 1950 hours.

Compared to my husband, for example, who works fairly standard hours - 232 days a year - 38 hours a week. That is 1763 hours.

The fact teachers have it all bunched up into a shorter period of time is irrelevant.

And not many of them get paid £30K either.

30k for 6 months work?

Clearly I am in the wrong teaching job. I work 11 months of the year

Grrr...30 pupils in a class complete an essay, 10 minutes per piece to mark it and give useful feedback to help the pupil improve = 300 minutes = 5 hours. And that is before the admin, reports, lesson plans, schemes of work etc or the 8am to 9pm days when there are parents' evenings where you can be talking to multiple parents for 3 or more hours without a break...

Not an easy job even in lovely and supportive schools, and not all schools are.