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Original poster

Teachers speaking out about parents' long working hours

412 replies

vestandknickers · 15/04/2014 08:21

Here.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-27027677

Interesting. I think it is good that this is being raised as an issue.

I am not anti working parents at all, but surely a society that thinks it is ok for children to be at school from 8am to 6pm needs to look at itself.

Hopefully it is still a small minority of children who spend five days a week at school for these hours, but it is good that teachers are speaking out before it becomes seen as an acceptable norm.

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Thurlow · 17/04/2014 20:38

Wow, morethan. Sure, it's good financial management to not work so that you can continue to claim benefits and education support to allow your DC to go to boarding school.

But morally?

Upthread you said: wouldn't expect other tax payers to contribute to my lifestyle choice in the form of childcare

Yet that is exactly what you are doing by not working!

We both work f/t and can't afford boarding school. Maybe I should stop working, claim some benefits and hope DD gets the state to fund a private or boarding education...

YouAreMyFavouriteWasteOfTime · 17/04/2014 20:39

Morethan I for one, put no value on your apologies. You will just be critisizing working women on the next thread that you can. like always. You like to critisize the hand that feeds you. I am sure a shrink would have something interesting to say about that.

morethanpotatoprints · 17/04/2014 20:44

Thurlow.

I H.ed our dd, I don't work. Do you read well?

Tax credits are stopping well before my dd will go to the school, if she decides to.
Look at the post where your bold comment comes from, it was in response to a hypocrite suggestion that it is ok for tax payers to fund childcare and tax credits, but not tax credits if there's a sahp.
If your dd is talented enough, you too could apply and would be treated equally.

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Thurlow · 17/04/2014 20:50

I know you home ed. But you're thinking of sending your DD to boarding school, from what I understand for her benefit. That's fine. But you've said if you work you wouldn't get financial support for her to go - so you won't work, so that you can get that financial support.

I'm amazed you can't see how hypocritical it is of you to keep your family on one income so that the fees for the school are cheaper.

morethanpotatoprints · 17/04/2014 20:51

Ha ha, the apology was ironic as I had been accused of something I hadn't done, or thought. Unless there are mind readers out there who know what you are thinking. "Smug and superior" I remember Grin.
I'm not interested in what others do, so hardly critical of working mothers, but because I think differently I am critical of you and others.
As I know nothing at all about you, I don't see how your argument stands up.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being the hand that feeds me, how can I ever thank you for such a selfless act, you are truly wonderful for donating to sahps. Or could it be you didn't have a say in the matter.
I have never seen such crap in all my life. I may be different but I don't have to put others down to make myself feel better. Perhaps a psychologist would benefit you.

morethanpotatoprints · 17/04/2014 20:57

Thurlow

You might not agree with it, but this is what all parents do here. If I worked, it would take us to the next threshold, this would mean we couldn't afford the fees and she couldn't go.
I am likely to get some voluntary work and may even volunteer as support in the school or the City Uni, as I have a PgCE. I'm sure I can find something worthwhile to do.

TheLateMrsLizCromwell · 17/04/2014 20:58

Have not read the whole thread, but can definitely second Boffinmum's last post - friends with bursaries have had to prove that both were working full-time as well as all the other full disclosure of their assets and income. And there are several people I know who are working the system, working precisely the number of hours that gain maximum 'tax credits' Hmm (nice spin in naming hand-outs from actual tax-payers in that misleading way Gordon Brown) and benefits - just not sustainable as a society for some people to do this while others work long hours to support those who choose not to.

Thurlow · 17/04/2014 21:00

If that's what everyone does where you live, I'm quite glad I live down here, thank you. I'd rather be a bit stressed and busy with our two jobs than rig benefits like that.

Thurlow · 17/04/2014 21:01

X-post with LizCromwell, who puts it so much better.

The money for extra benefits, the bursaries for boarding schools, all these things are paid for by parents with two jobs who can afford the full fees or taxpayer money.

morethanpotatoprints · 17/04/2014 21:07

Thurlow

It's not up here Grin The school happens to be here, but many come from over seas, they are assessed exactly the same.
Sink estate no working parents receiving all benefits, to the exceedingly rich both parents working and everyone in between.
You pay anything from £0 + free uniform, travel etc to 30K if your income is very high.

YouAreMyFavouriteWasteOfTime · 17/04/2014 21:10

Ooooo morethan! Someone's rattled your cage.

TheLateMrsLizCromwell · 17/04/2014 21:13

But people who are working long hours are paying for your choice not to work long hours. Sure you are just working the system, but sheesh, what a poor example to set your DC. And (maybe) smugly dabbling in charity work to ease your conscience? Unbelievable.

Thurlow · 17/04/2014 21:18

How can you not see that someone else is paying for you, morethan? Where do you think that money comes from?

CeruleanStars · 17/04/2014 21:22

morethan tax credits are stopping? when?

GoodnessIsThatTheTime · 17/04/2014 21:23

I'm not sure I understand how people work enough hours to fiddle tax credits.is there a point where it's not profitable to earn more? I don't get it.

alita7 · 17/04/2014 21:27

what's going to replace tax credits if anything?

Just wondering as surely there are lots of families who can't afford to live without them, both parents on minimum wage or one at home with a baby or a parent with a problem that affects them working.

alita7 · 17/04/2014 21:30

Goodness when dp worked we got more in tax credits as he got working tax credits. He was made redundant and now we only get a raised rate of child tax credit which is less than we used to get.
I'm sure if dp or I had earned a small amount more or less we may have got more or less tax credits. But once you go over a thresh hold you don't get any.

CeruleanStars · 17/04/2014 21:33

I hope something does, lots of us rely on them.

BoffinMum · 17/04/2014 21:51

SAHP with a child in boarding school is surely an oxymoron of some kind.
Can you not see the reason why people on here think you are milking others for your own benefit, in a comparatively negative way? That if we all did this, the system would completely collapse? These are the choices you are making.

morethanpotatoprints · 17/04/2014 21:53

You are

No, not rattled at all, its like water off a ducks back. mnet is very predictable sometimes.

I'm not sure you could fiddle tax credits tbh, not sure I'd want to neither. You work the hours you do and earn the money you do. They ask for your income and they tell you what your entitled to and send your award. If you get it wrong or if they get it wrong, you pay it back.

alita7
It is being replaced by UC, you are ok if you have pre school dc I believe. If you don't want to work and be a sahp like me, there is nothing. Sorry, I should have said our tax credits are stopping.
A lot of people who relied on them will lose out though, or have to do workfare.

Thurlow · 17/04/2014 21:56

I love that MN is predictable for pointing out that you are screwing the system Grin

morethanpotatoprints · 17/04/2014 21:59

BoffinMum

No, I don't see it tbh.
If this school system just worked in my favour then obviously, but it is the same for everyone.
There are lots of parents with one only working who attend this school. There are some where parents choose not to work at all and get the same. You could argue that parents earning 100k should be paying full fees, not just those on 180+

alita7 · 17/04/2014 22:00

I do see why you would stay not working if it got your child a future they otherwise wouldn't have - getting into music as a career is difficult!
I know it's a moral difficulty, but if you just couldn't pay for it otherwise but as things are have the chance for her to do it... well I think more people would do it than are saying they would!

BoffinMum · 17/04/2014 22:01

Thurlow, I am with you there. It's rare I call people names in RL or on MN but shyster just had to be typed in this instance. This country educated someone, and trained someone to be a teacher, and now she sits at home on the social, working out how to avoid paying her way at every turn. It's just wrong. Plain wrong. My parents would have an utter fit if I carried on like that.

BoffinMum · 17/04/2014 22:02

Alita, most people who go for music as a career do not attend specialist music schools until they go to a conservatoire at the age of 18.

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