Parents becoming teachers? Is it me or has Gove totally lost it?

[sogrownup]

How do you feel about going into school to cover for a teacher who is on strike? Is there anyone out there who believes that this is a sound idea.... I think it's madness!!

Elibean - I am not 'the boss' of anyone that I pay to provide services for me. I do though have a right to expect them to deliver the service I pay for - hence they DO work for me.

Current estimates are that the existing pension arrangement is worth between 30-40% on top of teacher's existing salaries.

That's quite a lot. There might be an argument that even with an additional 40%, a teacher's salary is still only comparable with other similarly qualified occupations.

But it's also worth considering where this additional salary comes from. It isn't coming from current tax revenues, it's coming from future ones. We're mortgaging our children's future and saddling them with debt before they've even earnt a penny.

FBerry, I don't know of any in our entire leafy suburb primary school. And not heard of any in adjoining leafy suburb primary schools either.

Yes, but Beta the State provides the service - just as you would complain to an agency boss if you didn't get the service you were paying for, you should complain to the government. Rather than meddle (not right word, not trying to be inflammatory just can't think of another one) with the workings of that agency - which include dissatisfied employees.

Out of nosiness, I asked a few parents tonight at kicking out time.

Some hadn't heard Goves comments and expressed surprise that the Government should suggest such a thing. Others had heard and not one intended to go in. More importantly, not one thought they could teach, other than in a 'helpful' sort of 'one to one/parental reading' sort of way.

Luckily, none of those I spoke to had great issues covering, although a few were going around friends houses where there is a non-working parent rather than the parents having time off of work.

Not exactly an overwhelmingly positive response to Gove's enchanted notions. A positive support of teaching ability though, I thought.

Of course, if teachers are our servants, then they should indeed be disrupting our lives as much as possible, because we are the ones they believe to be giving them a poor deal - not the Government. And they are their own servants, too, I guess, given that they pay tax. So they should really go about shouting at themselves for being so mean and unreasonable.

I don't think teachers are working in partnership when they are reneging on their 'contract' with us parents by just walking out at very short notice in our case. I think it is pretty poor.

Did I sign a contract with my child's school or school teachers? I must go and dig it out to see what they promised me and what I was supposed to do in return and then sue the school/LEA/government.

Flagging,

I don't think that parents are working in partnership when they take children on in-term holidays ... or on the other hand send in children with high temperatures or who have just been sick because 'I have to get to work and I'm sure you'll look after him'..... or fail to feed their children before they coime into school.

However, I don't particularly get on my high horse and start saying 'but you're not meeting your part of the bargain', I do my very best for your child. Which is why I'm not striking and have left a striking union to avoid doing so

Its all too stressful, i wish i could home educate again.

Xenia I shall look forward to you and your huge number of parents turning up at my school.

readingman - I've said it before and I'll say it again, Fuck off and when you get there fuck off some more.

Regardless of rights and wrongs of strike, any parent who does go in is risking a heck of a lot; what if a child breaks their arm, or, accuses them of interfering with them sexually? The list of what could go wrong for that parent are as long as Gove's arm.
Sorry, but I feel that they are taking one heck of a chance and my advice would be to stay away!

Wish I still had a teaching job to strike from...oh, I forgot, we have jobs for life and iron clad pensions...sigh

I'm on your side. I've been saying there are good teachers who are looking for work!

Those parents who are prepared to go in, oh boy, those kids are going to have some fun with you. Being kids, they like to play up a bit. .

Parent: 'Now, sonny, don't you be giving ME any lip!!'

Child: 'Or what are you going to do about it, sir?'

Parent: 'I'll give you the cane. Like I had when I was in school, young man!!'

Oh dear, good ol' society-minded citizen who wishes to show those uppity teachers 'what for' gets done for assault. Dumbass.

Re partnership: healthy relationships involve a certain amount of flexibility, give AND take, times when one partner needs to shoulder the burdens because the other one has extra-ordinary needs. They also involve conflict, and they also involve commitment.

Commitment doens't mean not having times of need, times of conflict, times of needing time-out. So parents can sometimes be a pain in the butt and break rules without breaking the 'contract' with the education partners. Teachers can sometimes cause inconveniences too. Parents can demand things. Teachers can demand things.

Even if Readingman's report is right, the problem isn't teachers fault.

Compared to the Chinese: our children have low aspirations fuelled not by teachers but by the benefits culture and the belief in immediate success, encouraged by TV shows.

Our children are not driven to succeed by parents expecting them to dedicate their lives to school, education and school work.

Our exam system has changed - fuelled by Governments requirements that all children get 5 GCSE - A-C inc EM when children are - on average - no more clever now than they ever were, so to get a large proportion more through exams have to change into bite-size exams (modules) or to coursework (giving them more time).

Teachers are intelligent people - their inability to see the reality of the need for pension review due to changes in how long we live might drive me batty - but such contempt for the profession shown by readingman is pure ignorance.

I don't imagine ReadingMan has visited many schools in China ... he should.

Kez100 we had a pension review in 2007 when it was agreed that if there was a shortfall in funds teacher's would pay 50% more in contributions... how's that for reality?

arrrrgggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh- Mr Gove is NOT asking parents to teach - merely to watch the kids of parents who cannot take time off work for fear of losing their job.

yes we get that Do you think that the children will sit meekly all day and colour in then?

He may not be asking them to teach, but I still think any parent who goes to 'sit' with the children is being dumb. A classroom full of children in the hands of a person who is not experienced in dealing with them? Not a good proposition. Not a good proposition for the children or the parents.

Watch them at home, by all means. If I tried to 'watch' dd's class inside a classroom, they would be utterly confused at best, run riot at worst.

I probably will help out with other parents' kids on Thursday, but at home. To do a friend a favour, not to do Mr Gove a favour.

Doing a friend a favour also does Mr Gove a favour, being as it reduces the maximum disruption effect the unions are going for.