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!!

The time to consult an employment lawyer (or union if you are a member) is during the consultation period rather than shrug and grumble under your breath, so that it isn't a PR exercise

Mrz, lots of people consulted employment lawyers, and the verdict was that the changes were legal. We all have employment contracts which are subject to change within the contractual notice period. So long as that notice period is honored then this is all legal.

So, what is a typical teacher notice period? 1 month? 3 months?

Teachers pay and conditions are reviewed/changed annually

But, what is the notice period on the whole contract?

That is our contract Strix

It's call the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document

So, there is no notice period? Just an annual pay review? If ther eis no notice period than surely your terms can be changed whenever the gov't feels like it... Or am I missing something?

Yes, Strix, you're missing the fact that teachers can withdraw their labour when their employer behaves unreasonably.

There hasn't been a consultation period for the pension changes (or if there has I haven't been asked). The government proposes a change, unions then go into negotiations on our behalf. Having not read the 'burgandy book' (the document that sets out our pay and conditions) in any depth I don't know if there is a notice period for contract changes. Teachers' pay and working sconditions are quite different from normal employment law, a friend who is an employment lawyer won't touch teachers issues for that reason as what she can normally argue (ie in employment disputes/tribunals) can't be applied to teacher

No Strix it is a review of pay and conditions of employment

Yes and the unions are involved and there are national agreements. Even many teachers in private schools are part of the state teacher pension scheme although they would then separately have a written contract with the school as commercial employees do.

Under the government proposals teachers working in the independent sector will no longer be able to be part of the TPS which is why some of them are also taking action today.

Apparently teachers were on strike at Eton today. Of course they are already private sector, but clearly 'expensive' (read 'any') pension schemes make things less appealing for prospective privatisers. Given the outlook for eg the NHS, it seems inevitable that the free school/academy/tuition fee fiasco will continue in education too.

Looking at this from another angle... The Government is responsible for ensuring our public services are run effectively using our taxes. I'm astonished that, to those who are against the strikes, the idea that public sector workers are expected to lump it or leave it is so acceptable. Do you really consider that it's ok for the Goverment to run our public services with our taxes in this way? Is it ok that in this particular case they are so casual about the possibility of losing good teachers and are in turn potentionally failing our education system? The Government is accountable to us as they are spending our money. If they pissed off the bin men so much that they all left and our rubbish was uncollected, you'd all be up in arms. And would you blame the bin men or the Government? The Government needs to take some responsibility for having created the situation in the first place through heavy handed mismanagement but are rather cleverly deflecting the blame on teachers.

Of course the Government are casual about it all - they don't see why they should be accountable for anything. They are just a tax collector that wants to farm the money out to private enterprise wherever possible, to line the pension pots of the chief executives of said private enterprises. And they justify this by telling us that the private sector is so appallingly bad at looking after its own employees that it would only be fair if the public sector went the same way - private enterprise can get away with it, after all, so why should the Government not also get off the hook?

"The Government is responsible for ensuring our public services are run effectively using our taxes....."

Yes and no. They are certainly responsible the effective running of public services - but we the tax payers and voters have responsibllity for deciding the scale and quality of our public services.

If we want top notch public services and are prepared to pay for them - then it's the governments job to ensure we get them. Trouble is I don't think any of our main stream politicians believe that we are prepared to pay what's needed.

Miliband is certainly worried that the stikes will damage public opinion.

The level of public support for these strikes will be an important indicator, IMO.

I agree. We pay taxes and in return the government provides education (amongst other things). School was not open yesterday. I want a tax refund because they did not provide the service for which I pay plenty.

There is plenty of blame to go around here. Teachers do have to accept that their pension are subject to the same forces as everyone else's, and yesterday's strike is not likely to alter that inevitability.

But, also, I though the suggestion that I go in and help out was ludicrous. Why should I? I have a job to go to. So why would I take a day of holiday to go do a job I already pay someone else to do?

Cameron might have a tough time getting you to join his Big Society, by the sound of it, Strix

Depends on whether I get some control for my input. For example, I like the idea of Academies where parents get more control and the LEA pisses off. Not sure if that's exactly how they work. But, I would sign up to that. But, if he wants me to continue to pay all my taxes, cut my child benefit, work for him for free and just put of with the usual bearocract which does mor to inhibit my children's education than it does enhance it. Well, then I'd have to ask what's in it for me (or rather my kids)?

However, I do most certainly support smaller government and fiscal responsibility. So, the Tories are in my mind the least of the evils. Labour got us here so don't like them one bit. And the Lib Dems think I'm one of the truly rich in spite of the fact that I can't afford to buy a house or even a car. So, definitely not for them either.

You may think you pay plenty, Strix, but clearly the Government and the teachers think you don't - either you pay more to get other people willing to do the job for you, or you start doing your own dirty work for free.

Academies won't give you personally more control - unless you fancy setting up the Strix Academy where you can be chair of the board of governors (an unpaid role) bossing the headteacher around that you have recruited.

I thought this was interesting (although obviously "one side of the argument")
falseeconomy.org.uk/blog/this-is-not-a-pension-reform-it-is-simply-a-pay-cut

To be honest, I haven't really looked into academies much. So fully admit ignorance on that one. I just know they cut out the LEA and the money goes direct to the school. And that sounds like a good idea to me. More money per pupil by cutting the overheads sounds like a good idea to me.

Incidentally, do the academy teachers also have their contracts ruled by an annual review of this "burgandy book"?

burgundy

Think LEAs are going to totally leave Academies alone?

Nah, not a hope. They will still feed into the SN kids admitted (legal duty) and so the academy will have LEA links.