School Strikes 26th March - Invoicing the LEA

[Bexinder]

Just wanted to share what I'm doing, and I wonder if we can get some sort of campaign going. Lots of UK schools are closed due to teacher's industrial action next Wednesday 26th March. Given that we parents have absolutely no leeway when it comes to taking children out of school during term time and will be hit with heavy fines per child if we do without permission, I'm invoicing my local education authority for failing to provide education on this day. They haven't asked MY permission to allow the school to close.....Now I'm not expecting them to pay this at all, but I am wanting to cause a stink. They can close the school over the pay and pensions row, but I can't take my children out of school for a funeral.
Sorry - rant over... if anyone wants to copy the invoice, let me know and I'll post it. Thanks!

I don't want my son trained to pass exams I want him to love learning, find his niche and learn at his own pace by teachers who enjoy and like their job.
I don't think continual assessments is good for children the teachers or the school.

I really do wan't to see a copy of the invoice OP. Are you registered for VAT? or just PRATT

The strike is about far more than pensions and pay. It's also about the appalling changes Gove is making to the curriculum, and the fact that he ignores any research or evidence that doesn't support his myopic views.

He is degrading the profession. He has decided it's such an easy job, it doesn't even need a qualification, and yet is surprised that a 'higher calibre' of students don't want to become teachers, for a lower pay and worse conditions than in other industries.

Educational policies shouldn't be dictated by politicians. Gove knows nothing of the system, bar his own experiences as a child.

I think that we have to allow any worker the right to strike.

I think my issue with this is that I have no idea why they're striking nor do the children.

So yes - teachers - go ahead an strike - but why not also explain to the children why you are striking.

this is also a learning opportunity. Sure to a YR child this may be very difficult to explain - Mrs X is not going to teach me because she wants to go and tell her boss that doing XXX isn't fair, so she needs the day off to do this - and that's called a strike. They may not get through or be clear to a 4/5 year old - but a 9/10/11 year old may well understand it.

I have children in two primary schools and got the same 'form' letter from each. I realise that this is what is 'officially' meant to be released to parents - but the NUT seriously hurts themselves by not making sure the first thing they explain is why they are striking. Pay and conditions is chanted a lot - but who out there doesn't want better pay and conditions....

Perhaps start here: www.teachers.org.uk/

This is an opportunity to discuss what people do when they disagree with each other.

How disputes between employers and workers happen - and how they're resolved.

So I hope teachers out there reading this will take on board - this isn't the first strike day my child has had off, I do support your right to withhold labour, but... can I encourage you to explain this to pupils and parents far better....

best wishes

PSBD

I'm still chuckling to myself at the idea of a school governor who likes Gove... Think I'm more likely to meet a unicorn.

"I find it very surprising that a school governor would be in support of Gove. I am also a governor and cannot think of a single person who I know within the education system who would agree with your view that Gove is improving our education system."

And Ditto for me too.

Psbd I'm striking and have explained (in very simple terms) to my (7 year old) class why. I also asked them to discuss it with their parents and explained that not everyone agrees.

I personally think we have lost the pensions battle but recently entered the profession so expected as much. I am striking because if the change in pay and conditions come into force I will leave the profession. Gove is trying to get rid of the basics in one swoop, which include work day length (no additional pay), loss of PPA (I already work every evening and all day Saturday - as much as I love my job I'm not going to spend all my time doing it) and holidays.

I honestly believe if these conditions change for the worst for teachers, every child in this country will be worse off in their education.

Really pleased you explained it to your class Neverhere!

And as I said I support your right to strike - just a bit disappointed that discussing this right and the reasons why employees/ employers might have disputes (agruments often involving different needs on both sides) is really important - and I fear our school never sees the need to explain to the children what's going on (or the parents for that matter).

so as I said - really pleased to hear somewhere in England? a teacher is doing such a fab job!

Finally, and this is the old historian in me, these disputes operate over long periods of time on a pendulum - swinging one way then the other repeatedly. At times of financial constraint employers have the upper hand and can dictate pay/ conditions to their commercial/ financial advantage. At times of rapid development/ inflation - employees can make demands. As with all things it is a balance. What employers/ governments fail to recognise is people have memories and years of working overtime unpaid (because of the financial crisis) etc.... will be remembered and eventually freezes on pay across the board will break (hello inflation). A bit of leeway takes the pressure out of this system - but given our point in the political cycle I fear politicians are too short-sighted to see the folly of 6 years of near frozen pay.

However....I totally take your point on pensions. This and previous governments have failed to seriously investigate pension options for ordinary folk (the vast majority who work hard all their life earning

My dd's teacher isn't striking this time (not NUT) but she did explain it to the children before the last strikes. She gave them both sides of the argument, in simple terms. I agree that it's good for kids to have an understanding of what's going on and why.

I explained it to my year 11 class yesterday and they were quite supportive of our reasons. I agree that parents need a better understanding of what is going on- it frustrates me that they seem to think we're striking for 'better pay and conditions'- we simply want to preserve what we have.

2little, what is so wrong about wanting to protect your pension? These are people who have worked for years in the belief that their pension was secure. Now, when it is too late for many to make adequate alternative private arrangements, they have the rug pulled from under them. If you were in that situation, would you think the man who brought it about was so wonderful?

I find it very surprising that a school governor would be in support of Gove. I am also a governor and cannot think of a single person who I know within the education system who would agree with your view that Gove is improving our education system.

Governor at both a secondary and primary school in a leafy suburb here. I'm another who hasn't heard any of my governor colleagues agreeing with that view - and that includes Conservative councillors.

I don’t teach in England anymore. I was not well paid as a yeacher when compared to other graduates in my field. For my extra year of training, I got a starting salary less than 2/3 of starting salaries in industry. Lower pay rises. Much lower pension. I made that decision, because I love teaching and I think our children deserve a good education. Eroding pay and consitions meant I left the UK. Many other teachers ate leaving the profession. I would not choose to teach in England again. All I wanted is what I signed up for.

This is an idiotic idea. You should support your teachers going on strike. I certainly do. Yes it's inconvenient but they do a tremendous job that Gove is making harder every year. I agree they should stand up and protest about that, and the other issues. It's not a job I could do, very admiring of those who handle the endless stress, long hours, government demands and criticism day in day out to do something completely irreplaceable.

I think you are protesting the heavy-handed policies about kids missing the odd discretionary day of school more than you resent the teachers striking. I have actually heard other parents making this same point while waiting not the playground for kids to come out of school.

I would have thought the Daily Mail would be your first port of call.

(BTW, our school is lovely, no problem with the odd discretionary day if your child has good attendance and is keeping up academically; also no strike closures. Over the years the odd class has had to have been cancelled, but the school has never shut.)

Yep, Sarah Vine is definitely on this thread and I claim my £5

The private school would be considered to have breached the contract with the parent if its staff went on strike.

Not true, independent school teachers still have the right to strike and there have been no successful lawsuits from parents as a result. Education, even in independent schools is not considered to be a 'pay by the day' affair, it is a process which takes place over months and years. Pupils and Teachers are also deemed to have joint responsibility for progress. 'You can lead a horse to water....'

In fact parents suing for children not getting results remains thankfully very rare. It does happen occasionally but it is incredibly unlikely to be successful. Just google the outcome of the case when Gary Linekar sued his daughters school after her A Levels. (Hint, he didn't win!).

I know a school governor who is in support of Gove and also several parents.
I am not interested in what he has to say as he doesn't affect my dc, so haven't really heard most of what he says, nor bothered to work out the consequences of his policies.
He does have supporters out there though, even though the majority of you don't like him.
Teachers are striking for better policies to provide better education, you should all support them.

If you truly understood the real, deep damage being caused by Gove you would want to strike alongside us teachers.

Your op is depressing and the logic is ridiculous.

ipad I know how you feel! After 27 years full time my pension is worth a shade over £10,000 pa. Generous? Hardly!

I have also heard a nasty rumour that Gove wants to get rid of the EYFS in Reception. Presumably to replace it with a sit down totally formal curriculum that flies in the face of research on child development and brain development. God help us!

Thank God I will have a role outside the classroom (after MUCH soul searching) next year with a bit of PPA cover.

I keep seeing this rubbish on Facebook at the moment, it's shocking how many ignorant people don't seem to realise that striking is a legal right in this country, or haven't bothered to look into the reasons behind the strike.

I fully support the teachers strike. I say that as a working parent with two primary school aged DC.

I have 3 DC at primary school. One is off because of the strike. I have to choose between taking a day's unpaid leave to look after the one at home OR paying £4 an hour for DS1 to go to wrap around care (ON THE SCHOOL SITE FFS and in the process of become officially part of the school, with at least one TA attached to a striking class working there on the strike day). Frankly quite tempted to bill that to someone.

On the last strike, DD had a (non-critical) hospital appointment put back 7 weeks because they didn't have enough staff in to run the clinic on strike day. While striking is a right, it seems to me that only "privileged" professions get to use it, and the people affected by strike action are those who have no control over the striking issues. I doubt Gove gives a monkeys that teachers are striking - it only gives him ammunition to change more.

Surely a more effective protest would be not submitting data to the LEA?

Striking is legal action whereas failing to submit data is illegal

What do you mean by privileged?