Managing school strikes

[mamnotmum]

Just had an email from school to say they are shut next Thursday for strikes and will update us soon about a strike on 2 May.

It's not that I don't support the teachers but there is no way my employer is going to give me a day off with less than a weeks notice (paid or unpaid) and I can not work from home/bring my child to work.

I realise some people have grandparents / friends but is anyone else finding it increasingly difficult to manage?

Had the school shut fit previous strikes? These strike days were announced to the press a good couple of weeks ago so many parents (in the general sense, not just your school) will have already been aware.

It’s supposed to be difficult to manage so that you will be prompted to write to your MP in support of teachers so that hopefully the strikes can stop.

Not a chance. The only thing I support is the school getting more money for resources...but not for teachers pay/pensions above what they have already been offered...and whilst previous threads have gone on about the only thing teachers can strike over is pay...I fail to understand if that is the case, how striking helps get more money for resources.

It's shut for some of them. And only certain year groups for others.

I know what you mean parents had an idea that the strikes may happen on these days but a lot of employers still wouldn't authorise holidays without weeks / months of notice. And also if people use their holiday entitlement for 'possible' strike days then they may use most of their leave.

I realise it's meant to be difficult but I think it must be incredibly difficult for some and only a minor inconvenience for others.

The Government’s pay offer cones from money already given to schools (ie pre-strikes, it was ‘teachers should have 5% but you must cut the rest of the school budget to give them this money’)

The teachers have gone on strike for a pay offer that is fully funded - ie that does not deplete schools’ budgets in all other areas. Ime, many teachers would have accepted the pay offer made IF it had been funded - but didn’t because the Government didn’t fund it.

Is that hard to understand?

Although I realise that - I think most people won't write to their MPs. I have so much sympathy for the parents desperately trying to earn enough money and now they also have to find childcare/give up a day at work to look after children who should be in school.

@Blahdeblahaha

"Not a chance. The only thing I support is the school getting more money for resources...but not for teachers pay/pensions above what they have already been offered...and whilst previous threads have gone on about the only thing teachers can strike over is pay...I fail to understand if that is the case, how striking helps get more money for resources."

Teachers are asking for a fully funded pay rise. The existing offer was to be funded from existing budgets. So if you think they are entitled to any rise at all ( you probably don't), there will be less money for resources.

@Blahdeblahaha Teachers want a pay rise to be extra money from the government not to come from the current school budget. If the pay rise comes from current school budget then there's less to spend on resources. Don't forget that schools didn't get help with their energy bills too so if teacher pay rises come from the current budget then there's less to spend on resources which have gone up in price too because of inflation.
Having to teach with fewer resources or having to buy resources out of their own pocket is clearly much harder. I can see why so many have reached their limit and left.

@Blahdeblahaha How will you feel when your child has to sit their Maths or Science GCSE without having had a teacher qualified in those subjects at all?
Or when they tell you their maths lesson was in the hall with three other classes on a projector on the stage?
Or when they're sent home on a rotating basis because SLT can't staff the school adequately?

Yes I'm finding it increasingly difficult. We have no near by support from family so our options are to either take annual leave or pay for a local 'emergency school strike holiday club' which costs £30 9-3 so does not even cover a working day.
I fully support the teachers strikes in theory, the reality is my patience is wearing thin.

I support, but agree it is tricky trying to juggle. We have no support so I will either have to take 2 days annual leave at a very busy time or use a holiday club session, which is likely to cost me ££s we've not really got at the moment.

The gap between private and state is just widening.

100% agree with you.

I think it’s very convenient that the strike day has landed immediately after a bank holiday weekend. I wonder how many teachers will be picketing that day rather than taking advantage of their long weekend (while the rest of us suffer). Whoever decided that obviously wasn’t worried about image!

If teachers are sacrificing a day's pay to strike, what business is it of yours, @Notanotherone5 what they choose to do with the day?

Are you saying the same thing about the NHS strikes planned that weekend too?

The same as I felt when the teachers did feck all during lockdown but bitch on Mumsnet about how difficult their lives were, whilst the rest of us had to juggle work, teaching and childcare. When you equate the salary for the amount of weeks worked, it's a reasonable salary with an excellent pension. I feel that teachers should teach and there should be extra people to do with social care issues in school and that should not be lumped on the teachers and I don't think extra financial money compensates for that except in the short term and won't benefit the children, which is what I care about.

@Blahdeblahaha

A reply that spectacularly misses the point and ignores all the comments above explaining the real issues 😂

To be fair, a settlement that fully funded schools and local authorities to provide all pastoral / social care / health and mental health/ specialised SEN staff and facilities required, and to take all those responsibilities from teachers (except to deliver those appropriate adaptations to their general teaching required for SEN pupils in their classes, recommended and planned by experts) WOULD make a huge difference. It would be of huge benefit to children and teachers alike.

It would be MUCH more expensive than a pay settlement, though.

@cantkeepawayforever it maybe more expensive but it would mean that hopefully the teaching would be better as that is what the teacher can concentrate on. Throwing money at people already overstretched doesn't fix the overstretched-ness...just stops them complaining for a second

So how should we as a society go about achieving that end? Teachers are obviously not able to strike about it, as by law they can only strike about their own pay and conditions of employment. How else do we go about persuading the Government to part with that money?

@Blahdeblahaha You've made your agenda quite clear so there is no point engaging with you further.

@cantkeepawayforever now that is a good question

That's the point.

After the May date, there is talk of a three day strike in late June / early July and this going on until Christmas.

So you better buckle up and get used to it tbh.

But I will just say this.
"When you equate the salary for the amount of weeks worked, it's a reasonable salary with an excellent pension."
Well, it's clearly NOT a reasonable salary if so few people are prepared to apply for or remain in the job.

It’s ethically wrong that teachers are striking such that schools are closing and children losing education. I 100% support the reasons but they could strike in other ways - refuse ofsted access, refuse to submit SATs results etc.

Anything that denies children access to their education is for me over the line and unacceptable.

The impact of this on already struggling families is horrific.

I am now totally against it.