Public thinks teachers work fewer hours and are paid more than they actually are

[noblegiraffe]

The global survey of how society views teachers has found that people in the UK think that teachers work fewer hours than they actually do and are paid more than they actually are.

But interestingly, they think that teachers should be paid more than the pay they’ve overestimated.

So how much would they think teachers should be paid if they had an accurate view of the hours involved?!

Interestingly, support for performance-related pay for teachers has plummeted since the last survey 5 years ago, from about 3/4 support to 1/3. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to remove performance related pay.

www.tes.com/news/british-public-thinks-teachers-deserve-ps7500-pay-rise

No TLR for part timers in my school.
Doesn't bother me at the mo. I'd rather be poor but have a life outside work.

As I said before @Holidayshopping it wasn't my intention to turn it into that - I only started the comparison because I got jumped on for daring to say that I think teaching is comparable in its pitfalls to many other professions.

Anyway, I'll hop of the thread if you'd prefer and leave you guys to bring it back to teaching and teaching alone.

Not that I think we should compare professions, but if we must I think the problem with teaching when compared to other high pressure roles like vets, is that vets don't get people thinking they know better.

If a person takes a pet to the vets they usually listen to the vets advice, agree with their treatment and leave thinking it's expensive but worthwhile.

Where as in teaching you have to put up with parents, carers and students thinking they know better than you. Disagreeing with the way you teach, marks you give, any concerns you raise.

Alexnder amongst HCP's the biggest issues is working Xmas day especially of you have a family. But if you choose a health care profession you just accept it. In many professions there are upsides and downsides that's just how life goes.
Let's be realistic there are only few if any well paid "easy jobs" out there.

I have worked with quite a few teachers over the years I have met some who do it because they claim it is "child friendly" especially the holidays which of course another issue for many who aren't teachers. Personally I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole but teachers should be properly rewarded fro their efforts and their working time should be sensible.

"Where as in teaching you have to put up with parents, carers and students thinking they know better than you. Disagreeing with the way you teach, marks you give, any concerns you raise."
I don't think this is the sole preserve of teachers either frankly. I dont think you do your case any justice by trying to make out that youre so much harder done by than others.
You like many others are poorly paid and work long hours just rest your case there.

*bubblesbuddy those evenings working in waterstones 4-8 after working supply because I couldn't get a job were sadly VERY real, as much as I wished it wasn't..

Happy i'm not a teacher. I just feel that there aren't many other professional jobs, where workers are routinely told by those who don't work in the industry that they are wrong. Yet within teaching it's a regular occurrence that a parent, carer or student will do so. Perhaps it's because they went to school themselves so they feel able to judge and comment. However, I certainly don't feel they would be as quick (if ever) to do the same to a vet.

I personally know, in my LA, of job share Heads, several job share deputies and quite a few job share senior teachers in primary schools. Many job shares in secondary schools too. Just because you don’t ask, don’t have forward thinking SLTs and Governors, it doesn’t have to be that way all over the country.

It is a family friendly job in that teachers get the holidays largely off and can work from home if they are working and do not have the childcare costs that others do in these periods. That’s family friendly. Part time work is widely available. A school would be mad not to offer part time to keep excellent staff. They would also be mad not to look at job shares. Employers are obviously still in the dark ages!

The teachers just below SLT that I know who are primary teachers get around £40,000. All progressions have a chance for employees to excel and progress beyond the basic level. Deputy Heads get £60,000 plus and some Heads get £100,000 plus plus plus. If you want money, it’s there.

IceRebel: do you really think other professionals don’t have anyone criticising their work??? You really must live in a bubble. Most jobs working for others (in private companies and in the public sector) get a degree of criticism and difficulty from customers. Teaching is no different. Look at social workers if you want to see vicious criticism and blame.

Just because you don’t ask

What makes you think I haven’t asked or suggested a job share?

Of course I know that other professions also receive criticism, I didn't say it was just teachers. I will agree that social workers are also the focus of a lot of negative comments and anger from those who don't actually do the job.

However, just a quick look at mumsnet active right now shows 3 thread with negative comments about teaching and schools. None about Vets, Social worker, accountants, and such like. So yes I admit there are other professions who receive criticism, but it does feel like teachers have an extra large target.

To be surprised DSs teacher claims Harry Potter are her favourite books?

AIBU same child gets chosen for everything at school

AIBU to be annoyed the teacher was telling the children how she didn't believe in the moon landings ?

Just chipping in to point out that beyond the 4/5 weeks statutory paid holidays that all workers have, teachers’ holidays are UNPAID.

I think doctors get challenged quite a bit too! And of course teachers will be mentioned frequently - it's a parenting website and as parent we and our children deal with them everyday - those two things alone would result in a higher probability of complaints.

I used to teach. I’m now paid less (£23k) and have a job with less social hours and much much more responsibility and more hours. However my job is far more interesting and rewarding.

I really would like to see teachers being paid quite a bit more - I would like to see it becoming a profession that attracts the very cream - I greatly admire anyone who can teach, inspire, support and nurture our next generation - it's a saintly job when it's done right.
On PRP I'm torn - I remember in the 80s our teachers did very little extra to help us pass our exams - they saw it very much as - they delivered the lessons and it was up to the pupils whether they wanted to pass or not, some were ridiculously lazy. I think it's gone crazily the other way with schools being obsessed with grades and league tables and the pressure is ridiculous and the effect this is having on pupils (and staff) mental health is a big concern. A better balance needs to be found.

It’s public sector though, which means everyone just knows you have it cushy and know how to do your job better than you do...

IceRebel despite people seeing my colleagues and myself because they hope we can help them quite a few quite happily queery our advise and seem to be labouring under see the impression that we are there just to make their lives difficult and come up we suggestions that are the least likely to help or that we get some sort of ghoulish satisfaction fro making their lives more uncomfortable. I understand ambulance drivers radiologist and staff working in supermarkets feel the same.
The really weird thing I’ve noticed about teachers over the years is how keen they seem to be to criticise others and how u supportive they can often be and I coming ftom a profession that when the shit hits the fan your colleagues die like flies and count their lucky stars they weren’t involved so it must be bad.

Teaching is not a job that I could do. I simply do not have the patience to be able to teach kids of any age and I am amazed as a governor by the dedication of teachers to their job and to the children in their class. Yes I am under no illusions it is a difficult job and that the first few years are the most difficult. Whether the training teachers get before they are thrown into the classroom is adequate is another very different discussion.
I am afraid though that nobody in this age should be entering the teaching profession without knowing the kind of salary and conditions they will be working under in the future. Term time is long days and many hours worked and I do not know a teacher who takes all their holiday entitlement but Cauliflowersqueeze suggesting that teachers do not get paid for their holidays is I am afraid living in a cloud-cuckoo land. They get an annual salary and therefore are paid for holidays.

littlecloudling
Has anyone mentioned how utterly draining it is trying to be an amazing role model and the best person you can be when you are surrounded by 30 5 year olds who all want a piece of you. You can't just walk off or have a bad day.

You made out like teachers perform heroic stuff all day everyday. It is a job. Everyone has a bad day every now and again. There are many other jobs that people can’t just work out because they need the money to live.

No, we don’t get paid for holidays.

I get less than £14ph based on 38wks

Argh do not open the ‘paid for the holidays’ can of worms, it has been done a billion times and just destroys a thread.

GHGN We’re secondary, and I think you teach in a nice school. I reckon that’s an entirely different kettle of fish on the ‘draining’ front to a class of the same five year olds for the whole day.

Even if I’ve got bottom set Y9 followed by bottom set Y8, I’ve then got a bit of a breather with sixth form or a top set.

I am afraid though that nobody in this age should be entering the teaching profession without knowing the kind of salary and conditions they will be working under in the future.

We rely on this being the case otherwise we’d get no teachers at all. Teachers are always working under the assumption that next year it will be better.

I do teach in nice schools and I don’t have to deal with much behavioural problems now but I see teaching as a job. It is a job that I do well in the areas that I am good at. However, it is not something that I would be willing to scarify my health or personal life for. If I need a day off because I am ill then I will go home. If I don’t perform to a good standard then satisfactory will do. By definition you can’t be very good or outstanding all the time so satisfactory or the occasional less than satisfactory will do.