Things like this just make me want to throw in the towel now

[letseatgrandma]

A comment from the Guardan Education article link about the inet findings of the workload survey ublished last week

Teachers, not least in the way they are represented by the NUT, appear to think they should be unique in not being subject to scrutiny. In most jobs (including mine), one is judged on one's performance every single day. Whereas teachers throw their hands up in horror at the occasional Ofsted inspection? Do they feel they should graudate, be handed £30,000 per year for a 39 week year and then be left to their own devices for several decades without any scrutiny at all? The idea that the government should cave to every NUT demand based on a sever conducted by teachers themselves (many of whom will have never seen the world of work outside of education and therefore have nothing to base things on) is absurd. Ask ANY profession if they're overworked, of course they'll say yes. Incredible as well that NUT speak of 'more sackings' when teaching is famously the job with the fewest sackings of any in the country!

I want to cry reading that :(

Please re-read the OP for the context of this thread. I think the comment in that article around many teachers having never worked in another environment is a good one.

As for my comment on stress of teaching v. other professions it is based on what teachers post here and discuss in real life. The descriptions given are of a working day and a world of work which is no different in terms of workload and expectations than many others.

A quick google shows that c. 40% of teachers leave within 5 years. Reasons given vary from lack of /poor training / introduction of performance related pay / workload / poor behaviour / inadequate support from senior management / pension changes - a broad mix of reasons with the only unique factor being the behavioural challenges presented by children.

Interestingly we also have the youngest population of teachers in the OECD perhaps there is a correlation between the age, lack of experience in any other working environment and retention rate.

I think one of the main reasons we have such young teachers is that people just can't hack it for very long. Once you're out of your twenties and often have more other responsibilities, such as kids of your own, it is harder to deal with.

Also, there is nothing wrong with performance related pay, as long as it is actually based on your own performance. When it is based on the achievement of sometimes unrealistic targets set for other people (i.e. your pupils) who sometimes do not care if they achieve those targets, then there is definitely something wrong with it.

Another annoying point in the OP refers to teachers 'throwing their hands up in horror at the occasional Ofsted inspection '.

Does the writer really think that is because teachers think they shouldn't have their lessons observed?! Or that an inspection is the only time lessons are observed and scrutinised? It happens all the bloody time! It is the criteria for judgment that most teachers object to, not the actual being observed.

Blimey. What clueless bitter ignorant stupid arsehole came out with that pile of shuddering wank?

Priceless, Thing, and I thought I had the market cornered in superlative invective.

Tip top and spot on. :o

£30, 000 a year for all the work you do and stress and pressure