Thousands of pupils across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin will have the day off tomorrow, with the number of schools to be hit by the planned teachers strike now soaring to more than 60.There will be widespread disruption at both primary and secondary schools as a result of the first national teachers strike in 21 years. Today the Government was refusing to back down in the pay dispute.
Schools minister Jim Knight said giving in to the demands of striking teachers would not be “credible”.
He added it would now be difficult to persuade them to call off the 24-hour walk-out.
The strike is being staged by members of the National Union of Teachers. About 6,000 schools are expected to be closed or partially shut as a result of the action, called in protest at a three-year pay deal of 2.45 per cent from September and rises of 2.3 per cent in subsequent years.Forty-one schools in the Shropshire County Council area will be affected, as will 23 in Telford & Wrekin. Many teachers from these schools are expected to attend a major protest rally in Birmingham.
Ann Hartley, county council cabinet member for children’s services, said today: “We value our staff tremendously and appreciate all the hard work they do. We have a loyal workforce and I know they would not do this without a lot of soul-searching.
“However it is a shame it has come to this and some children will miss out on a day of school.”
The Local Government Association yesterday surveyed 53 councils across the country over the possible scale of the disruption.
Based on its figures, about a third of schools will be affe- cted, with 15 per cent forced to close. The chairman of the teachers’ pay review body Bill Cockburn stood by its recommendations, describing the strike as “very regrettable”.
But NUT acting general secretary Christine Blower said it was a “last resort” with teachers having had below-inflation pay rises for the last three years.
The son of ex-prime minister Tony Blair will reportedly join the walkout and could take part in one of many rallies being held by striking teachers.
Nicky Blair, 21, is working at a comprehensive school in the West Midlands.
SCHOOLS HIT BY THE ACTION:
SHROPSHIRE
Schools closed:
Baschurch CE Primary, Clunbury CE Primary, Holy Cross CE Junior (Shrewsbury), John Wilkinson Primary (Broseley), Mount Pleasant Junior (Shrewsbury), Oswestry Infants, Grange Junior (Shrewsbury), St George’s Junior (Shrewsbury), St George’s Junior (Clun), Lakelands secondary (Ellesmere), Belvidere secondary (Shrewsbury).
Partially closed:
Beech Grove CE Junior (Oswestry), Bryn Offa CE Primary (Pant, Oswestry), Christ Church CE Primary (Cressage), Cleobury Mortimer Primary, Coleham Primary (Shrewsbury), Crowmoor Primary (Shrewsbury), Gobowen Primary, Harlescott Junior (Shrewsbury), Kinnerley CE Primary, Oxon CE Primary (Shrewsbury), Shifnal Primary, St Andrews CE Primary (Shifnal), St Giles CE Primary (Shrewsbury), St Laurence CE Primary (Ludlow), St Leonard’s CE Primary (Bridgnorth), St Mary’s Bluecoat CE Primary (Bridgnorth), St Mary’s Catholic School (Shrewsbury), Whitchurch CE Infants, Wilfred Owen Primary (Shrewsbury), Wistantow CE Primary, Woodfield Infants (Shrewsbury), Cleobury Mortimer Primary.
Secondary schools partially closed:
Bridgnorth Endowed, Church Stretton, Bishop’s Castle Community College, Lacon Childe (Cleobury Mortimer), Oldbury Wells (Bridgnorth), Priory (Shrewsbury), Thomas Adams (Wem), William Brookes (Much Wenlock).
TELFORD & WREKIN
Schools closed:
Millbrook Primary (Leegomery), Moorfield Primary (Newport), Newport Infants, Newport CE Junior, Haughton Special, Hadley Learning Centre primary, Wrockwardine Wood secondary.
Partially closed:
Dothill Junior, William Reynolds Junior (Madeley), Dawley CE Primary, John Randall Primary (Madeley), Old Park Primary, Lawley Primary, Priorslee Primary, Randlay Primary, Teagues Bridge Primary, Windmill Primary, Redhill Primary, Meadows Primary, Short Wood Primary, Blessed Robert Johnson Catholic College, Hadley Learning Centre, Phoenix secondary.
By Education Correspondent Dave Morris
Loading ...
54 Comments
What a disgrace this saga is, it hasn’t affected me personally but I know people who this has affected.
One of my good friends has had to book a day off work to look after their child, who’s going to compensate this unavoidable loss of holiday.
A member of my family said to me this morning that their child will be recieving extra homework to catch up on the missed days work, this is so wrong.
The people involved in this action should be ashamed of the impact this has on everyone elses life.
It must be terrible to be a teacher! Lots of holiday, average working hours (ignore the propaganda), good wages! Yet they can still hold their employer THE TAXPAYER to ransom…..
“SHOW ME THE MONEY OR WE WILL NOT DO OUR JOB”. Its ridiculous. A guaranteed pay rise every year, yet still not happy. With the current economic climate they should be happy that wages are not being cut and that they have a job at all.
Get back to work!!
My son’s school is closing for the day and we’re having to take time off etc to cover.
They better not look at me funny next time I tell them I’m taking my son out of school during term time for a family holiday, spouting their trot about missing valuable time.
Losers.
You really would have thought that people would want the best possible education for their children. To get the best teachers you need to pay good wages (comparable with other professionals) - you pay poor wages, the people best qualified to teach move into other better paid professions - and YOUR children’s education suffers.
To be honest the type of comments expressed so far seem to be from the type of people whose children I wouldn’t want to teach however much I was paid!
It is a teachers right to strike if they are not receiving a fair rate of pay, and given their treatment over the last 2 decades I support them totally. What a shame that a few unsupportive people are put out by this action for a WHOLE day - What a disgrace!
i am amazed how certain professions get away with strike action. i myself work in healthcare and although strike action has been used before, in our profession these days it is very rarely used to get our point across regarding better pay and conditions. as many people are surely aware our profession is one of the least paid jobs but we are expected to work under these conditions and how often have you seen nursing staff strike over pay?
what a load of clap trap from above, poor wages ?? i do not think so a decent wage for the job, what they have had to put up with over the last 20 years??being asked to earn there money , this strike isnt supported by the majority of decent teachers there pay is reflective of there dutys and qualifications they have every right to leave there job and go and work else where if it as bad as they want us all to believe .
These people went in to the job many over the last twenty years and many knew what it involved and if they didnt then clearly they didnt do there homework , i do not believe they have to many hoildays thats as much hype as they are underpaid .
As for the following comment…To be honest the type of comments expressed so far seem to be from the type of people whose children I wouldn’t want to teach however much I was paid!, LETS JUST HOPE THE ABOVE PERSON WHO SAID THAT DOESNT TEACH, IF THEY DO SACK THEM .As for the people best qualified to teach moving on to better paid job there is a reason many do not there in a very safe bubble , builders/small businesses and many self employed people earn double that of a teacher for a very good reason they put in a lot more hours and days in through the year.
Also if the above person believes its a few who object to the strike then they are clearly stupid as i have said the majority of teachers voted against it they should not be allowed to hold the countrys childrens education to ransom if they do not like the pay, and that is all this strike is about money sling your hook i say .
Also any teacher not in the union who refuses to take on extra duties in support of work associates during the strike should be sacked for breach of contract.
Persona Non Gratis, I think you mean Persona Non Grata and I can assume by this mistake that you are a child of the 80’s. It would appear that you suffered a damaged education due to the bullying tactics of the Teachers V Tax Payer scenario of that era.
What professionals are you comparing a teachers employment package to? If the amount of holiday and low weekly hours is considered and adjusted to in comparison to other professionals then maybe teachers are not as poorly paid as you say.
Your comment and judgement regarding my opinion is ridiculous. I am fortunate to be educated and have an opinion on the subject being discussed above. Our differing opinions should not lead you to discriminate against me or my family just because we disagree with your one dimensional view.
I don’t know why they think they deserve a rise? Parents are required these days to do a lot of work at home with the children too, so where’s our pay?Teacher’s have it easier than most working profession’s so tell me again? err? why they deserve a pay increase? comment above your not talking above a class full of children now, your talking about people who work hard for a living then come home to children and do your job for you too :)THAT’S a DISGRACE!
well said big matty but mind you don’t set xphisto off again!!. what annoys me is the increase they have been offered has been calculated by an idependent wage panel and they still won’t accept. our police force had their independent review board offer reduced by the government. oh what a wicked thought if this was to happen to nut’s pay deal
‘Persona Non Gratis’
Well said!!
Also! parent’s do want the best possible education for their children, of course they do! me included but sadly no matter how much of OUR hard earned money we end up paying into the system, our children still receive even less of a “better education” than always promised!
To Persona Non Gratis
Ok so the argument is to strike to get a fair deal, why not strike then on the so called PD training days that are tagged on to the back end of a holiday when the children at the school are not affected.
I find your statement
“To be honest the type of comments expressed so far seem to be from the type of people whose children I wouldn’t want to teach however much I was paid!”
totally offensive if you don’t like teaching our children don’t get involved in the profession.
To Bob and Persona Non Gratis
If you dont like the wage, then you should do what any ‘non-union’ worker has to do, leave and find another job, not hold the Country and our children to ransom. Unions for teachers should be banned.
This behaviour is despicable and shows a total disregard for the welfare of the children, it is no wonder teachers command no respect these days.
It is my belief very few teachers would actually leave their jobs because of this wage rise, because of the fact they get quarter of a year holiday every year!! and a guaranteed pension far better than other workers at the end of it all!!!!
You wont find a job in industry with such luxurious conditions.
If teachers want a bigger pay rise, they should accept 5 weeks holiday a year like the rest of us and do their training etc in school during the other 7 weeks. Then children wouldnt have to lose out on education for all these ridiculous PD days.
Having read some of these comments, I no longer wonder why our country is in such a state, I no longer wonder why our youngsters appear to be such a mob of hardly literate, guttural morons. The answer is here for all to see from some of the comments made here by parents.
When I read comments like that from spl1970, I just despair. Who gives two hoots whether you take your son out of school during term time for a holiday or not. It’s your son who will suffer (and you, if you make a habit of it), I would imagine the teacher couldn’t give two monkeys. He/she is not your son’s parent and the consequences rest with you and you alone. You are not spiting the teacher.
If any parent says that their offspring suffers in their SATs or GCSEs because of a one day strike. Don’t look at the teachers for blame and excuses, look at your lazy, idle offspring who have failed to come up to the mark because he/she would still have had the same results - one day strike or not.
There is a maxim which goes, “pay peanuts and get monkeys” - it seems to me from some of these comments that an awful lot of peanuts are being paid somewhere.
I was one of those swayed by the government’s ad campaign to enter the teaching profession and have had my belief that most parents don’t have a clue about the education system confirmed by some of the comments above. Please don’t wheel out the old chestnut about how much holiday entitlement teachers enjoy, until you’ve really examined the facts. 6 weeks in the summer would be lovely, as would 2 whole weeks at Easter. My recollection of ‘holiday’ doesn’t involve lying on a beach for this time, it involved being in school for results days, sorting out students university applications, marking coursework for a week, unravelling results mix ups by the government funded exam boards, followed by at least 2 weeks of curriculum planning, sorting out resources and in some cases actually redecorating my classroom (you see there’s no money for such ‘luxuries’).
As for ’short’ hours let’s look at the facts. My partner and myself would both leave home at 7am, would start work at 7.30am, an hour and a half before the students. Every ‘lunchtime’ would involve running clubs, coursework catch-up sessions, making sets for school productions or enforced meetings. The students would leave at 3, approximately 3 hours before most of the staff. If you leave any earlier I found that I would need to spend at least 2-3 hours in the evening, at home marking or planning. There is not enough time in a school day to complete the tasks required of you by the government, such as report writing, performance management etc etc.
Please don’t confuse ‘PD’ days with time off, as these are compulsory and involve spending a number hours in an unheated school hall, being told how the curriculum is going to change for the 5th time in 5 years and then having to go off and rewrite all the plans you made previously.
Work out the ‘real’ hourly enjoyed by most teachers and the ‘good wages’ you refer is where the real disgrace in this issue lies.
We have a real problem with teacher recruitment in this country. If you pay rubbish wages we will get poor teaching and your children’s eduction can only get worse. I left after 6 years to start my own business as I was appalled by many aspects of the profession, namely the attitude of some parents who couldn’t give two hoots about their children’s education, overbearing interference and short-sighted policy from the government and a real lack of true understanding and lack of support by those outside of the profession about what the job ‘really’ involves.
Parents, if you want to get a true picture of what the education system is really like in this country, volunteer to go in and spend a few hours with your kids and their teachers. I offered this many times during my teaching and never had a parent take me up on it. Parents evenings and open days are in no way a true reflection of reality.
I wouldn’t strike personally, the government have legislated against industrial action ever achieving anything, but I support the NUT’s members’ rights to do this.
To be fair to all, pd days were brought in by the guv if my facts are right the point is the pay increase is a good one in the current climate most agreed with it THEY ARE WELL PAID we should ask is a sports teacher over paid?? what percentage of teachers enter the proffesion with the aim of teaching the less important subjects,
ie there isnt many qualified physics teacher out there is there 24k-34k for a teacher is enough combined with there working conditions and again if they do not like it move on . .
Well said David.
If you teachers feel that an additional 2% will make such a major difference to your lifestyle then I’m slightly concerned that your heart is not in the job in the first place. I would welcome all of you going on strike to do a job with more satisfaction that you will be more passionate, and less superficial about.
Clearly you professionals are worth so much more money, so go and get a job that pays the extra! If you teach science then be a scientist, I hear the moneys fantastic. If you are an IT teacher then come and join me in the real world of IT when the moneys good but the hours long and holidays are forgotten about, not to mention the stress. You see, in the real world outside of the comfort of guaranteed pay rises and pension plans, most of us are grateful just to get paid!!!
I would go on strike myself but as a company director the only person I could hurt is myself! I could refuse to pay HMRC and gift myself the tax money I have saved, and declare that as ’strike action for employers’ I would however get locked up! Just like you spoilt, misguided and idiotic teachers should be!
What complete and utter tosh I am reading.
You are obviously a bunch of uneducated idiots who hold no value in the education of your children. Little wonder so many of the teenagers in Telford have no aspiration but to stand at the end of a factory line!
sweet 33, I’d have thought that parents have always been required to “do a lot of work” with their beloved offspring - surely no sum of money can come close to the satisfaction of bringing up your own kids? And bringing up kids isn’t quite the same as teaching them to spell or add up…
Teachers don’t have a 9-5 job (even a 9-3.30 one for that matter). They work really hard for no thanks at all, and expect to be child carers to boot!
I know when my parents started teaching 30 years ago they didn’t sign up to planning lessons til ten at night, or any of the paperwork that seems to have been forced upon them over the last 10 years. All they have to do now, it seems, is give kids enough knowledge to get through the next set of exams. How boring that must make school.
I don’t know what we’re defining as professional here, but I recently graduated and am now working in a creative career, earning less than a newly qualified teacher. But I’ll never complain about it - I actually think they should be paid more - because their job is so important and I’m not prepared to go and get cheek from a bunch of somebody elses kids all day!
If their jobs are such a doddle, it would be nice if some of the people on this board would put their money where their mouth is and prove to the rest of us how easy it is.
I heard on the news that all the other teaching unions had agreed to the pay rise. It’s the NUT that has decided it’s not enough. If the other teachers find it acceptable why don’t the teachers who are members of the NUT agree? Are they different in any way? It was also said that the average wages paid to teachers was £35,000. They earn double what we earn. They have more free time than we do.
There are so many children leaving school without qualifications. So many children are badly treated at school. Schools are failing.
Judging by the comment:
“To be honest the type of comments expressed so far seem to be from the type of people whose children I wouldn’t want to teach however much I was paid!
If you are a Teacher, your negative attitude is probably felt by your students. You cannot judge people based only on comments made on a newspaper website and you certainly cannot judge their children.
We’ve heard all the complaints that Teachers have given for how bad their jobs are for decades. Any one going into the profession must realise what they are getting themselves into. If someone is unhappy in Teaching they are probably ready to change careers.
havagohallie
If you had taken the time to read what I had written you would notice that I didn’t say that I was a teacher - because I AM NOT.
However I have every sympathy with the teachers who have to pander to the children of such obnoxious people as yourselves and I stand by my statement.
Teachers get paid more than enough as it is, not to mention all the school holidays they get. But as per usual everything boils down to money it is just greed as far as im concerned. Start thinking of the childrens education that you are demoralising rather than your bank balance.
Quoted from BBC:
“The government says it has increased teachers’ pay by an average of 19% in real terms since 1997″
That seems a lot, but Id like to know how much on average a teacher actually earns per year.
If they earn say 25k, I guess they deserve a rise, but if they earn say 40k, do they need a raise?
Typical of the nut .the general secretary Mr sinnot needs a promotion(preferably to position more suited to his ability)The teaching profession has long had an established formula for its pay structure that has served well for over 20yrs.Yes theres a credit crunch, yes there is inflation and yes everyone is affected also. Instead of adding to inflationary pressures in the economy the NUT seeks to damage childrens education aswell.
Not only does the profession have 13 weeks available when not to detriment our childrens education they expect to be rewarded
financially for their conduct.
Given the smalls school policy review for shropshire our local politicians should seize the opotunity to sack as many as possible to fund their demand and save as many shropshire schools as fiscally possible in the process
,then adopt a policy of only employing staff who are members of other unions.
They are a pathetic organisation who demonstrate the very worst in our country, look at the money this government has thrown at education in the last 10 yrs, look at protest they’ve given over performance tables ect.(Tables that they’ve had a direct consultation over)The whole lot are over paid and failing our children.
This is effecting me as one of my children will be off but i support them as they dont get paid to sit there at all hours marking books and sorting out the next days work or terms. They dont get paid for doing after school clubs and they dont get extra pay for taking them off the school to do trips.
Those who can, do.
Those who can’t, teach.
I can’t believe all the negitive comments about teachers. I wouldn’t want to teach the kids of today.
If we don’t have good teaching staff (and we need good pay to keep them) kids are going to continue to be dragged up like they have been.
as a mother to 5 children, i see the stress some teachers are under but all jobs have stress mine included which i must say pays a lot less than a teachers but i do my job because i like it not for the money if teachers aint happy with their pay they should find a job that pays what they think they deserve but what example is it setting the kids if you dont get what you want when you want it walk out make everyone suffer as long as i get what i want and they say kids are selfish
Bob, you said “If we don’t have good teaching staff (and we need good pay to keep them) kids are going to continue to be dragged up like they have been.”
Are you suggesting that a child can only be successful in life if a teacher is involved? “Dragged up” suggests that you think teachers are raising our children, that parents are incapable of looking after their own children.
I think a lot of problems with children today actually has a lot to do with the failing education system. You seem to be suggesting that because someone is a Teacher they are MORE qualified than any one else. They are not. There are an awful lot of ‘qualified’ parents out there.
A lot of people fail in the ‘real world’ or have no particular aim in life during and after university and so decide to go into teaching. It used to be a dedicated career, but now it is just a job. Just because they have teaching qualification doesn’t make them good teachers.
A Teachers start out pay begins at around £20,000. There are guaranteed wage increases. Not exactly minimum wage. They ARE paid well compared to some of the parents that have lost a day of work, therefore losing a day’s wage, which to some means that they can’t afford enough food this week or have the heating on.
Persona non Gratis said: You are obviously a bunch of uneducated idiots who hold no value in the education of your children.
I am educated and I do value the education of my children. I am very enthusiastic about education, it’s just a shame that so many teachers and failing educating system are not. It’s all about numbers and funding. Money and greed.
You also said: Little wonder so many of the teenagers in Telford have no aspiration but to stand at the end of a factory line!
The Modern schooling system was created during the Industrial Revolution for the very purpose of channeling the children into factory jobs. If they have no aspirations it is because that happens in schools. All creativity is stifled and the love of learning is drummed out of them.
Teachers are paid enough. Fact.
£30,000 is a decent enough wage for anyone, especially when you also include 13 WEEKS holiday and a good pension package.
The NUT are out of order and should not be holding the country to ransom by striking.
Bob
Surely just paying more money is not going to miraculously improve the quality of our teaching staff. I cant believe such a naive comment. The quality of teaching nowadays is certainly very poor in places, but just giving the bad teachers more money will not make them better.
I am a Headteacher. I encounter aggressive parents and aggressive pupils, and have to work damned hard to keep us from having a demoralised workforce (particularly younger teachers) on a daily basis. Life can suck. I work long hours - 12 hours a day is common, sometimes longer. But I do the job because often it is brilliant and the pay isn’t bad (although someone in my position in a secondary school will actually earn double!). I fully recognise everyone has gripes about their work and I will not strike. In fact, I covered a class and drafted ex-colleagues in to avoid closing the school for the day. When I read the posted comments, is it no wonder there are dispirited teachers out there? No-one ever has enough money, and there are serious issues with key-workers being able to afford to live in many areas, but it is the workload and bureaucracy which needs action.
bernie, do you have a degree, a PGCE and have you had a CRB check - I bet not, so don’t compare yourself with teachers.
Big Matty, you say that you have had a good education, let’s see now, you are a Company Director, you own the business, you talk about stress, self engendered if you are boss, im’e afraid, the solution lies with you.You are grateful to be paid - what sort of talk is that if the business is yours. Your good education has done you no good at all if these are the calibre of the arguments you can use against professional teachers.
David, Unions should be banned and teachers shouldn’t be allowed to strike, the intellectual depth of that comment is astounding. We live in Britain in the present century, not North Korea, Tell us what you do and we will decide if you should be banned from striking or belonging to a Union. No you won’t find teachers conditions in industry, their academic qualifications are a little above those required on a building site, factory floor, bus garage, at the back of a shop counter or anywhere else similar.
The prize for the most intelligent comment however must surely go to Sweet33. Mind blowing:-
“Parents are rquired to work at home with children to - so where’s our pay”. Now who would have thought of that one. Parents need paying to educate their own children. Sweet33 with reasoning like that, if you try to educate your children, you will do them an awful lot of damage, I would leave well alone.
But, he/she goes on with another pearler, “And then we come home to children and do your job for you”. And that would you believe dear reader is, “A DISGRACE”.
So, let’s sum up just three ridiculous comments.
Silly comments from someone who compares themselves to a teacher when clearly they are in totally different jobs.
A “well educated” Company Director whos’e comments are so idiotic that they are worthy of a rough level of - what shall we say, 3 GCSEs at F grade.
Then we have the mother who wants to be paid for spending time with her kids giving them a bit of homework. Sweet33 I bet you have some Einstein’s in the offing, keep up the good work but sorry you won’t be paid for it, it’s called being a parent in case you have forgot or didn’t know to start with.
Why should Britain quake.
Persona non Gratis ,what a lovely person you soundclearly fronm what we are made to believe the poor chap on the factory line is earning more than the teacher so who is the bright one ??? you do sound rather angry also hide behind a silly pen name makes your comment worthless so does stuart sound an angry bunny , many self employed people work long hours and yeas for good money but they get money for putting the hours and graft in .
I woulkd say the best person to ask about teachers are the support staff in the schools etc they see what realy goes on , the word stress was created for some teachers they get it as soon as they have to get up for work im afraid , i put my poor speeling etc down to poor teacher of the 70s who lazed around for years and then took early retirement when hels accountable
Judging by the abysmal standards of grammar in some of the comments above I cannot help but feel that perhaps there have already been far too many strike actions taken by teachers, surely had they not done this, then more educated adults would be abundant?
Stuart, there are at least ten grammatical errors in your comments. I hope you’re not a teacher - C-!
Frank Zappa - there are probably a lot more than that if you go through it carefully. Probably a lot of spelling mistakes to and as for punctuation, well, are we supposed to do that as well on the speed writing blogs. If you wish everything to be done 200% then don’t expect blogs at all. I would put myself against you or any teacher given a strict requirement and no I am not a teacher just someone with a son who is driven into the ground by the likes of some of the moronic pupils and, from some of these blogs, moronic parents also who he has the misfortune to meet up with in the course of his work. As for some of the self employed commenting here, how on earth did they have the gumption to start out on their own with some of the intelligence displayed here. Now Frank the expert, lets have another overview of this little lot and let’s have an intelligent input from you into this mainly unintelligent stream.
John Lewis. said: “Typical of the nut .the general secretary Mr sinnot needs a promotion(preferably to position more suited to his ability)”
Well John - you may be pleased to hear your wishes have been answered since Mr Sinnot died on 5th April. Although I totally disagree with the strike, I find your comment about the recently deceased deplorable.
I think the main point has been lost here. The NUT members have gone on strike because they say they are finding it harder to live on their above average wage because of inflation. What about the rest of the population who by definition earn less on average but still have to get by on their wages. Giving into unreasonable wage demands in a toughening economic climate will only lead to higher inflation and should be resisted. The NUT is only one of several teacher unions and the other unions have agreed on a low percentage rise. This smacks of pure greed by the NUT who feel they can hold us, the taxpayer, to ransom.
Stuart
I am assuming you are a teacher, although you don’t actually say, but certainly many of your comments are of a similar mindset, arrogant and blinkered. To ban teachers from striking equates to living in North Korea? I think you would find if you stepped into the real World that is a more ridiculous comment than any that you have found in other posts here. Other strategically important roles in this Country are banned from striking, clearly you do not see teaching the nation’s children as very important. Some of us do, hence my statement, which I stand by.
If you were to step into the real World, you would also see that the most intelligent people in our society do not all share your staff rooms, far more are in industry, and there is much more to industry than driving busses and building walls. Your academic qualifications I am quite certain are not a ‘little above’ mine or many others on here, me may not crow so much about our degrees, but it does not mean we don’t possess them. As for having a PGCE, this is a specific requirement for teaching, why would someone not in that profession even want it? Then you boast that you have had a CRB check !!! Did you find that particularly hard to obtain or something? I have one, as I do charity work which is involved with children, I wasn’t aware it was a ‘qualification’ to boast about, as I found it completely effortless to obtain.
In short, your comments do you absolutely no credit at all, and simply reinforce the belief many of us have that some teachers now are extremely poorly qualified to be in the position they hold. Increasing your salary will not change this. Government has long been aware of the situation, hence the Ofsted inspectors who have to do the rounds trying their best to improve standards. Unlike teachers, we in industry generally do not have such a system, we are committed enough to set our own high standards and maintain them. If we didn’t, our businesses would fail. Sadly, this is yet another ‘perk’ of being a teacher - almost impossible to sack, no matter how bad they are !
SORRY I DON’T CARE IF THEY ARE TEACHERS OR NOT . THE WAY THE COST TO BE IN THE UK IS GOING UP NO ONE PERSON CAN LIKE A 2.45% . EVERYTHING IS GOING UP BY 4 OR 5%. THE TEACHERS ARE JUST THE START OF THINGS TO COME .(I’M NOT A TEACHER) ASK YOURSELF HOW MUCH WOULD YOU NEED TO KEEP UP WITH EVERY DAY BILLS
I don’t doubt that teachers work hard, put in long hours, suffer abuse and harassment etc. But all this happens in many professions. But the way I see it Teachers once qualified and settled into a school have a job for life if they want, plus a 1st class pension to look after them in retirement. When was the last time you heard of Teachers being made redundant? Lots of highly qualified and skilled workers face this threat regularly. Teachers you do a valued service for our country, and are paid handsomely for it. Please Don’t hold the country to ransom because the General Public won’t support your strike the same as they wouldn’t support any industrial action in the private sector.
Signed.
A concerned Citizen.
David,
I AM NOT A TEACHER I am a little to old for that. I wouldn’t do it for three times the salary and I support them 200%. My son is the teacher - with a Maths and IT degree. I try and pursuade him to give it up - the same as 50% of other teachers during the first five years. Must be some job don’t you think to have half leave not to long after joining. You used the expression “in industry with such luxurious conditions”, like you assumed and wrongly stereotyped me as a teacher, I assumed that you wore the blue overalls and usually (but not always I appreciate) would not have a degree, I didn’t realise that you were on the top floor of the Shell Building or similar. But then, that can’t be right can it, you wouldn’t be a boss would you because you see teachers being “in a strategically important role” and nobody with one iota of top business or industrial sence would say anything so ridiculous would they, neither would they come out with the truly outrageous suggestion that teachers should be banned from striking.
You make a lot of wrong assumptions David and, if you are a boss, from foreman to Managing Director, whatever you are, “your comments do you absolutely no credit at all”.
stuart yes i do have a CRB and a pova check so yeah i know what it takes to be responsible for other people no i dont have a degree or other letters after my name but it does not mean i dont see what stress is i know teachers work hard but so do i sometimes 12 hour shifts for just over minimum wage and 4 weeks holiday maybe i should become a teacher because if my profession were to strike there would be out cry for the neglect we would inflict on the clients i am entrusted to look after and care for i aint educated but i love my job and do it for that reason not the money
David,
In this province (British Columbia) there is an even greater difference between the pay of teachers and the average worker. Ninety per cent of us earn less than teachers and the typical working man or women only gets ten days annual holiday; many can’t even afford that. And we live in one of the richest countries in the world! There has never been a year in the past 15 when schools have not been under threat from unions. Last year a week long strike just before the summer break (which starts in June and finishes in September)- and two years ago the strike lasted some 14 days. Our public system is, after the United States, the best funded in the world - 93% of the finances going to the salaries of administrators and teachers. The schools boast state-of-the-art equipment and have tremendous support from community members including parents and businesses.
This year there are already threats of strikes as teachers are refusing to give students the assessment tests (provincial tests for grades 4 and 7 - the teaachers’ reasoning - too much stress involved.
The unions control curriculum, school hours and professional development. Canadian teachers’ pension funds boast the biggest financial corporations in the country with billions of dollars of investments in such commodities as tobacco, oil, gas, coal and real estate.
When single corporations (unions) command so much control over “public” education systems then the public should be very worried. I hope this never happens in the UK - but beware.
Many democratic countries - including Switzerland - forbid teachers to strike - and rightly so after going through the nightmare of my kids’ education here in British Columbia.
Teachers will whinge always, nothing new in that, they arn”t getting the pay rise the NUT is passed its sell by date like all union clap trap again if its too hard for you get another job you cant hold anyone to ransom.
As for the amount of abuse they get, rubbish. may do in inner city schools etc but in general there is none perhaps if some teacher can learn to communicate with adults on the same level there life may be made easier the children are the ones sat in the class room being cared for by the teachers support .
Tony Lewis, I have many relatives in Nanaimo stemming from a Great Uncle who went on the Klondyke Gold Rush in 1898 (he went over some years before), had claims in Bonanza Creek, served in the Canadian Army and retired to Victoria where his extended family now live.
I can assure you, there is a world of difference between all jobs and professions in this country and BC. There is no comparison, least of all in the teaching profession, period. So, what is the relevance between BC and Britain that you are pointing out. An interesting aside but that’s all. Sorry.
Where do we stop if teachers are banned from striking, they and the pupils need meals, so we ban the cooks and bottle washers, that sounds reasonable, then the pupils will need seeing across the busy roads, so we ban the Crossing Patrols, next the caretakers, cleaners, clerks and office workers they all keep the school going so, ban the lot you say. Great.
David sees Teachers as occupying a “strategically important role”, I wasn’t aware that the teachers occupied such an elevated role in society and you appear to agree with him. What do we do with the health and hospital workers - are they more “strategic” than teachers. It’s immaterial so lets ban them as well, then, let’s rack our brains to see which other occupation, group or profession can do damage to society if they go on strike.
I reckon every group/occupation etc in their own way can do damage to society if they go on strike. So, why bother thinking about it then, if everyone can do damage if they withdraw their labour, ban every single person from going on strike, why stop at the teachers.
A totally ridiculous argument that shows the shallowness of the case being made against teachers by those who know no better.
Tony - I agree entirely, I for one am very worried as I have 2 children in education currently and can see more disruption ahead as these selfish teachers attempt to hold the country to ransom.
Stuart - You are a pensioner. I wish you a long and happy retirement. You were very lucky to grow up in an era where many jobs were ‘for life’, and final salary pensions were commonplace. An era where house prices were affordable, and where share prices generally ensured very good returns.
Sadly, like many of your generation, it seems you are totally out of touch with the ‘modern’ World and all its problems, and are unable to appreciate that subsequent generations are not so lucky and have to work a lot longer and harder to enjoy anything like the standard of living that succesful employees used to take for granted.
Suggesting that teachers should be banned from striking is neither ridiculous or outrageous, and indeed, as Tony states, is already the case in other democratic countries.
Clearly your comments are totally biased due to your son being a teacher, perhaps you should wonder a little more why he does not want to give it up as you are trying to persuade him to. Perhaps it is you that has it all wrong, and not him ?
Just one small comment, what about the rest of the people employed by education? Do they get a pay rise. From previous comments trying to jusifty a payrise due to stress of abusive parents as well as trying to teach is total rubbish. From experience i can say the the person who deals with the parents on a daily basis and sorts out the problems is the school secretary. Schools would not function without them. As for long working hours, the secretary is there long after the teachers have left for the day and i know of one school where on PD days the secretary is the only one in! So much for training days! But i suppose they are considered a lower class of worker as they didnt spend three years laminating!
correct from above, i would like to see the so called excessive work done inside school not at home where the teachers can not be observed, then if the teacher is putting in all these excessive hours it can be addressed head on , but at the end of the day this is over money and how much they think they are worth as a tax payer looking at the scales i think they are well paid and the pay rise seems to have been accepted by many i do think they like police officers should be banned from strike action i do think enough is enough now time to call some teachers to book
well said sammy it takes more than teachers to keep schools running education cheifs need to step back and work out who keeps schools running and pay all what they deserve only people sticking up for teachers are teachers or their families which is their right but we dont have to agree with it
Stuart,
All western progressive public education systems are connected with much of the pedagogy and philosophy evolving from the work of Swiss schoolmaster, Pestalozzi whose experimental orphanage schools in Yverdon and Burgdorf were based on Rousseau’s “Emile”.
Obviously individual countries and states practised systems that suited their own cultures and needs, however, you may find that we have a great deal more in common than we have differences.
The United States, for example, through John Dewey has relied much more on the work of Rousseau, Pestalozzi and Froebel than say -Great Britain.
Canada sits somewhere in between because of its close relationship with Britain and today a great many Canadian teachers (we have a surplus) teach in Britain - which, we hope will be of benefit to students both here and in your country.
I don’t think it such a bad idea to learn from other countries and the past - in this way we might not only improve on what we have but also make fewer mistakes. Italy’s mistakes in the 1920s and Germany’s a few years later should be ample enough warning. When powerful organizations or political parties influence the minds of little children - beware.
The Swiss, who have done so much to influence the world’s education systems may well have a good point in not allowing public servants to strike (other than a one hour demonstration). After all Swiss students are, for the most part, better educated than British or Canadian students.
I would just like to say how shocked I am at some peoples reactions. You obviously have all shown complete ignorance on the matter. Teachers are under-paid for the work they do. Most teachers including my family members and friends are passionate about teaching your children and this is why they went to University and studied for so long to take up this career. However to the ignorant people out there, teachers do not just work school hours and do not have long holidays. They spend at least 2 hours each night after the children have gone home ‘tidying up and preparing for the next day’ and then when home have to spend weekends/holidays/spare hours planning, meeting targets, writing reports, marking work etc. It is not an easy job and due to the increase in paperwork and the pressure of Ofsted reports and the ever increasing guidelines of the curriculum they do deserve to be paid more. The sheer lack of respect that you have all shown for teachers (who have a right as well as everyone does to demand better conditions at work) who dedicate not the 9-3 hours as you believe but their lives to helping your children learn, just proves that you are not complaining for your children’s’ sake but for the inconvenience that you may have to have an afternoon off work. This proves that the 5 day a week childcare/education system (that allows you to go to work whilst they are at school) that these teachers supply is totally taken for granted by those who begrudge these Teachers one day of strike action. Everyone is too quick to jump at peoples throats when they go on strike, but at the end of the day doesn’t this show that their services are just totally taken for granted and that we should be grateful that they work at all when your comments have just shown them a complete lack of respect shown to them? Aged 18.
if only more teachers could be as fascinating as jello. i like jello. if i was to be any pudding it would be jello