Confused To strike or not to strike...

[russell]

Any other teachers who are Freddy's?

Are you striking -or not?

It is really bad what they are proposing -yet again. I stand to lose alot of money. Yet I dont believe in striking because of the children...

 

[cHodAX]

I have 5 friends who are teachers, all in the same boat and struggling with this question. The thing is, the pension defecit is massive and the taxpayer cannot keep up anymore, public servants either need to lower pension expectations or contribute at a higher rate to justify the pension they will end up with.

Please don't take that as an attack teachers, it isn't at all, I just think everyone needs to be a bit more realistic in dealing with the national debt and public servants have a big part to play in that.

 

[Gwadien]

Yet I dont believe in striking because of the children...

That's one of the arguements that is used agaisnt you, so you're not allowed to strike, oh, oh, Teachers can't go on strike because they have to teach our children!

You have to live aswell...

 

[throdgrain]

It's up to you whether you strike, thats a decision you make.

Personally I think the public sector workers are living in the same dream world as people in Greece rioting about austerity cuts.

If you havent got the money, you simply can't spend it, so there's no point crying about it.

 

[russell]

I know -we are programmed to put the kids first and thats what the Government hope -so we dont do it!
Funny how almost all Secondary schools are out, and Primary schools with male teachers are more likely to strike -interesting statistic.

And Cho -I know -you are right, I agree with what you say and that we need to make cuts -as do my colleagues -its more the drastic cut and the working till 68! Most teachers retire early as they cannot cope any longer.

 

[cHodAX]

I know -we are programmed to put the kids first and thats what the Government hope -so we dont do it!
Funny how almost all Secondary schools are out, and Primary schools with male teachers are more likely to strike -interesting statistic.

And Cho -I know -you are right, I agree with what you say and that we need to make cuts -as do my colleagues -its more the drastic cut and the working till 68! Most teachers retire early as they cannot cope any longer.

My friends mum is a teacher and in her 50's, she was telling me that alot of the older teachers are being got rid of and so they never make enough contribututions to qualify for the full pension anyway. That is plain fucking naughty, dropping experience to bring in younger and cheaper labour. Probably why the previous government had such a big drive on getting people to train as teachers, use them as cheaper replacement after the forcing the older ones out and then introduce new pensions with much lower benefits.

 

[ileks]

All kids love it when the teachers go on strike Do it for them!

 

[Gwadien]

All kids love it when the teachers go on strike Do it for them!

Yeah! that's a good point!

I remember once at primary school, that we had a bunch of new teachers but like half of them didn't have their CRB checks done! so we got to school, and they checked what class we was in, and if your teacher wasn't there, you got sent home, if they were, you went to lesson

Guess what happened next...

Yes, my teacher was there

I've hated the bitch since I was 9, and I still do.

fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

 

[Helme]

All kids love it when the teachers go on strike Do it for them!

This.

Also while the strike might not change the outcome, you should still make your displeasure at the cuts heard so that the next time they'll at least think twice about doing something similar. Never give them an inch, because they'll take more than that if they think they can get away with it.

 

[russell]

The kids will love it -its the parents that will go mental at us!

 

[kiliarien]

I'm in NASUWT atm. They never strike because they've always been the government's bitches. If NASUWT ever go on strike, that's when you know the powers that be are really taking the piss.

I opted out of the Tecahers' Pension Scheme after about 3 years. As a human geographer when I was at Uni who specialised in global development and economic studies, seriously don't expect your pensions to be protected or be worth fucking anything by the time we retire. I was stupid to be in the TPS for 3 years tbh. The retirement age will be close to 70 if not more and our contributions will at least double in real terms when we think about retiring.

I'll save up and put my money into property and then take my massively less-devalued state pension.

Oh and striking gets you nowhere nowadays - you don't get paid for the day off and nobody gives a toss. Angry parents will only care 15 years down the line when they realise the only teachers left are either burned out husks or results-driven yes people who couldn't give a shit about the kids. Union power is no longer powerful, at least at secondary level.

 

[old.Tohtori]

Pop the kids with a week of homework, let them have a lovely extra holiday for the summer, tell the parents to go f*ck themselves(or to contact the powers making you strike, if you want the less forward option) and get whats yours

 

[ilaya]

im usually very anti-strike but way teachers are being treated atm is disgraceful. would fully back a strike.

btw, here's a thought from the leftfield...

tories cutting back WAY too much in public sector, is this to force public sector workers into private sector, and moving from traditional labour strongholds in the meantime, thus thinning out the labour vote... and letting public sector basically rot.. so only way to improve them is private investment and ultimately selling it all off...

 

[Scouse]

Strike. You're being fucked over. The "we can't afford it" bollocks isn't stopping CEO's getting 9 million pound bonuses. The rich are still rich and the government is enforcing changes to terms of your employment contracts without your agreement.

Just remember to use violence tho. Or they'll ignore you.

 

[Zenith.UK]

I've yet to get a clear yes or no from the headteacher of my kids school.
I need to know whether I have to take one of my holidays to cover my kids being off school.

I also remember when the teachers went on strike in 1985/1986. It was cold and the boating lake had frozen over. If the class was off due to strike action, we all went down to the lake to skate for the period.

 

[Helme]

tories cutting back WAY too much in public sector, is this to force public sector workers into private sector, and moving from traditional labour strongholds in the meantime, thus thinning out the labour vote... and letting public sector basically rot.. so only way to improve them is private investment and ultimately selling it all off...

I don't know the tories motivation, but in the US it's a standard Republican tactic to cut funding for public services, then claim they don't work and that the private sector could do better and then sell it off for fuck all.

 

[Moriath]

privae sector has had its pensions etc raped over the last 10 years about time the public sector did tbh

 

[Helme]

Again, why is the solution to shit pensions in the private sector to cut the public ones rather than putting the private ones in line, knowing full well they can afford it? A single CEO bonus would probably pay for a dozen pensions at the very least.

 

[Ingafgrinn Macabre]

No idea how it is in the UK, but generally it seems that for the past few years (decades), teachers are woefully underpaid. If you think about the responsibilities teachers have with regards to making sure their pupils learn enough (both theoretically and socially) to stay out of trouble and stuff and how classes have grown and grown preventing the teachers to do their job adequately...
I'd say go for it and strike.

 

[Helme]

Yeah, education is always the first thing to get cut which seems really fucking dumb, I remember a young Swedish politician talking about his school experience during the 90s when Sweden was in some serious financial trouble, and how half his teachers just disappeared over one summer break and how his class got merged with another one. That can't be good for kids.

 

[old.Osy]

I know -we are programmed to put the kids first and thats what the Government hope -so we dont do it!
Funny how almost all Secondary schools are out, and Primary schools with male teachers are more likely to strike -interesting statistic.

And Cho -I know -you are right, I agree with what you say and that we need to make cuts -as do my colleagues -its more the drastic cut and the working till 68! Most teachers retire early as they cannot cope any longer.

So we DON'T do it. Go on, strike.

 

[kiliarien]

I've yet to get a clear yes or no from the headteacher of my kids school. I need to know whether I have to take one of my holidays to cover my kids being off school.

I also remember when the teachers went on strike in 1985/1986. It was cold and the boating lake had frozen over. If the class was off due to strike action, we all went down to the lake to skate for the period.

What age is your child? I can give you a rough idea based purely on that. Most schools run reduced timetables rather than fully shut, at this time of year it tends to be year 7 and year 12 that are told not to come in, and then the released lessons for teachers are used to cover striking staff, which is all legal.

In general teaching does seem underpaid even with the holidays being a bonus. Most public sctor workers who have FAR less responsibility and accountability are on much more. On top of that governments (be it Labour or Coalition etc.) expect US to start parenting children because their parents are letting them down; everything from encouraging exercise, eating healthily, brain training etc. I agree with the tehory but that's bullshit. Deal with the twatty parents, not put more pressure on teachers.

Oh, and of course teachers, as well as many other public sector workers are on a 3-year pay freeze. And MP's have had a £1,000 pay rise this year alone and is to be reviewed for a new one next year by the SSRB. Hypocritcial to say the least.

 

[Gwadien]

Teaching is one of the most selfless jobs tbh, where you go into it for the benefits of others, because you don't get paid a shit loads, and you're in education for a similar length of time as those who get paid 3/4x the amount that Teachers get paid, but alot of those people are in it for their own benefit, for their own money, but it's the Teachers who get the piss taken out of them etc, same deal with simialar jobs as Teachers.

Just sucks :\

But it's not putting me off going into teaching, wether if its in this Country or not.

 

[Gumbo]

Why don't you just temp for 6 of the 13 weeks a year you get off to make up the shortfall, and still get more holidays left than anyone in the private sector?

 

[Gwadien]

Why don't you just temp for 6 of the 13 weeks a year you get off to make up the shortfall, and still get more holidays left than anyone in the private sector?

Not sure of the figures, but don't supply teachers get paid a loads more than a normal teacher, which is completely wrong in itself :\

 

[Gumbo]

Not sure of the figures, but don't supply teachers get paid a loads more than a normal teacher, which is completely wrong in itself :\

Yup, and don't get saddled so much with lesson planning and marking.

I've got 2 very good friends who are teachers, one at a primary and one secondary school teaching ICT and Sciences.

They both say that the first couple of years are pretty hard, whilst you're learning the ropes, but after that it's an absolute breeze. Both had 'proper' jobs, before choosing teaching as a career, so have some experience of private sector conditions and wouldn't go back.

They'll both vote to strike, and do so, because it looks like they won't get what was promised to them when they signed up, but both, when speaking candidly, say that they know they're on a gravy train which can't go on forever.

In the meantime, the primary teacher enjoys the decent pay and long holidays together with generous maternity allowance every time she sprogs again. The secondary teacher is likely to be the new head of department in September at his current school, and is looking forward to moving up through deputy and then head where the really big bucks come in. Apparently his 'real world' experience helps him jump the queue for the more management roles available to teachers.

 

[russell]

Why don't you just temp for 6 of the 13 weeks a year you get off to make up the shortfall, and still get more holidays left than anyone in the private sector?

Because you dont actually get the holidays -contrary to popular belief -'I work from home' most holidays doing APP, assessment practices, planning, inputting statistics, displays and marking and checking NC coverage, SENS and IEP'S catching up and trying to forward planning assemblies, clubs, trips etc.

For example ,I am expected to go into school in the first 2 weeks of the summer holiday to sort out the, books, shared areas, transition data and strip my classroom and I spend time WFH to put the previous year 'to bed'. Then I allow myself 2 weeks off. Then I start the set up for the new school year at home and go in to school to set my classroom up and get everything better.

Believe me when I say teachers holidays are an urban myth.

I work 8 -5.30 -solidly (racing,juggling, entertaining and acting my heart out full on) often with duties/ meetings and difficult children meaning I cant even pee! and it is full on 24/7 because if you take your eye off the ball for 1 sec -they have you and you lose your power. And you do your best for each child and still the parents hate you!!
Then I do 2-3 hours work a night and at least 4/5 hours every weekend. I wish it were true but it is a joke!!!

 

[Raven]

Be glad you have a job, let alone a (still) cushy pension.

 

[russell]

Wow Gumbo -i'd like a job at your friends school -mind you this is only my second year. Different schools must expect different things.

I had a career in the city as a HR Manager for London and the SE and it was a doddle compared to what I do now!

 

[russell]

Be glad you have a job, let alone a (still) cushy pension.

I am, There are alot of benefits.