Teachers Strike

[Return of the Rev]

So what about the role of parents in all of this? It is a teachers job to TEACH children not bring them up. When you have kids that get to primary school at 4-5 years of age, who cannot read or write or are toilet trained it's a disgrace.

Its the parents who have complained the discipline out of the schools,teachers walk a tight rope in this pc world gone mad!

 

[Kaiser_Soze]

I would like a government to say, "Teachers, instead of us dictating to you what we want, how about you tell us what you want" and just let them get on with the job.

Perhaps we should ask the same of the generals in charge of the Army, the admirals in charge of the Navy and the Air Vice Marshall. What do Unions know about the teaching profession, they are only intersted in collecting fees to keep themselves in a job. Perhaps we should ask the newly qualified teacher just out of teacher training college at the age of 23 what they want? Some people are so niaive.

Oh dear. Rather large fail here.

Christine Blower, the Head of the NUT is a qualified teacher! She started teaching in 1973 up until 1990 when she started working with children at risk of care or custody. All NUT reps are actively teaching, like most industries.

 

[Buzzer]

No they don't Buzzer, that was sarcasm.

Anyway it been nice, as intellectually nourishing as ever.

So until the next time one of my posts offends your delicate pompous nature, I will bid you goodnight.

Ha! I've got to hand it to you, you've got some front accusing me of being pompous after steaming into this thread with an announcement of how boring you find it and how it's full of people who should have studied more....and then with that patronising response.

 

[Nibble]

I would rather have more time during the term time and less holidays too. I find that the workload is exhausting during the term and am too knackered for much of the holidays to really enjoy them. I would much prefer to have a more even spread but the holidays are what they are because the kids need the breaks otherwise they get burned out.

Point of fact, the holidays are the way they are because of the Agricultural Revolution. Holidays fitted in with harvest and other important phases in the farming calendar. Long, long outdated.

 

[BadFish]

Ha! I've got to hand it to you, you've got some front accusing me of being pompous after steaming into this thread with an announcement of how boring you find it and how it's full of people who should have studied more....and then with that patronising response.

You make it so hard not to be patronising Buzzer. Anyway I will let you have the last word (I know how important that is to you chess playing pigeons) as I am sure others reading this are as bored of this conversation as I am.

 

[BadFish]

Point of fact, the holidays are the way they are because of the Agricultural Revolution. Holidays fitted in with harvest and other important phases in the farming calendar. Long, long outdated.

Fair point. but I am not sure children (mainly younger children I suppose) would be able to cope with much longer terms. I wonder if there is any evidence or studies into this. Not for me to get into tonight as I am off to bed.

Interesting food for thought though.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

If anyone had a contract and it was unilaterally changed, I would expect them to complain too. As far as I am aware it is not legal to unilaterally change a contract.

Try stopping an employer doing this ! Your only real recourse ( unless you're in a heavily unionised industry ) is to resign and take them to court for constructive dismissal ( which will cost you a grand thanks to the Tory government ).

 

[Buzzer]

You make it so hard not to be patronising Buzzer. Anyway I will let you have the last word (I know how important that is to you chess playing pigeons) as I am sure others reading this are as bored of this conversation as I am.

Err...point of order. The 'chess playing pigeons' aren't the type to want the last word, they just crap on the board and then fly back to their flock, so to speak. And you're the one who bid me goodnight in a previous post only to return with yet another farewell post. My God, you're thick.

 

[Brighton Mod]

I would like a government to say, "Teachers, instead of us dictating to you what we want, how about you tell us what you want" and just let them get on with the job.



Surely these people are experts in their fields and should be given a certain amount of autonomy. The same can be said for experienced teachers and those who work in the leadership of schools. Experts in the field should definately be given a certain amount of autonomy. To have people who know little about any of the fields you mention making key decisions is foolish.



A baseless opinion and an assumption that really does your argument no favours



Excessive extrapolation but yes maybe they should have some say in how things are done, fresh ideas are always welcome in the mix. it could be said that actually these NQT's are still more qualified to have input into teaching and learning that a government minister with no experience and no degree in any area of education.



Yes they are.

Those that head our military know how to execute the instructions they are given, they know how to do it, but where and when they do it is decided by the elected government of the day, the same should be said of teachers, how do they know the needs of industry and commerce. Having had my own children through all levels of education, I have to question what newly qualified teachers from teacher training college, who are basically repeating what they have been taught at teacher training college can bring to the classroom in terms of strategy.

 

[CheeseRolls]

Do they need to? It seems to me that the vast majority of teachers currently retire early (after perhaps going part time, taking a couple of days a week off, in the last few years), as they can afford to sacrifice some of their very generous pensions.

This is the crux of the issue. It is not about teachers retiring now, but about those who are due to retire in 10 years plus time. 67 seems a ripe old age to be controlling a class of unruly teenagers. Some will relish it, but others may really struggle.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

This is the crux of the issue. It is not about teachers retiring now, but about those who are due to retire in 10 years plus time. 67 seems a ripe old age to be controlling a class of unruly teenagers. Some will relish it, but others may really struggle.

The scariest teacher I ever had was a supply teacher who was well, well passed retirement age. He must have been in his mid to late sixties - he didn't have any trouble controlling the class room. Age is no constraint to instilling disicpline.

 

[beorhthelm]

Im glad they work hard....they will be there till 67....lets hope they can keep up

heres the flaw in the case. seem to be saying 65 (or previously 60) is OK, after that you are over the hill and too decrepit to teach? that's a shame as I'd have thought the teaching profession would value experience more (and probably comes as a surprise to those teachers already working past official retirement age). and this subject utterly ignores teachers have a phase pension from 55 which as far as i can tell isn't changing. so what is this strike really about, other than union flexing? why not campaign on real issues that affect teaching for both teachers and pupils?

 

[LamieRobertson]

Hmm. Averagely long days and extortionate holidays for a very good salary (compared to many). I think not.

Really....I'll get my daughter to have a chat with you about the work she has to do evenings and Saturdays...plus during those holidays you quote ..you'd be enlightened...pity she hasn't the time

 

[CheeseRolls]

The scariest teacher I ever had was a supply teacher who was well, well passed retirement age. He must have been in his mid to late sixties - he didn't have any trouble controlling the class room. Age is no constraint to instilling disicpline.

As we are using ONE teacher as empirical evidence, I would just add that the point of maintaining discipline is to aid learning. The evidence provided suggests that whilst said teacher did indeed scare the excrement out of you, there is little evidence of any learning.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

As we are using ONE teacher as empirical evidence, I would just add that the point of maintaining discipline is to aid learning. The evidence provided suggests that whilst said teacher did indeed scare the excrement out of you, there is little evidence of any learning.

I learnt far more in his lessons than the pathetic Chemistry teacher who was half his age. My point being that age is no barrier to good teaching and controlling a class room. In fact age brings with it experience and understanding.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

It's time they were fined for taking time off in term time.

When you go on strike and withdraw your labour you don't get paid, so it's similar to a fine.

 

[CheeseRolls]

I learnt far more in his lessons than the pathetic Chemistry teacher who was half his age. My point being that age is no barrier to good teaching and controlling a class room. In fact age brings with it experience and understanding.

So what is stopping you ? Use your redundancy to retrain as a teacher and you still have a long and fruitful career in front of you.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

So what is stopping you ? Use your redundancy to retrain as a teacher and you still have a long and fruitful career in front of you.

Where have I said I wanted to be a teacher ? I don't !

You were suggesting 67 years old makes a teacher incapable of teaching - it doesn't.

PS - what redundancy money ??

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Chuff me they don't know they're born. I've been working as a scientist for ten years after doing a degree and a masters at top universities and am just getting close to that level! Plenty of graduates are lucky to get £15k.

Just because you get a poor wage doesn't mean someone else who has worked hard like yourself and studied should get a poor wage too. Why can't we have a society where people like doctors, engineers, nurses, teachers and you who study hard and get degrees be paid very well instead of bankers and their like?

 

[virtual22]

I've always been a bit confused about teacher's holiday. Why do they get time off just because the kids are not there? If they went down to say five weeks holiday a year they could do all their planning and training during half terms and holidays? They then wouldn't feel so hard done by having to spend two weeks out of six in the summer at school! They would also spend all the time teaching with the kids (my Son's teacher has one half day a week out of class to plan lessons, and obviously inset days for training).

For the record, I had 7 days off last year (unpaid), no pension, no sick pay, no paternity leave or other benefits, and according to some of the posts on here earn about average wage. I put in about 50 hours a week. I still have to do exams most years (which I pay for) and have done for the last 20 years. Our regulator changes the rules on us every five minutes.

I run my own business though and you take the rough with the smooth.