| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. 11:41 - Jul 7 with 6783 views | giant_stow |
Heard from a friend last night- their primary school is only closing rhe classes with striking teachers and importantly, not swapping the kids around to non striking teachers. So basically, some kids have missed 8 days from strikes, while other have lost none. How's that fair on the kids? Are other schools doing that? And apart from the effect on the kids, it also seems to be a great way to punish the strikers for their non-attendance as all those days missing might well show up in class results.
Sorry if this is dull, but it just struck me as very wrong where every adult involved is making certain kids suffer. |  |
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 13:36 - Jul 7 with 1691 views | Illinoisblue |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 13:24 - Jul 7 by giant_stow |
I think I remember that strike (or at least one like it). I was off school for 3 days every week for about 7 or 8 weeks. The local cafe that i went to for lunch was ready to call the social on me!
I used to watch schools telly for light relief - the Brunel challenge was an old favourite. |
So you missed a significant chunk of education and then went on to support Norwich… |  |
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 14:13 - Jul 7 with 1642 views | Herbivore |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 13:36 - Jul 7 by Illinoisblue |
So you missed a significant chunk of education and then went on to support Norwich… |
Superbly played. |  |
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 14:29 - Jul 7 with 1625 views | itfc_bucks |
Mrs Bucks is a primary teacher.
Ask yourself if you'd be happy with an effective, real terms pay cut in the region of 20% since 2013. If you wouldn't, but you still think the strikes are wrong, I'd love to hear from you with your logic.
I can't speak for other striking groups, but education has been run down and underfunded by successive govts for much of the past 15 years. I helped clear down a display at the school recently only to see members of staff rooting through the recycling bin to dig out tiny blobs of bluetac, because there's no supply left and no budget until September for fresh stationery.
If the offer is so good, how come only once in the last decade have the govt hit their recruitment target? It's so easy, the pensions are great, they work half days and only 39 weeks...why are they all leaving?
Pah, it stinks and this rotten government have to go. |  | | |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 14:41 - Jul 7 with 1596 views | Churchman |
Teachers have been treated appallingly for years. A useful political football, whether it’s messing with the curriculum, promising funding that’s never delivered or imposing ridiculous targets.
Teachers literally hold the future in their hands. The more you think about it, the more responsibility they hold. They do a monstrously difficult job that I wouldn’t go near for all the tea in China. They don’t do it for money. Nor they do it for short hours and nice working conditions (neither of which they have) etc. It’s a vocation.
The least they deserve is to be looked after properly and treated with the respect they deserve. But the bunch of shysters passing themselves off as politicians don’t care about any of that.
I fully support the teachers in their action. They’ve been left with little choice. The blame and resolution lies squarely with weak Sunak and the ‘let’s party during Covid’ gang.
Mrs C is an ex-teacher so I have a vague idea what a teacher actually does. [Post edited 7 Jul 2023 16:04]
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 14:54 - Jul 7 with 1571 views | giant_stow |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 14:29 - Jul 7 by itfc_bucks |
Mrs Bucks is a primary teacher.
Ask yourself if you'd be happy with an effective, real terms pay cut in the region of 20% since 2013. If you wouldn't, but you still think the strikes are wrong, I'd love to hear from you with your logic.
I can't speak for other striking groups, but education has been run down and underfunded by successive govts for much of the past 15 years. I helped clear down a display at the school recently only to see members of staff rooting through the recycling bin to dig out tiny blobs of bluetac, because there's no supply left and no budget until September for fresh stationery.
If the offer is so good, how come only once in the last decade have the govt hit their recruitment target? It's so easy, the pensions are great, they work half days and only 39 weeks...why are they all leaving?
Pah, it stinks and this rotten government have to go. |
I'm not against the strikes - I'm just very concerned about the affect on already damaged kids. I dont see this as a black and white issue is all. | |
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 15:07 - Jul 7 with 1548 views | Vaughan8 |
Same with my son's primary school. As it stands, only one class seems to be off during these strikes at the moment. Earlier on in the year it was about 50:50. Have some unions stopped striking?
I'm not really up to date with these strikes but didn't the government say they would increase the wages by X, but it would come out of the school budget, so effectively not paying anymore? Seems bizarre thing to suggest. | | | |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 15:38 - Jul 7 with 1527 views | BlueBadger |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 11:45 - Jul 7 by Herbivore |
Direct your anger at a government that has presided over real terms cuts in education budgets and hasn't given teachers a genuine pay rise in years. It's their fault that teachers are on strike. |
See also: nurses, junior doctors.... |  |
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 16:05 - Jul 7 with 1495 views | Herbivore |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 15:38 - Jul 7 by BlueBadger |
See also: nurses, junior doctors.... |
Social workers, police officers, firefighters, paramedics..... | |
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 16:28 - Jul 7 with 1472 views | itfc_bucks |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 14:54 - Jul 7 by giant_stow |
I'm not against the strikes - I'm just very concerned about the affect on already damaged kids. I dont see this as a black and white issue is all. |
Apologies, genuinely not digging you or anyone else here out.
There's a solution to the problem here.
The teachers aren't asking for 2013 parity to be restored, but a genuine step in the right direction. This govt has seen fit to splurge in all the wrong places and levy the biggest peacetime tax burden in history - the money must be found to resolve this.
See also, etc etc etc | | | |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 16:30 - Jul 7 with 1470 views | HARRY10 |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 13:18 - Jul 7 by lowhouseblue |
for 5 to 16 year olds in 2010/11 funding per pupil was £6,700 in 2022-23 prices. in 2023/24 it's £7,220 in 2022-23 prices. so it's more complex than that. |
The idea is to actually defend your lot (doffs cap) so I suspect inflation in the past dozen or so years has risen by more that the increase you list. In fact that level of increase over those years barely covers in flation in the last year
So lets have a look at MPs pay
Apr 2011 £65,738
Apr 2023 £86,584
about one third increase.
Perhaps you could could tell us what the same increase would be for schools...............it would mean around £8950, not £7220
any reason why that might be ? | | | |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 16:37 - Jul 7 with 1467 views | Churchman |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 14:54 - Jul 7 by giant_stow |
I'm not against the strikes - I'm just very concerned about the affect on already damaged kids. I dont see this as a black and white issue is all. |
So what’s the solution? Carry on as we are starving schools and teachers of support and resources on the basis of teachers should swallow a 20% pay cut since 2010 in the interests of the children?
I actually think it is black and white. You either support teachers in what they do or you don’t. ‘We can’t afford it’. Well we could afford billions on rubbish PPE, fraud and contracts for mates during Covid. The reality is that this is children’s’ future and in turn the future of this country - we can’t not afford it.
I do have a bad (good to tory mentality) solution the current government might embrace. Free education to the age of 11. After that you pay for it or your child goes to work. I’m sure there’s a need for servants, chimney sweeps, machinery clearance, stone pickers etc. Ahhhh the good ole days…. [Post edited 7 Jul 2023 17:16]
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 19:42 - Jul 7 with 1392 views | giant_stow |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 16:28 - Jul 7 by itfc_bucks |
Apologies, genuinely not digging you or anyone else here out.
There's a solution to the problem here.
The teachers aren't asking for 2013 parity to be restored, but a genuine step in the right direction. This govt has seen fit to splurge in all the wrong places and levy the biggest peacetime tax burden in history - the money must be found to resolve this.
See also, etc etc etc |
No worries Mr and for the little it's worth, I completely agree. | |
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 19:45 - Jul 7 with 1387 views | giant_stow |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 16:37 - Jul 7 by Churchman |
So what’s the solution? Carry on as we are starving schools and teachers of support and resources on the basis of teachers should swallow a 20% pay cut since 2010 in the interests of the children?
I actually think it is black and white. You either support teachers in what they do or you don’t. ‘We can’t afford it’. Well we could afford billions on rubbish PPE, fraud and contracts for mates during Covid. The reality is that this is children’s’ future and in turn the future of this country - we can’t not afford it.
I do have a bad (good to tory mentality) solution the current government might embrace. Free education to the age of 11. After that you pay for it or your child goes to work. I’m sure there’s a need for servants, chimney sweeps, machinery clearance, stone pickers etc. Ahhhh the good ole days…. [Post edited 7 Jul 2023 17:16]
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The grey area are the kids, remembering that they're a cohort who've who've had to cope with so much. | |
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 20:09 - Jul 7 with 1376 views | Churchman |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 19:45 - Jul 7 by giant_stow |
The grey area are the kids, remembering that they're a cohort who've who've had to cope with so much. |
They have. I agree with you. But given that teachers have in all but words been told to do one, what are they supposed to do?
Education should not be a political football, anymore than public health. But it is. Governments have decided politics first.
So what’s the answer? I wish I knew. | | | |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 21:34 - Jul 7 with 1357 views | CBBlue |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 15:07 - Jul 7 by Vaughan8 |
Same with my son's primary school. As it stands, only one class seems to be off during these strikes at the moment. Earlier on in the year it was about 50:50. Have some unions stopped striking?
I'm not really up to date with these strikes but didn't the government say they would increase the wages by X, but it would come out of the school budget, so effectively not paying anymore? Seems bizarre thing to suggest. |
Some of my teacher friends can no longer afford to go on strike, that might explain some of it. | |
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 11:01 - Jul 8 with 1288 views | DJR |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 14:29 - Jul 7 by itfc_bucks |
Mrs Bucks is a primary teacher.
Ask yourself if you'd be happy with an effective, real terms pay cut in the region of 20% since 2013. If you wouldn't, but you still think the strikes are wrong, I'd love to hear from you with your logic.
I can't speak for other striking groups, but education has been run down and underfunded by successive govts for much of the past 15 years. I helped clear down a display at the school recently only to see members of staff rooting through the recycling bin to dig out tiny blobs of bluetac, because there's no supply left and no budget until September for fresh stationery.
If the offer is so good, how come only once in the last decade have the govt hit their recruitment target? It's so easy, the pensions are great, they work half days and only 39 weeks...why are they all leaving?
Pah, it stinks and this rotten government have to go. |
I wouldn't be surprised if the cut is even greater because prior to 2008 most jobs had pay increments in addition to cost of living increases, whereas these days for many jobs cost of living or less is all you can hope for.
So I imagine if you were to compare current pay to what it would have been had pay increased at the rate it did prior to 2008, the gap would be over 30%. [Post edited 8 Jul 2023 11:18]
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 11:15 - Jul 8 with 1273 views | DJR |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 21:34 - Jul 7 by CBBlue |
Some of my teacher friends can no longer afford to go on strike, that might explain some of it. |
I think this is what eventually did for the nurses.
Interestingly, this, from an IFS document in 2020, suggests that they do things better in Scotland and Wales, as evidenced by the fact that Scotland has reached agreement on various public sector pay disputes that have yet to be settled in England.
"Following a long period of similarity, teacher pay levels are also now notably higher in Scotland and Wales. As of September 2020, starting salaries in Scotland were about £27,500, about 7% higher than in England, and £27,000 in Wales, about 5% higher than in England." [Post edited 8 Jul 2023 11:17]
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 07:39 - Jul 9 with 1188 views | DJR |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 11:15 - Jul 8 by DJR |
I think this is what eventually did for the nurses.
Interestingly, this, from an IFS document in 2020, suggests that they do things better in Scotland and Wales, as evidenced by the fact that Scotland has reached agreement on various public sector pay disputes that have yet to be settled in England.
"Following a long period of similarity, teacher pay levels are also now notably higher in Scotland and Wales. As of September 2020, starting salaries in Scotland were about £27,500, about 7% higher than in England, and £27,000 in Wales, about 5% higher than in England." [Post edited 8 Jul 2023 11:17]
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And sadly, with Labour apparently committed to Tory tax and spend plans, the prospect of any public sector worker in England doing any better under Labour than under the Tories looks some way off.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/no-more-tax-and-spend-labours-fiscal-plans-re
Whilst the article is paywalled, one extract from it is the following.
"A Labour government would follow Conservative tax and public spending policies until growth returns to the ailing economy."
In contrast, the Scottish government has been prepared to increase income tax rates, especially on the higher paid, to pay for things. [Post edited 9 Jul 2023 7:42]
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 08:59 - Jul 9 with 1148 views | Mullet |
I'm not a member of NEU so haven't been able to strike. There's a few misconceptions here that have arisen so forgive me for the following essay:
1) You cannot cover striking teachers from another union as it is deemed as undermining the legal right to strike. That is why kids cannot and will not be swapped. Also, it means upping the workload of those of us not striking. Pressure from unscrupulous management is a huge issue and often staff are isolated and bullied into doing lots of things they shouldn't in certain environments.
2) The government's hypocrisy and ineptitude has hurt kids more and continues to do so. Schools are already massively underfunded. The move to fully academising education for those who cannot pay fees, means the Tories can try and put the burden on the private sector by offering them the chance to save money - either by ploughing what would be taxed into schools or trying to make money out of the education sector.
3) Some teachers cannot afford to strike any more. There is a hardship fund with every union, however if I was to make one big criticism of the NEU it has been these two days of strike action. It ties into their desire to be seen as doing all the hard work and taking all the plaudits, but to get where they are they've not worked with the other unions well enough in my opinion.
4) Michael Gove. A man who should be exiled or in jail for what he's done. But as far as teachers go, he has made it as hard as possible for teachers to strike. Teachers are spread across the most amount of workplaces in any industry.
Due to academisation, teachers are no longer just spread across Local Authorities. This means it is a massive task to organise, administer and make ballots work long before strike action can happen. That is why the RMT et al can go out very easily. Gove designed the rules specifically to make it as hard as possible for teachers to strike.
We have to use the postal service and this means people have to make sure they update their details (who uses post any more?) with the union and maintain GDPR. There are numerous rules (you can look them up if you don't believe me) and the government can strike down a ballot and strike at any point on the most minor of technicalities.
They can also then drag the union to court and have them fined punitively, meaning the unions have to do everything perfect whilst Keegan can turn up to meetings unprepared flashing her Rolex around and just walk out again not engaging.
I could triple this post length just on this part alone frankly.
5) Teachers don't want to strike. Even the most militant. The media, the government and many parents play on this cynically and unfairly. We're not the NHS or saving lives but as the pandemic showed our value and the respect for our profession is incredibly changeable. We are already expected to work for free in many instances.
6) The real terms pay cut is massive. Everybody is suffering, the government don't want us as a nation to recognise that so once again teachers are another profession where the standards to become a teacher are high, the expectations are even higher but the profession is losing good staff constantly. Experience is simply seen as expense due to the creeping "business" mentality of people who climb to the top and the knock on effects have been building for a decade or more.
7) The damage done by COVID to everyone kids, teachers and parents has been massive but since then new challenges have occurred. Violence, bad behaviour and generally poor socialisation have been massive issues in schools across the country. It's been a huge topic in teaching the media hasn't really touched. There is an expectation that teachers are responsible for this as it happens on school time, but whilst we can debate the merits on site police officers, draconian rules a la Birbalsingh etc it isn't really spoken about enough.
8) Private schools are anything but. If we removed their charitable status and made them run as businesses and paid their share you would already find a big pot of money. However, when we are told there is no more money and any rise won't be funded (if you take the pay rise we'll have to sack and make redundant your colleagues) is essentially blackmail. Whilst this government do nothing but take, steal, lie and cheat us all you can't expect teachers to accept yet more cuts.
There have been years of unions agreeing to forego pay rises as these strikes could and probably should have happened much earlier into austerity. However, many of the above issues are reasons for it not happening.
When professions like teachers, nurses, doctors etc go on strike it's time to take note and support them because the reasons why must be serious and vital. Public service workers are either important or their not. But if us withdrawing labour is so damaging, then it's time to pay us what we're worth isn't it? |  |
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 09:22 - Jul 9 with 1106 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 14:54 - Jul 7 by giant_stow |
I'm not against the strikes - I'm just very concerned about the affect on already damaged kids. I dont see this as a black and white issue is all. |
Relax, technology is going to fix the problem.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jul/07/ai-likely-to-spell-end-of-tra
Exclusive: Prof Stuart Russell says technology could result in ‘fewer teachers being employed — possibly even none’ |  |
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 09:22 - Jul 9 with 1105 views | Pinewoodblue |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 08:59 - Jul 9 by Mullet |
I'm not a member of NEU so haven't been able to strike. There's a few misconceptions here that have arisen so forgive me for the following essay:
1) You cannot cover striking teachers from another union as it is deemed as undermining the legal right to strike. That is why kids cannot and will not be swapped. Also, it means upping the workload of those of us not striking. Pressure from unscrupulous management is a huge issue and often staff are isolated and bullied into doing lots of things they shouldn't in certain environments.
2) The government's hypocrisy and ineptitude has hurt kids more and continues to do so. Schools are already massively underfunded. The move to fully academising education for those who cannot pay fees, means the Tories can try and put the burden on the private sector by offering them the chance to save money - either by ploughing what would be taxed into schools or trying to make money out of the education sector.
3) Some teachers cannot afford to strike any more. There is a hardship fund with every union, however if I was to make one big criticism of the NEU it has been these two days of strike action. It ties into their desire to be seen as doing all the hard work and taking all the plaudits, but to get where they are they've not worked with the other unions well enough in my opinion.
4) Michael Gove. A man who should be exiled or in jail for what he's done. But as far as teachers go, he has made it as hard as possible for teachers to strike. Teachers are spread across the most amount of workplaces in any industry.
Due to academisation, teachers are no longer just spread across Local Authorities. This means it is a massive task to organise, administer and make ballots work long before strike action can happen. That is why the RMT et al can go out very easily. Gove designed the rules specifically to make it as hard as possible for teachers to strike.
We have to use the postal service and this means people have to make sure they update their details (who uses post any more?) with the union and maintain GDPR. There are numerous rules (you can look them up if you don't believe me) and the government can strike down a ballot and strike at any point on the most minor of technicalities.
They can also then drag the union to court and have them fined punitively, meaning the unions have to do everything perfect whilst Keegan can turn up to meetings unprepared flashing her Rolex around and just walk out again not engaging.
I could triple this post length just on this part alone frankly.
5) Teachers don't want to strike. Even the most militant. The media, the government and many parents play on this cynically and unfairly. We're not the NHS or saving lives but as the pandemic showed our value and the respect for our profession is incredibly changeable. We are already expected to work for free in many instances.
6) The real terms pay cut is massive. Everybody is suffering, the government don't want us as a nation to recognise that so once again teachers are another profession where the standards to become a teacher are high, the expectations are even higher but the profession is losing good staff constantly. Experience is simply seen as expense due to the creeping "business" mentality of people who climb to the top and the knock on effects have been building for a decade or more.
7) The damage done by COVID to everyone kids, teachers and parents has been massive but since then new challenges have occurred. Violence, bad behaviour and generally poor socialisation have been massive issues in schools across the country. It's been a huge topic in teaching the media hasn't really touched. There is an expectation that teachers are responsible for this as it happens on school time, but whilst we can debate the merits on site police officers, draconian rules a la Birbalsingh etc it isn't really spoken about enough.
8) Private schools are anything but. If we removed their charitable status and made them run as businesses and paid their share you would already find a big pot of money. However, when we are told there is no more money and any rise won't be funded (if you take the pay rise we'll have to sack and make redundant your colleagues) is essentially blackmail. Whilst this government do nothing but take, steal, lie and cheat us all you can't expect teachers to accept yet more cuts.
There have been years of unions agreeing to forego pay rises as these strikes could and probably should have happened much earlier into austerity. However, many of the above issues are reasons for it not happening.
When professions like teachers, nurses, doctors etc go on strike it's time to take note and support them because the reasons why must be serious and vital. Public service workers are either important or their not. But if us withdrawing labour is so damaging, then it's time to pay us what we're worth isn't it? |
Agree 100% there is a need for a bigger pot of money but my guess is that no major party, come the next election , will be willing to seek election on a policy of increased taxation.
Would add that there has been, for many many years, far too much money wasted mainly due to incompetence and individuals lining their pockets. |  |
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| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 09:36 - Jul 9 with 1083 views | DJR |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 08:59 - Jul 9 by Mullet |
I'm not a member of NEU so haven't been able to strike. There's a few misconceptions here that have arisen so forgive me for the following essay:
1) You cannot cover striking teachers from another union as it is deemed as undermining the legal right to strike. That is why kids cannot and will not be swapped. Also, it means upping the workload of those of us not striking. Pressure from unscrupulous management is a huge issue and often staff are isolated and bullied into doing lots of things they shouldn't in certain environments.
2) The government's hypocrisy and ineptitude has hurt kids more and continues to do so. Schools are already massively underfunded. The move to fully academising education for those who cannot pay fees, means the Tories can try and put the burden on the private sector by offering them the chance to save money - either by ploughing what would be taxed into schools or trying to make money out of the education sector.
3) Some teachers cannot afford to strike any more. There is a hardship fund with every union, however if I was to make one big criticism of the NEU it has been these two days of strike action. It ties into their desire to be seen as doing all the hard work and taking all the plaudits, but to get where they are they've not worked with the other unions well enough in my opinion.
4) Michael Gove. A man who should be exiled or in jail for what he's done. But as far as teachers go, he has made it as hard as possible for teachers to strike. Teachers are spread across the most amount of workplaces in any industry.
Due to academisation, teachers are no longer just spread across Local Authorities. This means it is a massive task to organise, administer and make ballots work long before strike action can happen. That is why the RMT et al can go out very easily. Gove designed the rules specifically to make it as hard as possible for teachers to strike.
We have to use the postal service and this means people have to make sure they update their details (who uses post any more?) with the union and maintain GDPR. There are numerous rules (you can look them up if you don't believe me) and the government can strike down a ballot and strike at any point on the most minor of technicalities.
They can also then drag the union to court and have them fined punitively, meaning the unions have to do everything perfect whilst Keegan can turn up to meetings unprepared flashing her Rolex around and just walk out again not engaging.
I could triple this post length just on this part alone frankly.
5) Teachers don't want to strike. Even the most militant. The media, the government and many parents play on this cynically and unfairly. We're not the NHS or saving lives but as the pandemic showed our value and the respect for our profession is incredibly changeable. We are already expected to work for free in many instances.
6) The real terms pay cut is massive. Everybody is suffering, the government don't want us as a nation to recognise that so once again teachers are another profession where the standards to become a teacher are high, the expectations are even higher but the profession is losing good staff constantly. Experience is simply seen as expense due to the creeping "business" mentality of people who climb to the top and the knock on effects have been building for a decade or more.
7) The damage done by COVID to everyone kids, teachers and parents has been massive but since then new challenges have occurred. Violence, bad behaviour and generally poor socialisation have been massive issues in schools across the country. It's been a huge topic in teaching the media hasn't really touched. There is an expectation that teachers are responsible for this as it happens on school time, but whilst we can debate the merits on site police officers, draconian rules a la Birbalsingh etc it isn't really spoken about enough.
8) Private schools are anything but. If we removed their charitable status and made them run as businesses and paid their share you would already find a big pot of money. However, when we are told there is no more money and any rise won't be funded (if you take the pay rise we'll have to sack and make redundant your colleagues) is essentially blackmail. Whilst this government do nothing but take, steal, lie and cheat us all you can't expect teachers to accept yet more cuts.
There have been years of unions agreeing to forego pay rises as these strikes could and probably should have happened much earlier into austerity. However, many of the above issues are reasons for it not happening.
When professions like teachers, nurses, doctors etc go on strike it's time to take note and support them because the reasons why must be serious and vital. Public service workers are either important or their not. But if us withdrawing labour is so damaging, then it's time to pay us what we're worth isn't it? |
Very well said. | | | |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 10:01 - Jul 9 with 1056 views | Churchman |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 08:59 - Jul 9 by Mullet |
I'm not a member of NEU so haven't been able to strike. There's a few misconceptions here that have arisen so forgive me for the following essay:
1) You cannot cover striking teachers from another union as it is deemed as undermining the legal right to strike. That is why kids cannot and will not be swapped. Also, it means upping the workload of those of us not striking. Pressure from unscrupulous management is a huge issue and often staff are isolated and bullied into doing lots of things they shouldn't in certain environments.
2) The government's hypocrisy and ineptitude has hurt kids more and continues to do so. Schools are already massively underfunded. The move to fully academising education for those who cannot pay fees, means the Tories can try and put the burden on the private sector by offering them the chance to save money - either by ploughing what would be taxed into schools or trying to make money out of the education sector.
3) Some teachers cannot afford to strike any more. There is a hardship fund with every union, however if I was to make one big criticism of the NEU it has been these two days of strike action. It ties into their desire to be seen as doing all the hard work and taking all the plaudits, but to get where they are they've not worked with the other unions well enough in my opinion.
4) Michael Gove. A man who should be exiled or in jail for what he's done. But as far as teachers go, he has made it as hard as possible for teachers to strike. Teachers are spread across the most amount of workplaces in any industry.
Due to academisation, teachers are no longer just spread across Local Authorities. This means it is a massive task to organise, administer and make ballots work long before strike action can happen. That is why the RMT et al can go out very easily. Gove designed the rules specifically to make it as hard as possible for teachers to strike.
We have to use the postal service and this means people have to make sure they update their details (who uses post any more?) with the union and maintain GDPR. There are numerous rules (you can look them up if you don't believe me) and the government can strike down a ballot and strike at any point on the most minor of technicalities.
They can also then drag the union to court and have them fined punitively, meaning the unions have to do everything perfect whilst Keegan can turn up to meetings unprepared flashing her Rolex around and just walk out again not engaging.
I could triple this post length just on this part alone frankly.
5) Teachers don't want to strike. Even the most militant. The media, the government and many parents play on this cynically and unfairly. We're not the NHS or saving lives but as the pandemic showed our value and the respect for our profession is incredibly changeable. We are already expected to work for free in many instances.
6) The real terms pay cut is massive. Everybody is suffering, the government don't want us as a nation to recognise that so once again teachers are another profession where the standards to become a teacher are high, the expectations are even higher but the profession is losing good staff constantly. Experience is simply seen as expense due to the creeping "business" mentality of people who climb to the top and the knock on effects have been building for a decade or more.
7) The damage done by COVID to everyone kids, teachers and parents has been massive but since then new challenges have occurred. Violence, bad behaviour and generally poor socialisation have been massive issues in schools across the country. It's been a huge topic in teaching the media hasn't really touched. There is an expectation that teachers are responsible for this as it happens on school time, but whilst we can debate the merits on site police officers, draconian rules a la Birbalsingh etc it isn't really spoken about enough.
8) Private schools are anything but. If we removed their charitable status and made them run as businesses and paid their share you would already find a big pot of money. However, when we are told there is no more money and any rise won't be funded (if you take the pay rise we'll have to sack and make redundant your colleagues) is essentially blackmail. Whilst this government do nothing but take, steal, lie and cheat us all you can't expect teachers to accept yet more cuts.
There have been years of unions agreeing to forego pay rises as these strikes could and probably should have happened much earlier into austerity. However, many of the above issues are reasons for it not happening.
When professions like teachers, nurses, doctors etc go on strike it's time to take note and support them because the reasons why must be serious and vital. Public service workers are either important or their not. But if us withdrawing labour is so damaging, then it's time to pay us what we're worth isn't it? |
Thank you for your post.
In point 5 you said teachers don’t want to strike. No, they don’t. They never did. It’s a vocation and a b difficult one. What a lot of teachers do is what Mrs C did - leave the teaching profession earlier than they might have done.
10 years ago, she was getting ever more miserable working in teaching. She wasn’t ambitious, but just wanted to teach children. It was important to her and I’m told she was good at it. In the later years she saw ever more political interference, curriculum, Ofsted, budget cuts, appraisals, time squeezed with ludicrous reporting and worsening conditions.
Mrs C then inherited a little money from her aunt. I said look, why don’t you give teaching up and we can treat your aunts money as income if necessary to allow you to do things you'd like to do. So she did. The loss was the teaching profession’s and the children who missed out on her undoubted skill and experience. A lot of her friends finished early too, all for the same reasons.
The government do not see teaching as a profession or teachers as professional people. They don’t regard the work they do as important because they don’t see people as important.
You are right, the government’s hypocrisy and ineptitude has hurt a generation of children, just as it’s hurt so many people in so many ways. The sooner these creatures are in the dustbin of history the better. | | | |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 10:08 - Jul 9 with 1054 views | DJR |
I think you'd struggle to get a computer to educate and control primary school pupils, and for secondary school pupils, do we really need the further isolation and lack of social interaction it might well entail, especially with Labour talking about the need for oracy?
Incidentally, there was an article a few months ago about a top accountancy firm which was introducing measures to deal with the fact that their recent entrants were lacking in social skills, amongst other things, due to being isolated during the pandemic. [Post edited 9 Jul 2023 11:17]
| | | |
| You only work 6 hours a day.... on 10:19 - Jul 9 with 1037 views | Bloots |
| Hiw some school's are handling the teachers strike. on 08:59 - Jul 9 by Mullet |
I'm not a member of NEU so haven't been able to strike. There's a few misconceptions here that have arisen so forgive me for the following essay:
1) You cannot cover striking teachers from another union as it is deemed as undermining the legal right to strike. That is why kids cannot and will not be swapped. Also, it means upping the workload of those of us not striking. Pressure from unscrupulous management is a huge issue and often staff are isolated and bullied into doing lots of things they shouldn't in certain environments.
2) The government's hypocrisy and ineptitude has hurt kids more and continues to do so. Schools are already massively underfunded. The move to fully academising education for those who cannot pay fees, means the Tories can try and put the burden on the private sector by offering them the chance to save money - either by ploughing what would be taxed into schools or trying to make money out of the education sector.
3) Some teachers cannot afford to strike any more. There is a hardship fund with every union, however if I was to make one big criticism of the NEU it has been these two days of strike action. It ties into their desire to be seen as doing all the hard work and taking all the plaudits, but to get where they are they've not worked with the other unions well enough in my opinion.
4) Michael Gove. A man who should be exiled or in jail for what he's done. But as far as teachers go, he has made it as hard as possible for teachers to strike. Teachers are spread across the most amount of workplaces in any industry.
Due to academisation, teachers are no longer just spread across Local Authorities. This means it is a massive task to organise, administer and make ballots work long before strike action can happen. That is why the RMT et al can go out very easily. Gove designed the rules specifically to make it as hard as possible for teachers to strike.
We have to use the postal service and this means people have to make sure they update their details (who uses post any more?) with the union and maintain GDPR. There are numerous rules (you can look them up if you don't believe me) and the government can strike down a ballot and strike at any point on the most minor of technicalities.
They can also then drag the union to court and have them fined punitively, meaning the unions have to do everything perfect whilst Keegan can turn up to meetings unprepared flashing her Rolex around and just walk out again not engaging.
I could triple this post length just on this part alone frankly.
5) Teachers don't want to strike. Even the most militant. The media, the government and many parents play on this cynically and unfairly. We're not the NHS or saving lives but as the pandemic showed our value and the respect for our profession is incredibly changeable. We are already expected to work for free in many instances.
6) The real terms pay cut is massive. Everybody is suffering, the government don't want us as a nation to recognise that so once again teachers are another profession where the standards to become a teacher are high, the expectations are even higher but the profession is losing good staff constantly. Experience is simply seen as expense due to the creeping "business" mentality of people who climb to the top and the knock on effects have been building for a decade or more.
7) The damage done by COVID to everyone kids, teachers and parents has been massive but since then new challenges have occurred. Violence, bad behaviour and generally poor socialisation have been massive issues in schools across the country. It's been a huge topic in teaching the media hasn't really touched. There is an expectation that teachers are responsible for this as it happens on school time, but whilst we can debate the merits on site police officers, draconian rules a la Birbalsingh etc it isn't really spoken about enough.
8) Private schools are anything but. If we removed their charitable status and made them run as businesses and paid their share you would already find a big pot of money. However, when we are told there is no more money and any rise won't be funded (if you take the pay rise we'll have to sack and make redundant your colleagues) is essentially blackmail. Whilst this government do nothing but take, steal, lie and cheat us all you can't expect teachers to accept yet more cuts.
There have been years of unions agreeing to forego pay rises as these strikes could and probably should have happened much earlier into austerity. However, many of the above issues are reasons for it not happening.
When professions like teachers, nurses, doctors etc go on strike it's time to take note and support them because the reasons why must be serious and vital. Public service workers are either important or their not. But if us withdrawing labour is so damaging, then it's time to pay us what we're worth isn't it? |
...and you get 3 months a year off.
Stop whining.
Innit.
Sweardown.
Etc. |  |
| "The sooner he comes back the better, this place has been a disaster without him" - TWTD User (July 2025) |
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