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Teacher’s Strike - Neil (30th Jan 2023 - 18:59:12) Firstly, I will highlight that I think teachers do an incredible job, certainly one I could not. I also remember how many of us enjoyed a sunny furlough whilst the teaching profession adapted to Covid and very swiftly moved to online learning. I also think they probably deserve better pay. However the decision to strike by some teaching unions is an absolute disgrace and is immoral and disgusting. Since March 2020 our children have gone through the most disrupted schooling since probably WW2 and now, just when their education should be entering a more stable and consistent routine the Unions, and those teachers that support their unions, have chosen to extend the damage to our kids. They tell us when we look to take our kids out of school in term time for whatever reason that every day at school matters to a pupils future yet that is less important than going on strike. Absolutely disgusting!

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Lara (30th Jan 2023 - 23:04:34) Teachers do have lives outside of the school. You do know that don’t you? Just because they’re a teacher doesn’t mean they can’t stand up for what they believe in, just like the nurses, postal workers & now firefighters. If you think it’s just about pay, then you need to do some research. And using the word ‘disgusting’ is a bit OTT in the grand scheme of things right now. Maybe read a book to your darling child or get them to read to you. blimey……asking parents to parent their own children so teachers can demonstrate for more school funding for your precious little gems! Teacher recruitment & retainment is at an all time low. Why do you think there are so many unqualified teachers in schools? And no, I’m not a teacher but fully support their reasons.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Ian (31st Jan 2023 - 08:07:41) I have a good deal of sympathy for teachers but striking is wrong. The unions are using their members financial hardship (which we are all experiencing) for political motives and in this case causing harm to children.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Agree (31st Jan 2023 - 10:22:02) Spot on Ian unions are exploiting their members to bring down this government and the members are going along with it that’s the disgusting thing about it . Strikes should be banned there is a better way in this day and age.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Pensioner (31st Jan 2023 - 11:07:38) Wish I was on £30000- £40000 a year it would be like being a millionaire. If people can’t live on that sort of money they need to take a long hard look at themselves..

Re: Teacher’s Strike - passfield resident (31st Jan 2023 - 11:18:07) Agree- strikes should be banned??!!! What other basic rights would you take away from people? You are talking about moving to some kind of totalitarian society. The ignorance of some people about our history is astonishing. There is a way of avoiding strikes. It's called negotiation. When this fails employers can't just be allowed to do what they like.When Amazon workers are reprimanded for leaning on something because they are tired or have timed toilet breaks as well as low pay are they expected to cheerfully put up with it while the people running the company make vast amounts and avoid paying the taxes they should be paying? Worker's rights are part of a civilised society like looking after older people and taking an intelligent part in our democracy.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - gareth j rees (31st Jan 2023 - 11:24:57) teachers have my full support it's an outrage they way they have been treated in the last 13 years, the pay they get is a joke 40% of teachers leave in the first 5 years both of my kids regularly have supply teachers and that's because we haven't got enough teachers (or doctors! or nurses!) value the work teachers do pay them properly this country is going down the tubes under the tories we must have a general election

Re: Teacher’s Strike - paul (31st Jan 2023 - 11:40:40) Hi, Teachers deserve more than better pay. They have to work in crumbling poorly maintained buildings Also long hours, when marking from school and at home, including weekends Physical abuse from students, that is often not reported or dealt with. Online offensive commenting, resulting in stress, and depression at work. We as a country for the existing generation, and future ones, big financial investment is required to our schools. More individual support to help teachers is needed for their well-being.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - H (31st Jan 2023 - 12:49:37) Pensioner, Teachers aren’t on 30-40k a year, student teachers barely make a living. Not to mention that they go home and do MORE WORK. Old people these days.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Dave (31st Jan 2023 - 12:55:31) The issue of teachers striking is almost unique. In many cases, strikes are designed to hit productivity, cause financial disruption and put pressure on "the bosses". Its a financial hammer blow. In the case of our schools, the only people being hammered are the children. In what other area would damaging children's wellbeing be sanctioned or acceptable? Personally, I do think there should be more investment in education BUT harming the very children that teachers profess is their vocation to develop and educate is wrong.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Dave again (31st Jan 2023 - 13:44:13) in reply to H The starting salary for teachers in England is due to rise to £30,000 a year by September 2023. State school classroom teachers in England were paid an average of £38,982 in the 2021/22 school year. This compares with £39,009 in Wales and £40,026 in Scotland. Northern Ireland did not provide a figure. The average head teacher's salary in England for the same period was £74,095, and £57,117 for other senior leaders.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Pensioner (31st Jan 2023 - 14:57:48) Thanks Dave I’m not saying they don’t deserve a pay raise. but as things are striking doesn’t help. H just try living on a basic pension most Teachers will retire on a good pension like all public employees I know because some of my family are teachers very good pension when they retire. Pensioners cannot go on strike they just have to lap it up . One day you will see like many others Old people?

Re: Teacher’s Strike - DL (31st Jan 2023 - 19:22:10) If teachers (and all other public sector workers) had the same triple lock on their salary as pensioners do on their state pensions, they probably wouldn't ever go on strike. Most pensioners will also take far more in pension then they ever paid in taxes during their working lives, fortunately for them it's paid for by other generations. Unfortunately for those other generations it's a Ponzi scheme and at some point a generation that paid for the one preceding it is not going to get the same. How's that for fairness? All the above said, both sides in this argument are following the play book perfectly - the young blame the old, the old blame the young, professions blame other professions, meanwhile those with all the money and power at the top laugh at the peasants arguing among themselves. Divide and rule executed to perfection.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Ex teacher (1st Feb 2023 - 19:29:35) I qualified as a teacher in 2006 and started on a salary of £20,082. I was working from 7am to 7pm each day (evenings consisted of marking, lesson planning, admin, responding to parents and attending staff meetings. I worked every weekend without fail planning lessons for the following week and writing schemes of work. I taught at a “good “ comprehensive. The behaviour was challenging* and at times, downright physically abusive ( furniture thrown at me etc.) Some parents were rude and entitled and refused to cooperate with the school staff. I lasted 6 months before one morning, driving to school, I considered deliberately driving into tree so I’d be too injured to work. The following day I resigned. I was 25. I now earn three times what I would as a teacher and whilst I work hard, nothing will ever compare to the exhaustion, desperation and sense of futility I felt during those 6 months. So I support the teachers’ strike. They do not receive sufficient recognition and remuneration for what can be, an incredibly demanding and thankless job. The profession is losing staff and cannot continue in its current form. I admire each and every one of them.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Ian (2nd Feb 2023 - 07:13:32) Ex teacher, clearly you didn’t have what it takes to be a teacher. Thankfully many do!

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Ex teacher (2nd Feb 2023 - 07:56:29) You’re right Ian- I didn’t have what it takes. However your comment that “thankfully many others do” shows an interesting and dare I say callous attitude to the mental health issues that I - and many others - have endured as a result of the pressures of the profession. Kindness and empathy sadly seems in short supply.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Worker (2nd Feb 2023 - 09:24:29) Ex Teacher do you think all other people in this country lives run smoothly ? most people in their jobs suffer stress small businesses trying to keep going earning far less than the Teachers and thousands more. All the strikers should hang their heads in shame this country needs everyone pulling together looking at the published wages of all the striking people there is totally no need for any strikes . We all suffer loads of stress and hardship in our lives most of us deal with it and carry on and make a good life.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - ian (2nd Feb 2023 - 11:51:43) ex teacher - many of us have pressures, anxiety, stress, money worries, family worries, health concerns, problems at work, matrimonial concerns, its called life. Unfortunately we are increasingly seeing large sections of society that feel they are entitled to a life without these worries and complain about their mental health, usually all over social media when life throws them some reality. Like many, I am actually quite caring but fed up of being overwhelmed with so many saying they are being damaged by just living in the real world. The world is going to be much tougher place for the forceable future, our kids need preparing for this and quite frankly, with how you come across on this discussion, thank goodness you are no longer in the teaching profession.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - passfield resident (2nd Feb 2023 - 14:39:33) Ian-your response to a very honest post by Ex teacher is pretty moronic. Far too many teachers are leaving teaching early because the job is made far harder than it should be, particularly by a small minority of pupils who haven't been brought up well, possibly by parents who lack respect and empathy themselves. The stress caused by having to control pupils who are pretty much out of control without back up from their parents can be intolerable.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Ex teacher (2nd Feb 2023 - 14:46:28) You have a lovely day Ian. And thanks for your kind words and invaluable advice.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Pete (2nd Feb 2023 - 15:33:06) Teachers striking is not what is detrimental to the child's education as our well heeled and out of touch PM would have you believe, its the fact that schools are understaffed and unable to provide a decent education as they cannot recruit enough teachers due to the poor pay and conditions that come with the job. How come we have to pay mega bucks and bonuses to bankers and CEOs to get the best people but the same doesn't apply to the jobs that actually count. Doctors, Nurses,Ambulance drivers, Emergency call handlers, Teachers, Transport workers,governmental civil servants (who are the ones that keep the whole shebang running despite their woefully incompetent bosses) Driving examiners, Border force, Royal mail workers. Are they all wrong? All this when a member of parliament can make an"Error" with four million pounds worth of tax and its forgotten about within a week. I would say the country is going to the dogs but sadly for the ordinary Jo's of this world it already has.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Penny Williamson (2nd Feb 2023 - 17:32:45) Passfield Resident. How will paying the teachers more relieve their stress and actually ex-Teacher's £20,082 starting salary in 2006 was not bad. At least in the teaching profession as in the case of nurses and all those in the public sector do have jobs and are not in danger of losing them, unlike the private sector. They have sick pay, holidays, pensions. It’s not all bad. The self employed have no back up, no holiday or sick pay, pension if they pay for it themselves, no job security and a great many of them are on the minimum wage. I think a great many people need to take a long, hard look at themselves – the damage that these strikes are doing, whether or not some people think they are justifiable, is nothing short of catastrophic for the country. Strikers need to understand the damage their actions are doing to other people and the economy. IMO Unions have a lot to answer for and I think their end-game is to bring down the Government which they probably will. Will Labour do any better – there is now no money in the pot and we know that higher taxes don’t work. They are detrimental to investment, morale and growth. I think the old fashioned phrase “The country is going to the dogs” is right except that I think it probably already has.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - ian (2nd Feb 2023 - 17:58:13) Passfield resident - kids at school have always been horrible and many at times, badly behaved. There has always been parents that don't care as well but a minority. As it happens I do think teachers have been disempowered (along with the police) in recent years which makes it tougher dealing with those little buggers out to disrupt more difficult, but what is clear from ex teachers post is that they were ill equipped to manage a teaching role. Nothing to do with pay, everything to do with not being up to the job. Unkind I know but truth hurts, a lesson that needs to be taught, not just to kids it seems. to quote you passfield resident - "The stress caused by having to control pupils who are pretty much out of control without back up from their parents can be intolerable" This has always been and will always be part of the job, if you cannot handle it, don't be a teacher!

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Pensioner (2nd Feb 2023 - 18:05:27) Well said Penny an ex self employed I can tell you it was extremely hard. Payed into a private pension and it went bust only got a fraction of my investment. It’s time all these strikers thought of the consequences of their actions.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Working man (2nd Feb 2023 - 18:44:25) I wish I earned as much as these strikers they don’t seem to realise they are very well off guaranteed a job and a good pension all public service employees don’t appreciate that they have massive security and a very good wage. Can look forward to a good retirement. If they worked in the private sector they would have to work much harder and longer hours. They don’t know when they are well off . And as for the train drivers they all should be sacked and give their jobs to people that would appreciate the job . The people of this country need to take a long hard look at themselves.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - passfield resident (2nd Feb 2023 - 19:24:01) Penny-you seem to be taking issue with something I didn't say. I made no comment on teacher's pay. Workers in many sectors are trying for larger pay increases to counteract the effect of inflation, amongst other things. The idea that unions are trying to bring down the government seems to be repeated by a few posters on this site. I'd say two things-firstly, successive Tory governments have tried to weaken the power of the unions, so Conservatives can't complain about unions opposing them, and secondly, this government has been the most dishonest , untrustwothy and in some cases corrupt government I can remember. My opinion is that Rishi Sunak is a decent person and a very competent politician, but the government and the Conservative Party has many MPs who aren't fit to run a sweet shop. They don't need the unions to bring them down-they have done an excellent job of that themselves.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Sam (2nd Feb 2023 - 20:03:08) Its very simple Don't like Strikes = Right Wing / subject to influence / Self centered Supports "current" Strikes = Potentially left wing / compassionate to others in society Am neither good or bad, but I do laugh at the weak subjects following the dear leaders believing the bosses are right and they are good little subjects. We could be alot better than this, and if you cant identify yourself with those being abused by the higher powers your very ... very lost Ask me what am smoking... or maybe you just wake up IMF. we are now last and falling rapidly behind

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Penny Williamson (3rd Feb 2023 - 13:47:20) Passfield Resident I am certainly not taking issue with something you did not say. You said in your post that ex-Teacher’s post was a very honest one. In that post ex-Teacher stated that his/her starting salary in 2006 was £20,082.00. I merely stated that I thought this was not a bad starting salary in 2006. With regard to your statement that “Conservative Party has many MPs who aren't fit to run a sweet shop.” I think that could apply just as well to some MP’s in the Labour Party who have been found guilty of far worse things, the most recent of which was a Labour MP who stated that the Israeli Government is fascist and Israel is an apartheid state. I know this is deviation but I think everyone should look at the bigger picture. Good and bad, honest and dishonest in all parties and all walks of life.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Joe (3rd Feb 2023 - 14:44:02) Penny, equating political views about the Israeli style of leadership with our government's incompetence and corruption in this country is grasping at straws.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - passfield resident (3rd Feb 2023 - 15:00:41) Actually I think describing Isreal as an apartheid state isn't far from the truth. It deliberately sets out to kill civilians , including women and children.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Ian (3rd Feb 2023 - 17:58:39) @passfield resident, and Israel’s Arab neighbours that still deny Israel’s right to exist are such great role model states! As always, hypocrisy from the left!

Re: Teacher’s Strike - passfield resident (3rd Feb 2023 - 21:21:09) Ian-I made no comment about Arab states or the rights and wrongs of their politics. Amnesty International say Isreal is pursuing a policy of apatheid. When a country with nuclear weapons backed up by America persecutes an Arab state, it's hardly surprising that other Arab states oppose it. I don't like being labelled or being called a hypocrite.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Richard (4th Feb 2023 - 10:14:48) Ian Several grammatical errors and a fair few spelling mistakes. Could do better. 6/10. Spend most of your school-time looking out of the window did you?

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Ian (4th Feb 2023 - 11:01:06) Oh Richard, is that the best you could do? Sorry, you could do better!

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Penny Williamson (4th Feb 2023 - 11:46:31) @ Richard I am at a loss to see why you are criticizing Ian’s post as being grammatically incorrect and full of spelling mistakes and do not criticize Passfield Resident’s post as he/she cannot spell “Israel” correctly as demonstrated in both his/her recent posts and “apartheid” in his/her second post dated 3 Feb. @Passfield Resident Israel and the Middle East have had a very checkered and complicated history and I am sure there have been and still are rights and wrongs on both sides. However IMO intemperate language from anyone does not help . Likewise I do not think remarks such as Kim Johnson the Labour MP made saying that she thought that the Israeli Government was fascist is the sort of divisive and inflammatory statement that should be made by a Member of Parliament – the fact that she has apologised unreservedly and withdrawn her statement says it all. By highlighting her statement on this Forum I was taking the opportunity to point out that there are flawed MP’s on both sides of the House. However I have high-jacked this Thread for which I apologise and will now bow out and hopefully the posts will return to the "Teachers’ Strike".

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Ian (4th Feb 2023 - 16:51:18) Oh Richard, is that the best you could do? Sorry, you could do better!

Re: Teacher’s Strike - passfield resident (4th Feb 2023 - 18:46:13) Penny-Pointing out grammar/spelling mistakes rather than making an argument is a bit cheap, so I will let you find the mistakes in your last post yourself.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Penny Williamson (5th Feb 2023 - 13:53:37) I don't usually criticize spelling and grammar, but I thought it was a bit rich of Richard to criticize Ian's post as having "several grammatical errors and a fair few spelling mistakes" when you misspelt Israel and apartheid and he saw fit to ignore this. This was unfair, particularly as he ended by saying "Spend most of your school-time looking out of the window did you?" Most unpleasant - so I felt I had to respond your latest post even though it had nothing to do with Teachers' Strikes. I would very much appreciate it if you could point out the spelling/grammatical errors in my last post as you claim to have noticed them. I am always willing to learn.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - paul (5th Feb 2023 - 15:07:17) Hi, As always with strikes no one asked the pupils/students how they are affected with this current action. Lost education through Covid 19, now these days-off from the curriculum. Listen to the future generation, they will tell you how this disturbance is to their own future. I also have sympathy will education staff and their cause. Negotiation around tables is the only solution, not closing schools and picket lines.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - passfield resident (5th Feb 2023 - 15:24:27) Penny- you are an authority on grammar-I'm sure you can find them yourself.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Penny Williamson (5th Feb 2023 - 19:17:11) Passfield Resident I have read and re-read my post and cannot find any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. I am not saying that there are none - I just cannot find them so put your money where your mouth is and please enlighten me. Now to return to the very important topic on this Thread - I know two teachers at two different schools who are not striking and that is their personal choice. Staff at my granddaughter's primary school are not striking. Again a personal choice. I am not saying the teachers do not need better pay and conditions because I don't know enough about their present day salaries and working conditions. However the question I would ask is what sort of example are their setting our children and grandchildren, their pupils, our future.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - passfield resident (5th Feb 2023 - 20:20:10) Penny- MPs does not have an apostrophe-it's a simple plural. Thread shouldn't have a capital letter. Hijacked doesn't have a hyphen. As to teachers setting an example-I know children of various ages who support their teachers. Demonstrating use of the fundamental democratic right to withdraw one's labour is perfectly reasonable in the circumstances.

Re: Teacher’s Strike - Ian (2nd Mar 2023 - 07:45:14) So back on strike today and inset day tomorrow. Disgusting. Regardless of the reasons disrupting our kid’s education like this is appalling!!

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