Job Cuts - anyone worried ?

Freefromdebt_2

Why is it that schools/boards/DE will make their ancillary staff redundant before teachers ? A teacher's salary is at least TWICE that of ancillary staff, so in theory you would have to make at least TWO members of support staff redundant as opposed to one teacher ? And ESA (which was supposed to do away with the 5 boards, CCMS, NICIE etc) are not up and running but have cost us, the taxpayer a staggering £10MILLION.

Ido believe that our children's education is the most important thing in the world BUT to have a pupil:teacher ratio of less than say 20:1 cannot be cost effective can it ?

It all just rather puzzles me.

motorguy

Freefromdebt wrote: »

Why is it that schools/boards/DE will make their ancillary staff redundant before teachers ? A teacher's salary is at least TWICE that of ancillary staff, so in theory you would have to make at least TWO members of support staff redundant as opposed to one teacher ?

It all just rather puzzles me.

So you're proposing laying teachers off and keeping the ancillary staff? Would that not make it a bit tricky to teach the children?

leftieM

I think all staff in the education sector are going to take a hammering over the coming years.

Freefromdebt_2

pgilc1 wrote: »

So you're proposing laying teachers off and keeping the ancillary staff? Would that not make it a bit tricky to teach the children?[/Q

No, I am not proposing to lay off teachers. It will be the ancillary staff that will be laid off first because as I was told by a finance manager in a local school: 'It is easier for cleaners etc to get jobs. There are no teaching posts out there.'
I suppose I would like to see better use of local resources such as learning partnerships in post primary schools for delivery of AS & A2 level subjects. I know of two local post primary school offering the same subjects at these levels. One school has approximately 30 pupils per subject class whilst the other has between 3 - 10 pupils per subject class with both teachers on the same salary scale.

I think it is unfair for DE/boards/schools to assume that it is easier to get a job if you are not a teacher.

motorguy

Freefromdebt wrote: »

pgilc1 wrote: »

So you're proposing laying teachers off and keeping the ancillary staff? Would that not make it a bit tricky to teach the children?

No, I am not proposing to lay off teachers. It will be the ancillary staff that will be laid off first because as I was told by a finance manager in a local school: 'It is easier for cleaners etc to get jobs. There are no teaching posts out there.'
I suppose I would like to see better use of local resources such as learning partnerships in post primary schools for delivery of AS & A2 level subjects. I know of two local post primary school offering the same subjects at these levels. One school has approximately 30 pupils per subject class whilst the other has between 3 - 10 pupils per subject class with both teachers on the same salary scale.

I think it is unfair for DE/boards/schools to assume that it is easier to get a job if you are not a teacher.

With respect, i am sure there was a lot more to their reasoning than 'its easier for ancilliary staff to get jobs' when they were making their decisions. It sounds like you are taking one sentence perhaps out of context and dwelling on it.

Any school / business will understand its ratios needed between staff and ancilliary staff and will, in times of difficulty seek to make the cuts in the most appropriate place. It wont simply be on the basis of one group of peoples ability to get another job.

absoluteutopia

We still pump out too many Teachers every year in NI, there's no jobs for them

facingthefuture

I think we need a way of getting rid of the bad teachers and getting the good ones in....and I think age/sex has nothing to do with it.

screwedagain

absoluteutopia wrote: »

We still pump out too many Teachers every year in NI, there's no jobs for them

And the jobs that are there unfortunately are awarded as much on the 'who you know' basis as anything else.

How many young teachers in NI for example work in the same school as one of their teacher parents? There's no way that it's just coincidence! I know of a few cases of this.

absoluteutopia

screwedagain wrote: »

And the jobs that are there unfortunately are awarded as much on the 'who you know' basis as anything else.

How many young teachers in NI for example work in the same school as one of their teacher parents? There's no way that it's just coincidence! I know of a few cases of this.

I know of two as well

Freefromdebt_2

I have friends who are 1) teachers in primaries, 2) ancillary staff in primaries, others who are teachers in post primaries and some who are employed as ancillary staff in post primaries. The majority of teachers are quietly confident that the job cuts will not affect them, whereas the ancillary staff are waiting on their redundancy letter. Why is it schools will hold on to teachers who on occasions teach classes with no more than 5 pupils but will make redundant for example a kitchen assistant ?
It seems to be a case of 'look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves'

ianianian_2

I think you’ve just got to appreciate that a lot of people are at risk now and unless you’re prepared to move into some sort of growing industry, you’ve just got to get on with it and hope for the best.

I don’t mean to have a go at anyone hear, but it’s sometimes a bit frustrating to hear those in the public sector talking about the possibility of losing their jobs as if they’re being unfairly targeted, whilst people in the private sector have been on pay freezes/ being made redundant for years now, whilst also working sooooooo many additional hours for free to prolong the inevitable.

As far as teaching goes – I think you’ve got to look at it from the point of view of parents and politicians. What would you be more concerned with, hearing your children’s school was losing catering assistants or teachers? It’s sad, because I’ve worked in a school and know how important ‘ancillary staff’ are, but as I said before, the cuts are hitting a lot of people hard, so if you’re worried and you won’t get much of a redundancy package, you should start seeing what else is out there.