Teachers strike on Thursday

Mrs_Arcanum

Seems like all those who bleat about the holidays teachers get should be made to shadow one for a week. Then perhaps they might get an inkling of why they do the job and what they have to put up with. Then maybe they will understand why job stress needs earlier retirement/decent holiday entitlement.

Logan112

I hadn't realised that you weren't obliged to tell HT in advance if you were going to strike. I'm signed off sick at the moment and haven't managed to keep on top of all the rules and regulations. However I do feel that it is unprofessional to not tell HT so that if possible arrangements can be made.

I appreciate that the whole point of a strike is to cause disruption in order to get a message across but I think it's unnecessary to antagonise parents by not letting them know until the last minute - some parents might be supportive of the action as long as they feel they've been given time to make other arrangements. Teachers who strike are still making their point even if they have announced their intention to strike in advance so that the head can make an informed decision about whether the school is able to stay open.

milliebear00001

Logan112 wrote: »

I hadn't realised that you weren't obliged to tell HT in advance if you were going to strike. I'm signed off sick at the moment and haven't managed to keep on top of all the rules and regulations. However I do feel that it is unprofessional to not tell HT so that if possible arrangements can be made.

I appreciate that the whole point of a strike is to cause disruption in order to get a message across but I think it's unnecessary to antagonise parents by not letting them know until the last minute - some parents might be supportive of the action as long as they feel they've been given time to make other arrangements. Teachers who strike are still making their point even if they have announced their intention to strike in advance so that the head can make an informed decision about whether the school is able to stay open.

In this scenario, you should blame the Head, not the teachers. They don't have to tell him/her they'll be striking because the Union informs him/her there is a strike and he can expect members to be out that day. His/her proper response to that should be to announce s/he is closing the school so that parents like yourself have as much time as possible to make arrangements.

milliebear00001

Logan112 wrote: »

That's ridiculous! Schools certainly should have informed parents about closures well in advance. The only thing I can think of is that someone phoned in sick and they were unable to get a supply teacher to cover - maybe because a supply might be wary of going into a school disrupted by strike action, and would want to be sure they weren't actually covering for a teacher who was on strike.

It is illegal to hire/provide a supply teacher from an agency to cover for a striking teacher.

picnmix

I have read this thread with interest this afternoon, I work in the public sector NHS and have 1 child of school age who has been off today. I appreciate the frustrations felt and understand the reasons behind the action as it is something that is facing the whole public sector. However, I also have had a nightmare with childcare arrangements today (had to take DD to work with me in the end and hide her in the department :eek:).

Logan112

milliebear,

Yes I know that supply teachers should not be hired to cover for striking teachers, I wasn't suggesting they should be, I was just trying to find a reason for the situation skipsmum was put in.

I have explained that I am currently signed off and that I therefore haven't managed to keep up with all the rules and regulations. I am a parent but I am also a teacher who would have felt uncomfortable at parents not being told until 8am that they needed to make alternative arrangements for their children. I appreciate what you say about the headteacher making an advance decision to close the school as they would not know until the day which staff would be present.

Valli

picnmix wrote: »

I have read this thread with interest this afternoon, I work in the public sector NHS and have 1 child of school age who has been off today. I appreciate the frustrations felt and understand the reasons behind the action as it is something that is facing the whole public sector. However, I also have had a nightmare with childcare arrangements today (had to take DD to work with me in the end and hide her in the department :eek:).

once upon a time, a little girl was being minded by her grandma when her mum (an A&E nurse) was at work. Grandma took ill. An ambulance collected said little girl and brought her to the hospital. Little girl was 'admitted' to the children's ward for the day (but had to be hidden from Matron - which tells you how long ago it was. And no, I was NOT that little girl ot otherwise directly involved in this tale!)

3princes

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

With regard to the low response to the ballot, i suspect the wording of it may have played a part. I'm a NASUWT member and so I wasn't balloted, but from speaking to NUT colleagues, the wording of the ballot asked whether people would be prepared to strike over pensions, which is somewhat open to interpretation. I personally *would* be prepared to strike if i felt all other avenues had been unsuccessfully explored. My 'yes' vote would be different to that of someone who was prepared to strike regardless of what stage the negotiations were at, or someone who wanted to see negotiations continue having proven to the country that the profession is not prepared to roll over and die.

I don't know what the law is with regards to the wording of ballot papers for strikes (based on the issues with transport worker strikes being halted last minute due to the ballots being illegal i doubt it's straight forward). I personally suspect the ambiguity of the wording will have contributed significantly to the low turnout (ie people being unsure whether they were voting in support of strike action at some point if deemed necessary vs active strike action in the immediate future). I also believe that the fact that negotiations are still ongoing will have swayed many against voting. The fact that a strike in June will make less of an impact than a strike in the Autumn term will have played a part for many. I also believe the lack of a united front from the teaching unions may well have discouraged some from balloting in favour of strike action.

I support the idea of the strike this week, and am prepared to strike in the autumn term if I feel it has any chance of making an impact. Michael Gove's comments recently about parents stepping in to replace us in our 'childcare role' in order to keep schools open on Thursday illustrates how grossly unappreciated teaching is as a profession. Keeping 36 kids under control, never mind getting them to learn, is an art form which looks incredibly easy to the outside eye. Gove and his cronies would be eaten alive in a classroom situation; it is ludicrous IMHO that someone with no experience of working in education can be put in charge of schools.


As an aside, I'm giving up my weekend this week (not for the first time this year I may add) to help run a school trip. I get no extra pay for being on call 24/7 in loco parentis for over 50 kids for 60+ hours , save for seeing the kids get enjoyment and benefit from it. Seeing as my colleagues and I are apparently little more than glorified babysitters, I wonder how many of Gove's army would be prepared to do the same?

Parents stepping in:eek: what about c.r.b checks or list 99,just show's how stupid the government really are:mad:! They should try working for one week in a school i'm sure they would soon change their minds, i work as a T.A in a primary school and have so much respect for all of the Teachers,who all work above and beyond the call of duty :T,can't say that about the goverment though:( I support the Teachers wholeheartedly in their strike action,let's give them the support they deserve!

Janepig

milliebear00001 wrote: »

Clearly, people do the job because they care and get a kick out of doing something fantastic that the children remember for ever.

The point is really that it (and all the other unrecognised jobs teachers do) are largely thankless and under-appreciated by parents and the wider public. After a few years, that kind of thing can get to you!

God forbid Gove's threats about union reform go through - I'd hate to see what would happen to education in the UK should teachers decide to work to rule.

And my point is that teachers are far from the only profession whose work is largely thankless and under-appreciated and who work hours over and above those contracted. But they seem to me to very often make the most noise about it. Back when I was in school in the mid 80's (:o) there were lots of teachers strikes - can't remember what about.

I'll be honest and say that mainly based on my own school experience, I haven't got a particularly high opinion of teachers in general, which I appreciate is not really something I should be basing an opinion on, but there you go. Having said that, I'm fully supportive of DD & DS's teachers. DS can be a bit of a livewire to say the least, and although I think his teacher comes down a bit hard on him (considering he's only 5!) I never say that in front of him, and will always endorse what she says when she tells me in front of him that he's had a telling off for being a bit of a pest/fighting/general misbehaviour, whatever.... And I've got the utmost respect for their headteacher who runs the school in the most awe-inspiring way. But I still feel like a small child myself whenever I have to speak to any of them, and I hate it!!

But it does get my goat when it seems that teachers are the only ones who've got it tough.;)

Jxx

3princes

Janepig wrote: »

And my point is that teachers are far from the only profession whose work is largely thankless and under-appreciated and who work hours over and above those contracted. But they seem to me to very often make the most noise about it. Back when I was in school in the mid 80's (:o) there were lots of teachers strikes - can't remember what about.

I'll be honest and say that mainly based on my own school experience, I haven't got a particularly high opinion of teachers in general, which I appreciate is not really something I should be basing an opinion on, but there you go. Having said that, I'm fully supportive of DD & DS's teachers. DS can be a bit of a livewire to say the least, and although I think his teacher comes down a bit hard on him (considering he's only 5!) I never say that in front of him, and will always endorse what she says when she tells me in front of him that he's had a telling off for being a bit of a pest/fighting/general misbehaviour, whatever.... And I've got the utmost respect for their headteacher who runs the school in the most awe-inspiring way. But I still feel like a small child myself whenever I have to speak to any of them, and I hate it!!

But it does get my goat when it seems that teachers are the only ones who've got it tough.;)

Jxx

And it was a conservative government then,says it all:mad: