Teachers' Strike: Is your kids' school on strike today?

Former_MSE_Andrea

Hi everyone

Is your school joining the strike today?

If so have you had to pay for childcare or take the day off work?

Let us know here or join the conversation on Twitter

Andrea

SailorSam

If you're a Parent that has had a fine 'cos you've kept your kids off school to take them on holiday, do you think today is the day the local education authority should pay a fine 'cos they've interupted your kids schooling.

jellyhead

Only a few classes are off due to the strike at our school. It's the first time that strike action has affected our school. Some parents have said on facebook that they only have one child who needs to go to school today, and they are crying that it's not fair that their siblings have the day off.

My child is not affected by the strike, but if he had been I'd have had to take the day off work.

mum26

Luckily i'm not at work today, I have twins that are off due to the strike, four who are in as normal. I would just have to lose a days pay if it was a work day, unless dp could take the day off.

FBaby

Both schools closed but thankfully kids note old enough to be home alone. What makes me laugh is the claim that teachers work 10 hours days. I pass my DR'S school the times a week at 7:45 and the car park and adjoining roads are deserted bur for a few cars. Same after school, DS does activities at that school twice a week at 5pm and the car park is pretty empty and that's a very good school. I think there is a bit of confusion between what might happen once a week and every working day!

plumpmouse

FBaby wrote: »

Both schools closed but thankfully kids note old enough to be home alone. What makes me laugh is the claim that teachers work 10 hours days. I pass my DR'S school the times a week at 7:45 and the car park and adjoining roads are deserted bur for a few cars. Same after school, DS does activities at that school twice a week at 5pm and the car park is pretty empty and that's a very good school. I think there is a bit of confusion between what might happen once a week and every working day!

Working from home?

I know a lot of teachers including husband and most do marking/planning at home.

TBH and this isn't aimed at you Fbaby I get sick of all the teacher bashing : 9-3 job, long holidays, easy job. Anyone who has ever worked in a school will tell you it isn't easy.

Think it is worth remembering that a good teacher in our children's lives can have a huge impact on them. People should start blaming Gove et al for the issues in education not the teachers!

pollypenny

FBaby wrote: »

Both schools closed but thankfully kids note old enough to be home alone. What makes me laugh is the claim that teachers work 10 hours days. I pass my DR'S school the times a week at 7:45 and the car park and adjoining roads are deserted bur for a few cars. Same after school, DS does activities at that school twice a week at 5pm and the car park is pretty empty and that's a very good school. I think there is a bit of confusion between what might happen once a week and every working day!

When my two were young I'd go home around 4. It was their time until 7, then I'd start again, working in bed, usually falling asleep at 12 or so, having buckled my specs and OH ranting that he wanted to come to bed.

All English teachers work long hours. And it would be every working day, especially if you teach mostly exam classes. How long do you think it takes to mark a set of 20 A-level essays?

pollyanna24

My daughter not affected by the strike. First I knew about it was getting a text from the school yesterday saying that they would be open!

What are they striking against now?

WestonDave

Nope - school open as normal.


Pretty pointless as far as I can see whatever the rights and wrongs of the dispute. Strikes now don't have the impact that they had years ago when staff would walk out for weeks at a time until the dispute was resolved. That doesn't happen because staff can't afford to be without pay for more than a day per month, because the less well supported unions now can't cover pay via hardship funds. So between poor support for the strike (I'd guess where we are significantly less than half of all classes are off) and it being more of a token nuisance than anything, it won't achieve anything apart from lose a few teachers and a few parents a days pay. Meanwhile the union leaders who talk up strikes probably won't miss a day's pay.


All it does is erode goodwill from some parents who get cheesed off at having their life disrupted which can only make teachers lives harder.

pjcox2005

Not bashing, just interested in teachers views as to whether comments quoted re hours of work are correct as an average week. "primary school teachers working 60-hour weeks and secondary school teachers working 56 hours."

From what I've seen I'd expect teachers to be in at around 8/8.30 and leave at four. Potentially having to take break times at some point.

So assuming no breaks at all, and those times 5 days a week that would be 40hrs. Do primary school teachers really do 4 hrs a night of homework. Assuming commute, dinner etc, that's basically 6-10pm on a nightly basis.

That seems very high. What's the bit that takes the most time and what would you look to change in order for it to be more manageable? Also, I would have expected secondary school teachers to work longer hours or is it because they may specialise in a subject and therefore not teach for the full day?

Hezzawithkids

DS school is on strike today except for some Y11 & 13 classes (they have exams coming up). DS is old enough to be home alone but his key subject teachers have set homework tasks online. I've told him that I'm going to check that he's done them when I get home

And I agree with SailorSam - if parents get fined for taking a child out of school now then the school or EA need to be fined for closing the school down for a day.