Any teachers in the house?

I've put 2 kids through school and I know there are good teachers out there, in fact I know there are some absolutely brilliant teachers out there. I also know that teaching in an inner city school with some good kids that want to learn mixed with many that can't or won't must be incredibly difficult and stressful but.........stop banging on about it..

stress, pressure and frustration is what many professional people face every day in so many walks of life. Don't give me the fact that being up until late marking books is stressful, it's just a pain in the backside. I'm not justifying the lot of a the modern working employee, because most professionals work too damn hard and they (me included) might not even get to see a pension whether it's 65 or at 75.

What teachers get that so few others get else does is all that leave, how many weeks 13 weeks is it? And then as soon as they come back from leave they call an "inset" day and they have another day off.

My brother, 1 current friend and 4 old friends are or were teachers and it's a breeze for them. They play more golf, have more holidays away and more free time than anyone else I know.

Going back to my personal experiences of taking my kids through school, and they were miles better than the one I went to, I don't rate the average teacher I've seen at all, I don't think many would get a decent job outside of education.

If I wasn't so thick I think I should have become one.

As for exercising the right to strike, good for you I fully support it, but do whatever you are supposed to do when you have an inset day and don't stay at home with your feet up.

Mind you I should be working now!

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by daveyrach

At the end of the day my wife has had to take a days unpaid leave to look after the kids who can't go to school I take it the strikers are going to cover all childcare costs/lost earnings we incur??

Your kids, your costs, as stated, schools are not daycare centers.

I have a lot of sympathy for teachers - the job only seems to get harder with each new government initiative/set of targets, the kids seem to be getting less appreciative of learning and more difficult to deal with, and they have their hands tied in dealing with tricky situations.

They definitely do a huge amount and take a lot of carp for the money, as do Police, nurses, etc - no question there.

However (and I say this as a public sector worker who is facing the same changes) everyone has to be realistic about the future of pensions, etc and the fact that we need to move towards average earnings rather than final salary, etc.

It isn't actually fair to expect it all to be funded by more taxes from those working in the private sector, who may be getting a much worse deal themselves, and will then be even less able to fund their own retirement.

And most importantly, I don't see how a strike is going to change the situation. How is a strike going to magic up a load of money to help fund the significant long-term rises in pension costs? It's only making the economy worse, and causing sheet to others in the process.

To those who are striking today, I'd like to ask:

• Is it fair that many other people whose budgets are tight lose a day's wages while they stay home and take care of their kids? (and yes I know you don't want to be striking - but the fact is that you are)

• Is it responsible to pull a strike like this with short notice? I heard a teacher say that 'you've had a week to get childcare sorted'. Well for many you can't just declare that you are taking a day off with a few days notice (especially if you have a key sales pitch, etc on that day), a nursery/childminder will not take your kid if they are already full, and how are businesses supposed to run with half of their staff at home?

• Are you going to stop telling parents off for taking their kid on holiday during term-time given that it is apparently OK to disrupt their education with a strike?

I think the unions should be realistic and accept that everyone needs to take their share of the carp the country is in, and rather concentrate on getting critical details worked out, e.g. how do we ensure that the lowest paid workers don't have to drop out of the pension scheme entirely due to payments going up?

Equally I think MPs should be in this with the rest of us - are we going to see their benefits significantly cut as well?

And can we please stop wasting so much money fighting other people's wars and keep some of it for ourselves??

[Balky001]

Interestinig read. Teachers shouldn't complain about workload and conditions because they knew what they were getting in to when taking the job on (even though the this might have changed incredibly in the last few years but people don't realise because they just got on with it). However, they also shouldn't complain about changes to the benefits as they knew what they er.....oh hang on, that doesn't work does it!

It's whether the teachers deserve to protect their benefits or not and how. The comparision againist all and sundry isn't balance. An equivelent job may pay better and give bonuses or perk and have a private pension which matures between 50 and 60 years old. However, it may not be finial salary scheme and that's the comparison, the package and the job, not just one or two aspects.

I think the Dickensian arguement of 'you don't know how lucky you are...' isn't a constructive one although it did amuse me that a city trader said to me he wished he could strike but 'lives in the real world'! ha ha, his gifts and entertain (paid by pensioners money mostly) would be more than most people's final salary scheme (not that the teachers get that for free!)

Teachers that are striking need to stop being silly.
My mum is a good example. She's going to be effected my the proposed plans but isn't making a fuss about it and is part of a non striking union. She's in work today.

That's all

Originally Posted by Reeder

Teachers that are striking need to stop being silly.
My mum is a good example. She's going to be effected my the proposed plans but isn't making a fuss about it and is part of a non striking union. She's in work today.

That's all

Any pictures?

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by Sally

Any pictures?

Speaking of family pictures... you ever post that one of your sister?

Of my mum?!

Ask the spearies, Arron has taken her on a date and I think some have met her.

What a poor girl.

ha ha.... i heard my name!