pslewis

I see, today, that the NUT Conference have called for Strike Action by Teachers.

Why?

Well, the Government - quite rightly - are looking to end the Automatic Annual Increments that Teachers enjoy ...... yes, they get TWO Payrises per year!!

This kind of thing disappeared in the 'Real World' at least 25 years ago ..... they really need to wake up and smell the coffee.

Of course, they are off on leave for the next two weeks ..... that's just 8 weeks since their last week off ..... which was, amazingly, just 7 weeks after their long Xmas break!! They will probably be looking forward to a week off in May - and then the 7 weeks over the Summer.

All for a staggeringly low wage of around £40,000 ....... Teachers, you will win NO FRIENDS at all if you strike to maintain Dark Ages Employment Terms!!

The NUT are a disgrace ... I hope the Tories destroy them as they did the Miners

warrenm2

Thought the Tories were the enemy Pete, make up your (rather feeble) mind!

Bubba po

What a ***** you are, Peter.

hodgy0_2

Certainly and large chip on his shoulder

I wonder if he blames teachers for his lack of success in life, his failure to achieve his perceived potential

It is certainly always easier to blame someone else for your failures in life

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

........other public sector workers do look at teachers / plod / firemen and wonder who managed to negotiate their contract of employment.....

Shaun

SRSport

The police can recruit school children who have just turned 18. No qualifications or experience required. Same for the fire brigade. It sounds like there are many that would be happy for similar people to be responsible for educating the future of this country.

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

Can but don't .. have you seen the requirements and difficulties getting into either of those professions ?

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

The fuzz and Fire Service do require qualifications.

SRSport

Kent police have been recruiting PCSOs the last few weeks. "No qualifications required". I can assure you that it is considerably easier to get into the police than to become a teacher when you are unqualified, young and lacking in life experience.

The main difficulty in joining is the huge demand. Nowhere near as many people want to become teachers. I wonder why that is as the likes of PSL would have us believe its the easiest, most over paid job there is. Doesnt add up does it?

billythekid

For police now, in most cases, you need to either have a BSc in Policing or have served as a Special Constable or PCSO for a minimum period (2 years in most cases).

If you dont have either of those your chances of even getting through papersift are quite low.

None of that matters much as very few forces are taking on anyway and when they do they want very low numbers - like <50. For any school leaver now wanting to join the police they need to find something else to do for 10 years IMHO. F&RS is the same, no real recruitment for the last 3 years.

SRSport

Being a PCSO for 2 years isnt really a comparison to working towards a degree, then teacher training and then becoming a NQT.

I maintain that if teachers have it so much better, with great benefits, holidays, pay etc why are other public services comparatively in much higher demand?

theboy

While the rest of the country is struggling, private sector workers are getting their wages frozen or in some cases cut, what gives teachers the right to think they deserve special treatment.

SJ_Skyline

Well said Pete

SRSport

The teachers at the school I work at do not get biannual increases and they dont get 7 weeks holiday.

They are also losing good teachers left right and centre. The only ones left are those who couldnt do anything else. Do you not see the problem here for the future generation?

jonc

....and despite there 13 weeks paid holidays, they want term long paid sabbaticals and time off to rejuvenate themselves.....

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/educa...t-8549907.html

SRSport

So that's all teachers then is it? What do you think about 68 year olds teaching teenagers?

apac

iTrader: (2)

You can earn 36k a year as a classroom teacher outside of London only after 12 years full time teaching.... FACT! 40k would mean a lot more responsibility within the school.

Teachers saleries were frozen about 5 years ago... FACT! So in fact annual pay cuts have been in place since five years go.
Bi- annual pay rises.... Wtf.... That's just bullsh/t.

13weeks holiday a year does sound nice though.

pslewis

Whatever anyone may think, this is the fact:-

Teachers DO get two payrises per year - the increment up the payspine is automatic, they then get an annual payrise agreed nationally.

The Tories don't want to remove this second payrise per year - simply to make it linked to performance. The NUT thinks that is totally unreasonable ..... and there you have it in a nutshell, unaccountability!

tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

I have a good friend who "teaches" PE. She admits she has it very easy for a good wage, she will occasionally stand in for a teacher who is ill or engaged elsewhere, doing nothing more than supervising a class.

I used to lecture part-time in a local FE college 3 nights per week for £45 per hour - to me it was fairly easy as in the main, those who were there wanted to be there and were willing to learn. After the first year where you spend some time translating the syllabus into a scheme of work and agreed lesson plans it becomes quite easy. I only ever had one very unruly individaul who was there because his employer insisted on him being there.

Would I step into a secondary school classroom to teach a class of 12 - 16 year old kids for £40K - not a chance, I would not make it to the end of week one without being on the wrong side of a discuplinary hearing. Where I think the system has gone wrong, is that most teachers complete a degree course, then take a further course about education. In my opinion if they can then find a post they become a textbook teacher with no real world experience of thier specialism. Someone with 10 years experience in industry who leaves to teach their specialism would be worth evey penny of that £40K

If its easy money, don't knock those who are earning it, get out there and get a piece of it!!!!

SRSport

Don't be daft. Its far easier to start stupid threads and moan about it than actually do that. It never changes anything as those that stand up for teachers usually do so as a result of opinions being formed from something more substantial than the biased rubbish spouted by a narrow minded oaf on SN. So yet again we go around in circles for another monthly instalment of teacher bashing, just for the fun of it.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Pete is trolling again, I see.

apac

iTrader: (2)

The increment up the pay spine only happens for the first sixs years of a Teachers career as an incentive for them to firstly complete their probationary year after four years of studying and training and then to try and stop them from leaving the profession when they realise how many hours they work a week.

Any other pay rise does not exist.

Performance related pay is something that is not given away likely and it is only given with hard evidence of a Teachers ability to keep up with and implement with success many ever changing teaching and learning government objectives. These are payments (if awarded) happen 3 times from year 7 every two years until you reach the top of the main scale Teachers pay. 36k

ScoobyDoo555

yeh, but why let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Off for another G&T. Pete, care to join me?

SRSport

Lol, that's exactly what I thought.

apac

iTrader: (2)

I do agree however that now is not the time to be taking industrial action, the unions are flexing their muscles due to teaching becoming ever more buried in red tape nonsense which stops a Teacher doing what they do best... Teaching people how to learn. In this way It is like many many other professions.

The saddest thing of all about U.K schools is that they are businesses before they are places of moral standing.

pslewis

Have you forgotten the UPS?

Usual blurb and non fact ......... Teachers DO get two payrises per year, and it's Automatic.

Even the UPS1, 2, and 3 are Automatic, save for a bit of face saving paperwork.

After that they go on the Leadership Spine and get even more.

Not forgetting the TLR Payments in ADDITION to their £40K a year!!!

You can be a Calssroom Teacher on £52,000 quite easily!

Let's get something absolutely straight - I am not against Teachers AT ALL!! What I AM against is their willingness to strike to retain antique working practises.

Teachers are one of the very few remaining occupations who need to step into the real world and NOW! They are costing the country a fortune .........................

Would I Teach for £52k? No, I wouldn't - but, I don't have to. I earn far more than that as a Salary.

BUT, my hourly rate is probably less!

Remember folks - Teachers are only contracted to work 26 hours per week! Yes, I know, but it's TRUE! The Head, their boss, the Governors, no-one can ask them to work a minute longer!

OK, some mark their pupils work whilst sat on a beach in the Caribbean, granted, so maybe I'm being a bit harsh!!

pslewis

And the Teachers are giving a wonderful message to their pupils by striking to maintain terms and conditions that have had their day.

Teachers are, sadly, currently teaching their pupils that they should strike to get what they want - and every other Taxpayer should fund it.

The NUT need flattening - they are a militant organisation.

jonc

Why are you asking me, ask the teachers calling for this. What I think about 68 year olds teaching teenagers is neither here nor there. Not all teachers are 68. The teacher in that article was in her 40's. What's your point? My parents are in their late 60's and still working as hard as they ever were and get no income if they have a holiday, and you might say so what!

BlueBugEye

iTrader: (12)

Hmmm...... Here we go again!

Post threshold pay progression is assessed, therefore not automatic, two pay increases a year, well my pay has been frozen for the last 4 years with no pay rise, my pension contributions have gone up (yes I admit it is still a good scheme) to give me a lower pension later in life.

TLR payments come with extra responsibility and therefore workload.

How many times in the last two weeks have you been called a P***k or a C**t by 13 to 16 year old kids who are allowed to do it as we have no powers to exclude?

As for holidays.... I'll be marking 24 A Level projects at around 1 hour each plus 60 sets of GCSE coursework at around 30 mins each plus the 50 year 10s controlled assessments at 30 mins each. Not to mention the 'normal' class work these holidays. I make that at least 79 hrs work these holidays. I'll get so much time with my family!

SRSport

Lol, my point was to help make yours more relevant and contextual. I wasn't really that interested in what you thought about 68 year olds teaching teenagers.