Teacher's strike 24th April.
People in the UK will know that there is a big teacher's strike over our below inflation pay rise on Thursday. This isn't driven by greed or laziness or anything other than the fact that most teachers at the bottom of the pay scale, despite being trained professionals, despite doing extra years at uni to train, still live hand to mouth after several years in the profession.
The impact that poor pay has on the quality of education in this country can't be underestimated. It means more excellent teachers leaving the profession due to the financial pressures and less committed and well trained people joining the profession. The knock on effect is disruption to children as supply and cover is used to stop the gaps. The effect this can have on progress is disasterous.
The argument that strikes disrupt the education of children at time when exams are looming seems like a fair point, and it's certainly one that MP's and ministers are using to wag their fingers at teachers over and to try and guilt trip and blackmail people in to not striking, but ultimately you have to ask does one day offset the long term damage that poor pay for teachers is doing to the profession? It's also worth pointing out that this is the first national strike action by teachers in 21 years. In my professional opinion, one day in 21 years is not going to decimate national results.
The sad truth at my school is that some staff who are higher up the pay scale are refusing to strike, despite being NUT members because they earn a 'decent' wage. In my mind this goes against everything unions and the solidarity that unions supposedly represent stands for. (One can only hope that next time their issues are on the agenda, younger members and union leaders pay them back in like.) It's something I am amazingly pissed off about and frankly I think if you join a union, you support a balloted action if it's been passed or you give up your membership. It's disgusting that some older teachers are showing blatant disregard for the value and quality of living of young/new teachers.
Teaching is an exceptionally rewarding profession, but it's one that comes with fairly little recompense for those that work the hardest other than the intrinsic rewards of doing such a job. None of us are expecting medals and sainthood, it's not why we do the job, but we at least deserve a wage that is going to provide a standard of living in line with other professions, none of which expect workers to do so much for so little.
(before anyone smartly mentions the holidays - we don't get any more paid holiday time than any other job. Our wages cover our working weeks only but payments are spread over the year.)
Please support the strike any way you can. Write to your MP, write to schools that are striking to show your agreement and support, join protests or sign petitions. Even just letting teachers know that you support what they're doing is an meaningful action.
The impact that poor pay has on the quality of education in this country can't be underestimated. It means more excellent teachers leaving the profession due to the financial pressures and less committed and well trained people joining the profession. The knock on effect is disruption to children as supply and cover is used to stop the gaps. The effect this can have on progress is disasterous.
The argument that strikes disrupt the education of children at time when exams are looming seems like a fair point, and it's certainly one that MP's and ministers are using to wag their fingers at teachers over and to try and guilt trip and blackmail people in to not striking, but ultimately you have to ask does one day offset the long term damage that poor pay for teachers is doing to the profession? It's also worth pointing out that this is the first national strike action by teachers in 21 years. In my professional opinion, one day in 21 years is not going to decimate national results.
The sad truth at my school is that some staff who are higher up the pay scale are refusing to strike, despite being NUT members because they earn a 'decent' wage. In my mind this goes against everything unions and the solidarity that unions supposedly represent stands for. (One can only hope that next time their issues are on the agenda, younger members and union leaders pay them back in like.) It's something I am amazingly pissed off about and frankly I think if you join a union, you support a balloted action if it's been passed or you give up your membership. It's disgusting that some older teachers are showing blatant disregard for the value and quality of living of young/new teachers.
Teaching is an exceptionally rewarding profession, but it's one that comes with fairly little recompense for those that work the hardest other than the intrinsic rewards of doing such a job. None of us are expecting medals and sainthood, it's not why we do the job, but we at least deserve a wage that is going to provide a standard of living in line with other professions, none of which expect workers to do so much for so little.
(before anyone smartly mentions the holidays - we don't get any more paid holiday time than any other job. Our wages cover our working weeks only but payments are spread over the year.)
Please support the strike any way you can. Write to your MP, write to schools that are striking to show your agreement and support, join protests or sign petitions. Even just letting teachers know that you support what they're doing is an meaningful action.