Yay another teacher thread.
I can't understand why people who don't teach try and preach to others that teachers have it easy... If you don't understand the job and think they simply work 9-3:30 then gtfo
You use an internet forum that is frequented by thousands of people but you can't understand that people have differing opinions (which they are perfectly entitled to) and that those opinions are based on context and comparisons of an individuals personal situation and experience?
Not the sharpest mind in your class, are you?
Perhaps it is you who should 'GTFO'?
amigafan2003 said:
Why do they need support? The aim is to make the government listen and think about what they are doing.
Everyone else can take a fig.
Honestly, the general public have way to high an opinion of themselves
Oh, I don't know, perhaps because the general public have to trust that teachers are going to do a good job as well as the fact parents have to bear the burden of the decision made by teachers to impose school abscence on their children outside of school holidays. Teachers are playing right into the hands of Gove but people like you seem simply too blind to see it.
I imagine there are far more more parents than teachers, so when it comes to showing Gove how unhappy they are, which group do you think will have the most influence (bearing in mind that Gove is a politician heading towards a general election)? The teachers? Or the parents, and the businesses the parents work for who in reality pay the wages of the teachers? My guess is that he will spin it, as all politicians do, to make the strikers look bad. They did the same with the fire fighters, they did the same with the train drivers, and the miners. I do find it ironic that it is the government that enforce fines for parents but parents will happily support the government plans because of the disruption of the strikes. They are not stupid these politicians, are they?
But of course, feel free to be angry at Gove (and the world) and think this has nothing to do with anyone else but teachers.
The public think too highly of themselves do they? Their taxes pay the wages of the teachers that they have to trust with the future of their children. Yet you think they should not have any input into their childs education or be able to hold teachers accountable for their actions? Really? I accept that teachers are not child minders, but at the same time most parents have not been given a choice about the education of their children have they? They have to go to school 'or else'.
Teachers are not helping themselves by striking. I expect that if teachers keep striking, it may well be announced that based on analysis of cost to the economy, a critical public service like teaching should not be allowed to strike. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that may well be the eventual conclusion of the repeated teacher strikes. Such is the outcome when there are unpopular strikes and a study shows the majority of the public are in agreement with the government over performance related pay.
Likewise, I think the historically low turn out of union members in teacher strikes and the growth of a non striking organisation like Edapt shows a more accurate picture of what teachers think. I think it is disingenuous of the unions to manipulate the ballot/vs turn out figures. Example in 2013 it was touted that over 90% of NUT members were in support of strike action. Yet only 23% turned out. It is a damning indictment of the strikes when not even their own members wanted to come out. Additionally, striking does not hurt the government in any way. They don't care and it gives them ammunition to use against teachers for elections (IE look what those pesky selfish teachers have cost the economy with their strikes!!). It also helps them spin public perception against teachers and vilify them in order to win support for their changes.
I can understand the frustration with changes, but striking is not and never has been the answer.
In the meantime, with DfE guidance seemingly allowing the admission of personal assessments and the ability for schools to assess the performance of their own teachers based on various sources, many of which involve 'opinions', it seems to me like all they have to do is have a think on how to make the system work for them.
Seems to me like there is a lot of freedom being given to head teachers in how they implement these changes, and therefore a lot of room for 'interpretation' if they should so wish to 'box clever'
