General Chat

If parents take their children out of school during term time to go on holiday
because prices are cheaper than during the official holiday period, they get
fined by the school or local authority, then shouldn't it be the same for the
teachers who are withdrawing their labour tomorrow (WED) and fine them
for being absent, many parents lose money by having to take days off from
work , or have the expense of child minders, opinions please.

No, because on that basis you could say that anyone who strikes in any industry should be fined for strike days as well. Everyone, not just parents, can incur expense and inconvenience resulting from other strikes elsewhere. I imagine the teachers may lose a day's pay and a day towards their pension entitlement anyway. If you want to fine teachers for strike days, there could be an argument that maybe parents should pay for the extra tuition their children need to catch up after they have been on holiday.

YES!
Ever notice that they never go on strike in the holidays when they claim to be so busy preparing the next term's lessons? Then again, maybe banning teachers from attending schools would assist the students in 'finding their niche' and allow them to 'express themselves' with all sorts of antisocial behaviour.

Note to Gummint. I thought of it first.

;-)

B

Ann's right. It would be daft to fine teachers who are already losing a day's pay. Every striking worker would have to be fined if that was the case. It wasn't teachers who decided to fine parents for taking children on holiday it was Michael "U turn" Gove.

Teachers don't allow children to "express themselves" with antisocial behaviour. Where on earth would anyone get that idea from? Parents are responsible for the behaviour of their children, if they've made a mess of it there's precious little that teachers can do to repair the damage they've caused by their lack of responsibility.

Oh Gwinny,
That's why I said that they should ban teachers. Parents are not responsible for anything - it is 'they' who should do something about it!

Off to find a hornets' nest.

B

Gwinny?

Patronising much?

But seriously -

3 out of 5 newly qualified teachers quit within the first 5 years.

Nearly half of those who start the teacher training course drop out.

If you take into account preparation time and marking NQTs earn just above the minimum wage.

Education is in crisis and already hard pressed teachers are expected to do more and more and take bigger and bigger classes.

I'm glad I'm out of it and safely retired but I fear for the next generation if Gove isn't reined in.

My father was a teacher and worked evenings, weekends and many holidays with marking, preparation, field trips etc.

I resolved that I would not want a job that was so stressful and where I would have to bring work home every night, but I have great respect for those that can manage it.

I am old enough to remember when teaching was considered by many to be a vocation, something I think that harks back to the days when the church and charities provided education, however governments of all persuasions, have, over the years, taken advantage of what was, the dedication of teachers to their role, and turned it into a political football, as a result teaching has just become another run of the mill job :-(

Teachers dont make the rules about taking children out of school the government has, its not like parents have turned up to school this morning with their children and the gates are locked is it, they have given fair warning teachers have the right to strike just anyone else.


edited as I have just read the rest of the thread : Acouple of points here....

1.. Schools are not a child minding service if they have had to find the extra cost of child care that their responsability not the schools and certainly not a teachers.

2...what is the point of staging a strike during school holidays how silly,


Power to the people :-D

I get fed up seeing ill informed blinkered posts across the net attacking/blaming teachers for the term time holiday ban/fines.

Getting fined for taking your child out of school and teachers striking are two separate issues.

And the LEA fine parents for taking term time holidays - not teachers or school !! So why pass the blame onto them?

What is unfair, are the constant changes & restrictions the government are imposing on your childrens education, and their educators. These are the same people who have stopped your children taking holidays in term time & have backed fines for doing so. So if you want your children attending school from dawn to dusk, having less family time & to boot be taught by teachers in their late sixties & beyond by all means have a moan. Striking isn't fun, teachers will lose a days pay for their striking. Their own children may have to miss a days school. Schools to not close lightly. Substitute teachers cannot be brought in for striking staff. Lsas cannot cover classes, be asked to or be left work by the teachers.

Schools cannot open without the required number of staff. This is by law.

Well said Mildred but too be honest I think most noted after the " ban teachers" quote you can not argue wtih stupid. :-D

Well said, Elaine.

Government's own figures that they were forced to release a year after they knew the results show that Primary Teachers work and average of 60 hours a week and secondary teachers 56.

Teachers' pay and conditions are currently dreadful. As for the comment about banning teachers, it demonstrates a complete lack of understanding and comprehension - never heard anything so banal in all my life - well, maybe apart from the DfE trying to claim that strike action was "
disrupting parents' lives and holding back children's education". This is typical and predictable demonising of a group of people exercising their right to complain and take strike action.

Some highly qualified teachers are paid not much over £8 an hour and for this they have to suffer verbal and physical abuse, hordes of ill-behaved children running amok and a total lack of respect, to name but a few of the issues they face on a daily basis.

When oh when will parents face up to the fact that their children's upbringing and attitudes are their responsibility?

@Berniethatwas

"Then again, maybe banning teachers from attending schools would assist the students in 'finding their niche' and allow them to 'express themselves' with all sorts of antisocial behaviour."

Can you explain exactly what you mean please? :-S :-S :-S

He probably heard someone say it at a bus stop Paula...* looks for eye rolling emoticon *

As far as strike action goes everyone has that right

As for fines being imposed, Get a life,

Teachers and how many hours they work? There career choice if they don't like it then leave, I know many who would jump at the chance to be able to afford to only work 60 hours per week, I myself worked an average of 72 per week most of my life

The main problem with our education system is not the teachers the problem is governments of all colours wanting to be seen to be doing something,.... just as they have done with the NHS over the years

All this is costing billions of tax payers money that would be better spent on other much needed services and leaving teachers and NHS staff alone to do the job they have been trained to do instead of imposing more and more legislation and tick boxes for them comply with,

Politicians are NOT teacher nor NHS staff so just why any of them think they know best is one of lifes mysteries that will never be solved likewise for these so called "special advisers" who govenment appear to get there advice from.

Roy

I love having a unexpected day off for the little man
we are having some us time double pictures day and tea out :-D :-D

Looking at it from a slightly different angle.
What about the parents who have child care already arranged for their children, and the fact that notice has to be given if you want extra care or if you want less care.
They may even then have to take a day off work themselves, and lose money and respect . It has a knock on effect.,
I also think that to take a child out of school for 1 week, if at primary or middle school will possibly have little effect on the childs progress. After all , it has been happening for years. Also the prices of hollidays during summer months are always more expensive, so that family may not have a well earned holliday. A holliday can be a learning process in itself.



Where teachers have long school hollidays.

I'm so sick of people banging on about the school holidays, as though teachers sit in Bermuda sipping cocktails when not in school. Teachers work during the school holidays. They prepare work for the next term, write up pupil records, set exams etc. etc. They attend courses and catch up with important reading as syllabuses change every year and they need to keep up with the latest research.

Parents have to provide alternate child care if the school closes because of a power cut or if a child is ill - at least with the strike they had prior notice.