General Strike ?

[LocalTeacher]

Will you support your childs teacher if they strike ? interested to know what East Dulwich parents think.......

[minder]

Must have missed this, what with mine just going back to school, college, uni, but why are you striking?

[EDmummy]

It's a tough one. I absolutely believe in the right to strike but I also have to earn money. Perhaps there is some other way that parents and teachers can unite in action that doesn't alienate parents who would find it difficult to take time off work to support teacher action.

[VanessaPMR]

I'd support the strike.

[LocalTeacher]

unfortunatley edmummy there is very little else that teachers can do to voice our frustration .we love our job and are being put in an awful situation by this shockingly bad government .we are faced with constantly rising costs but unlike the private sector our wages are being almost frozen , its not just our money but the fact that we are seeing our budgets cut. less money to spend on your childrens education is not good for anyone. as a parent and a teacher i feel the only option is to support teachers in their actions. this government care more about protecting big business than your kids. when will we stand up and say that this is not ok

[VanessaPMR]

Local teacher, I come from a long line of teachers (grandparents, parents, in-laws...) so tend to be v aware of the struggles to maintain standards by teachers, many of whom frequently work unpaid overtime without complaint just to see the job done well. However, I am aware that many of those on the outside of teaching don't recognise this and just see the long summer hols...

Could you outline the negative changes you are striking against? It would help garner support I imagine?

[lucyA1308]

No. I am a peripatetic instrumental teacher. I do not have pension schemes, or holiday pay, or sick pay. I love what I do, and I just about survive on the income I get. I am happy with that.

[DaveR]

I am strongly opposed to teachers taking strike action. UK teachers' pay increased substantially over the last ten years or so and compares favourably both with international comparators and UK pay for similarly qualified groups. Cuts to the wider education budget are inevitable in the current economic circumstances, but even then we are talking about spending being at the level it was 5-10 years ago - I don't remember schools being so terrible then? A genuine comparison with the private sector would be instructive - during 2008-9 a lot of people lost their jobs, many others took pay cuts to ensure that their employers survived, and if some private sector wages are rising now it will be because businesses found ways to do things cheaper and better, a lesson that would be well-learned by many schools.

The main teaching unions have a long and ignoble history of ridiculous knee-jerk reactions to any proposal that they perceive in any way may detrimentally affect any teacher (competent or otherwise) including opposition to giving heads and governors more power to run schools more efficiently and be more responsive to local communities. Fair play, that's their job, but if you pursue naked self-interest, don't expect any sympathy from anyone else.

As for this:

"this government care more about protecting big business than your kids"

It's not worthy of comment.

Finally LocalTeacher, your post, in terms of grammar, punctuation and spelling, doesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence in your profession. I know this is an internet forum, and not the classroom, but it would be nice to think that teachers are particular about that sort of thing.

Does that answer your question?

[Jessie]

I support the teachers striking 100 percent, even if I have a day of inconvenience.

[LocalTeacher]

thank you for your support jessie,vanessa it means a lot . dave r i am not an english teacher u will b pleased 2 hear. i am more bothered about the state of education in this country than my punk2ation and grama. im assuming you have children as it was the opinion of parents i was interested in.

we have seen our budget for children with special needs cut by this government and the last , this has a detremental affect on those students and their peers. lucy if the schools you work for had more money they may be able to offer you a contract for your hours and some benefits. when schools are broke the first things to go are the arts and extra curricular activities

how do we hope to encourage the brightest people to work in schools when they can earn more being estate agents or bankers or computer drones.

dave r who took pay cuts/redundancy to ensure their employers survived ?

are you talking about the banking sector?

[LondonMix]

Everyone did. People across the private sector have had pay freezes or been forced to accept reduced hours. Many positions in the public sector (in addition to teaching) have had pay freezes for years now-- I know as my partner is in the civil service. This is not some unique assault on teachers. In a recession in a country with a massive budget deficit everyone is feeling the pain. Cutting special ed worries me, but I think you need some perspective on how the current economy is affecting the general public (private and public sector).

[LocalTeacher]

i agree londonmix its not just teachers , but does that make it ok? why are we in recession?

its def not the fault of teachers,nurses,firemen+carers.

i feel that nothing short of a strike will make a difference at the moment.

we need a wholesale change in politics and policies.

we can spend 100million pounds on a jetplane that seats 1 or 2 people

but cant afford to pay for lollipop people to make sure our kids are safe crossing the road

or libraries so that our children can become better educated

that cant be right

[LondonMix]

Can you layout exactly what the aims of the strike are?

[Kat]

LocalTeacher - please do not put spin on this. This strike is all about better pensions and nothing else. This is just like train drivers trying to get a better deal for themselves every year. They said they're striking for public safety but yet will stop striking when they get a better contracts. You got a very good deal so please get on with the job and don't fool the public by saying you're doing it for the kids.

[Jessie]

The strike is about pay freezes and austerity cuts

[Kat]

This is what the teachers are striking for :

The NUT and NASUWT have published a "joint declaration of intent" - building on the pensions campaign - to defend teachers and the education service. We have launched a joint campaign against the Government's attacks on the teaching profession, including:

workload pressures: damaging teachers' health and threatening educational standards;

pensions: imposing unfair contribution increases and changes to pension ages;

pay: continuing the pay freeze and proposing local pay and further performance related pay;

conditions: attacking national terms and conditions of service, including through the academisation of schools;

inspections: creating workload and stress through punitive and frequent inspections; and

job security: increasing job losses through funding cuts and curriculum reforms.

[Jessie]

looks like more than enough to strike about to me

[Kat]

So they want less inspections, less workload and a job for life but they want better pay for doing this.

[LondonMix]

Again, what are the aims of the strike? What austerity measures specifically do they want reversed and what are they asking for in terms of pay? Depending on the details I may or may not be supportive. These are tough times and spending decisions need to be weighed carefully and throught through rationally.

If its really retirement ages, pensions and greater scrutiny through inspections that they are strking about I can't say I am sympathetic...

[DaveR]

"how do we hope to encourage the brightest people to work in schools when they can earn more being estate agents or bankers or computer drones."

Interestingly enough, there are many bright, motivated people who are attracted to a teaching career. From the Times today:

"Teach First, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary, attracted 7,000 applicants for about 1,000 places last year, including 10 per cent of graduates from Oxford and Cambridge and 6 per cent of graduates from the Russell Group universities."

http://www.teachfirst.org.uk/TFHome/

Do you think selfish strike action by teachers is likely to encourage more to join the profession?

LocalTeacher, I'm not an English teacher either, but I was taught by a very good one, who didn't strike even though I suspect that his pay and benefits package was no better than yours.

"we need a wholesale change in politics and policies"

If we do, the electorate will decide. If that is the basis for the strike, it is an improper one. If your posts are a genuine representation of your political thinking, I suggest you concentrate on the day job. With extra English lessons.

[ladywotlunches]

Sorry, I've got to say 'No' to strikes. I support teachers totally, good ones are worth their weight in gold. BUT the country is in a hole, we have to get ourselves out of it, which means everyone pulling together. My husband is in the private sector and hasn't had a payrise since 2007. I was made redundant in 2007 also and as a result my nice final salary pension is no more, I have to cough up myself when I am working.

If there's no money, striking isn't going to change things. Or we'll end up like Greece. Kalispera!

[Jenny I]

Definitely. It's tricky because I work, but I think what the Government is doing to education is frightening and I support the teachers all the way.

[LocalTeacher]

Dave r are you a parent with children of school age ?

[DaveR]

"Dave r are you a parent with children of school age ?"

Yes. I have two children who attend a local primary school. I'm afraid you're going to have to find another reason to dismiss what I say. Or you could even address the points that I made - it's called 'debate', and it's something that teaching unions are usually reluctant to engage in. I'm sure you can do better.

[Chippy Minton]

I would support the strike and I completely disagree with DaveR and the idea that is easy to get good teachers, especially where we live.

This interview is with the headteacher of one of East Dulwich's best primary schools. It is short, but the fundamental point that it is very hard to attract good teachers is clear.

I've said this many times, but the "I haven't got it, so why should someone else?" mentality stinks. Making sure we have the best teachers possible is critical and cutting their pensions and eroding their terms and conditions will make it even harder to recruit.

They have my full support.