School strike Wed 26th March

[emc]

Hello All

I'm a local mum and TV Producer and am putting together an item on next week's school strikes for ITV Daybreak - I'm looking to speak to some parents regarding their views on it - whether they support the teachers actions or are against them. I'm looking for a range of views. Please PM me for more information if you're interested.

thanks

[Cora]

Didn't know about this.....any local schools been told?...for the record (although not for your piece I'm afraid), I fully support the teachers!

[tiddles]

yes me too!

[miss brown]

yes my son come home from school today and I had email about this his year group not in .

[sunbob]

Our school sent out details in a letter last week. Any chance yours could be lost at the bottom of a book bag?

[DuncanW]

I was aware of the strike from the media, but have received no communication from our son's school (Bessemer Grange) about it. Is it definitely on - is Bessemer affected?

[Kes]

I asked my daughter's teacher about this on Monday, having heard nothing from the school. She said she didn't plan to strike but the school hadn't yet decided what they were doing so the whole school could be shut.

Regardless of whether or not I agree with the reasons for the strike I'm pretty annoyed by the lack of information about it, which seems common to lots of schools. I have no local family to do emergency childcare and my work schedule books up 4 weeks in advance. Should I have booked a days annual leave a month ago when it was in the news just in case (and risk wasting a precious and limited resource if my daughter's class aren't affected)? What if I hadn't seen the news story and I suddenly found out a few days before? Emergency mummy day off I guess but I'm not the only one in my small lab with kids, big problem if half of us are off at no notice.

If I've known about this for a month how come the schools didn't let us all know weeks ago what was going on?

grump grump grump

[Cora]

My understanding is that Bessemer Grange is not closing...

[Mellors]

Also grumpy - not finding out until tonight whether or not mine are in next week. Not sufficient time for planning emergency childcare/sorting out work.

Teachers: if you want parents to be on your side re striking at least give them enough time to prepare and not make them angry about it from the start!

[standswithfist]

Seems some classes at Goodrich are striking and not all of them.

[EDmummy]

The strike was confirmed by the NUT I believe over a month ago and is part of a long running strike plan. You can find out more information on the NUT website. One son's school told us at least 2/3 weeks ago (including which classes affected) and the other only yesterday. I completely understand how working parents are feeling, without this length of notice we would have had serious problems sorting out childcare.

I think my younger son's school sent out notification early following complaints by parents. Perhaps others affected can lodge a complaint about notice period so at least the school can respond for subsequent strike days.

I'm in full support of the teachers but perhaps may not have been had I not had early notice.

[hpsaucey]

I guess even if school's know that the strike's confirmed in advance, they need to work out how feasible it is to staff safely and stay open which can't be easy, but sympathise with parents/carers given little notice. ...

Ivydale handled it well, by sending a preliminary message a while ago about the strike and possibility of closure, saying they would confirm when they knew whether the school would be able to open or not. They have now confirmed they'll be closed.

HP

[uncleglen]

It is only the NUT. The NASUWT are still in talks with the government. Other unions have instructed members not to cover classes that have NUT teachers out.

[Mellors]

I now have one child in and one child out. Cue hysterical sobbing from child who has to go to school when his sister gets a day off *sigh*.

[Pickle]

Mellors, we have the same situation, it happened last strike day too. Year 2 boy stays home, year 1 girl still has school. Very tricky!

[Kes]

My daughter's school finaly sent a letter out last night. 2 classes closed, not hers.

I was told - and someone can correct me if this is wrong - that the teachers don't actually HAVE to tell the school if they are sriking or not until the day before. So they can try to cause maximum disruption by not saying either way until the last minute, meaning the school has to choose between giving no notice or shutting all together. I guess that is more of an issue if lots of unions are involved though. Presumably the two classes no running at my daughters school are the two NUT teachers.

Much sympathy to those with one child in and one out.

[Mellors]

Makes it somewhat hard to sympathise with the "your child must not have a day off school during term time, ever, ever, even if its wholly appropriate and with notice because its bad for their education" line we get eh?

[flocker spotter]

The two opposing messages are not coming from the same people. Your comment is like saying is not right for farmers to complain about how little they get paid per pint of milk when Tesco's are doing a 3 for 2 on 4 pints.

[Kate08]

Not quite the same. We often get messages from the school, addressed as being form the head teacher, telling us not to keep our children out of school and telling us what hideous consequences this will have for our child and all the other children in the class. I would like to think that messages from the head teacher have the support of the rest of the teaching staff. Yet if the teachers choose to strike no action is taken to try to ensure our children can still attend school, probably because missing a day of school never did anyone any harm. The not taking days off school message might start with the government but it is a band wagon that most (all) schools seem happy to support. I don't think most farmers support Tesco's 6 litres of milk for ?3 offers, or if they do I have not seen this.

[ZoeG]

It is not down to the teachers themselves to tell you but the senior management of the school. Depends how quickly they get it sorted. It is only the NUT so shouldn't affect schools in the same way as the strikes in the Autumn. I am sure it is frustrating to organise last minute childcare, my son is still a toddler so am not there yet, however it is just as frustrating to work for a man like Michael Gove!

[bornagain]

I thought the whole point of striking is to emphasise the importance of the job done by the striker thus showing the employer/government/parents/public that their grievance should be heard. Equating holidays during term time and teachers striking for a day is not appropriate.

Generally, striking teachers do it with a heavy heart knowing that their actions will impact the children they are teaching.

Zoe G is right that it is the senior management who decide which classes will be sent home not the striking teachers.

[Kes]

But presumably the senior management can only decide which classes to close/ if to close the whole school once they know which teachers are on strike? If lots of teachers (in the case of a multi-union strike) keep quiet until the last minute the what can the head etc do?

[flocker spotter]

Kate08 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Not quite the same. We often get messages from the

> school, addressed as being form the head teacher,

> telling us not to keep our children out of school

> and telling us what hideous consequences this will

> have for our child and all the other children in

> the class. I would like to think that messages

> from the head teacher have the support of the rest

> of the teaching staff. Yet if the teachers choose

> to strike no action is taken to try to ensure our

> children can still attend school, probably because

> missing a day of school never did anyone any harm.

> The not taking days off school message might start

> with the government but it is a band wagon that

> most (all) schools seem happy to support. I don't

> think most farmers support Tesco's 6 litres of

> milk for ?3 offers, or if they do I have not seen

> this.

Actually it is. Headteachers only follow rules and guidelines from the local authority, which in turn follows government policy. No term time holiday is a government policy and a Local Authority directive. Everyone has rules they have to follow in their jobs. Teachers are no different.

[sophiesofa]

Teachers generally do let the school/head know early on so they can decide what to do.

Kes Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> But presumably the senior management can only

> decide which classes to close/ if to close the

> whole school once they know which teachers are on

> strike? If lots of teachers (in the case of a

> multi-union strike) keep quiet until the last

> minute the what can the head etc do?

[ZoeG]

Sophiesofa is right. Teachers are given a deadline from senior management to respond to whether they intend to strike or not and then they will tell the parents from there.