I am married to a teacher and I can categorically tell you that your "FACT" is total bullshit. You seem to have confused the terms "fact" and "idle gossip". Perhaps you should find a teacher to explain the difference.
No, it is FACT. I didnt say ALL teachers did this, I said this teacher did it. I know exactly what they said to me, you werent there. It was face to face between me and said person, there was no idle gossip involved.
I'm not sure about teachers pensions, but a quick glance at one of the account for the local govt schemes shows the total pension pay out and the number in receipt of pensions, and it makes the average pension about £3,500. Given the amounts paid in, I'd say the issue is the poor returns on investment by the fund holders.
"perhaps you would be good enough to highlight where you think I have generalised, as I don't believe I have." Certainly: "Teachers have always had it cushy..." This is a generalisation. So, you have known teachers over 40 years and you briefly dabbled yourself? May I ask what stopped you from continuing? Where did you teach etc and which qualifications did you attain then spurn? Of course, you have a right to an opinion, everyone has (blah blah). However, please accept that due to your lack of experience in this area, you might well be wrong. Personally, I have opinions about lots of things but accept empathy, primary/secondary sources or insight might not actually be enough. I'm happy to admit a lack of understanding of experience in certain areas - it makes me feel no less of a person and actually demonstrates intelligence (in my opinion). I would not dream of wanting to reduce the wages or working conditions of any profession I know of, but maybe that is just me. My post of 19:13 contained hyperbole, but I pretty much meant what was said.
You make a fair point there to a degree and I do acknowledge it. Apart from the first bit (which Iâve highlighted). Unfortunately, not all millionaires do (or have had) to work for it. This country is one the most financially unequal in Europe although me saying that will no doubt anger many on here, the rich and the middle classes and the blind get very defensive you know. I advocate raising conditions for all and I would never ever demand or call for any workers to receive worse pensions or pay â even if their pay was better than mind. I see this as akin to grassing and this country is full of it. I hate all this me, me, me bullshit.
Maybe that's where our differences lie. I wouldn't happily want to see any professions pay structure and pension lowered, but sometimes it's essential. I don't see this as targeting teachers who the government think have had it too shiny, I see it as a way of evening out. I generally keep my nose out of these things, they don't affect or concern me so I've no reason to stick my nose in, but I believe the whole public sector has suffered, and different departments a lot more including bag loads of redundancies as well as pay cuts and longer working lives. Not that that really has anything to do with teachers own case, but still, it could be worse, a lot worse, and its not like they won't still be getting a good deal. I also think teachers are possibly the worst profession to go off striking as teachers are supposed to guide the nations youth themselves, we don't want to set an example of dummies being launched when things get tough or a different way to how you want. Just my opinion, but its easy for me to say, it doesn't affect me in the slightest one way or another.
You said: "they all without exception say "it's a piece of piss. Holidays are great, we don't spend our time marking at all."" That's not one person.
I’m sorry mate, but even if it doesn’t feel like it will make a difference to you, ultimately it will. In years to come, if conditions get worse, the quality and capabilities of teachers entering the profession will drop, particularly in non fee paying schools. Academies and free schools (who can dictate wages now) will pay less too – as market forces will allow and if any form of state run schooling is still in existence, you can guarantee the benefits will be ****. Why would a top graduate enter teaching? Poor conditions, pay not much above the national average (and starting below that) and being lambasted by the majority in what is generally a stressful and demanding job anyway. Unless they had a large inheritance to fall back on, a top graduate, from most disciplines, could earn a lot more in something really useful for society, such as advertising or PR, and guess what: society will laud you more because it respects money earnt. The result of this will have economic and social repercussions for everybody and the divide between the few and the many will get wider than ever.
And carry it from table to table set in groups of four 5 year olds in a set 0f 60 moving every 5 minutes throughout the day. But I assume you have no issues at work?
As a teacher myself (newly qualified), I'd like to offer my thoughts on events. First of all, I feel rather insulted by the quotes offered by Bum Chin. I have worked incredibly hard these past 4 weeks and during the summer preparing for my new job. You reap what you sew in this job and you have to put the effort in, which means working in the evenings and in the holidays to ensure your class achieve and that you challenge yourself professionally. Teachers do enjoy time off, but it is not as extensive as the common preconception would have you believe! Furthermore, the job is both physically and mentally demanding. Don't get me wrong, when I wanted to pursue a career in teaching I knew what I was letting myself in for. I'm just keen to try and argue against some naïve comments which have appeared. I do spend most of the day moving around whilst teaching and working with children with difficult home circumstances presents itself with daily challenges and testing your behaviour management constantly. As for the strike, I don't agree with it. I find the whole thing counter productive and I don't feel it will achieve anything. The whole thing winds the public up and places teachers in a bad light, only enhancing stereotypes of the profession. I taught yesterday and continued with my duties at school. As a newly qualified teacher, I feel my interests lie with continuing to develop my teaching experience in school rather than gallivanting off on a strike. Even more so as a new member of staff when you're still an unknown quantity with senior staff and parents. Some of Gove's proposal's I don't agree with (scrapping learning assistants in classrooms and teaching children till 6pm) but I don't think striking is the answer. In terms of pensions, I'm not privy enough on the information to spend my time protesting about it. Once my induction year is passed, the focus on the pension side of things will increase.
Sorry to zoom in on one small phrase but most people I know work incredibly hard or at least believe they do. Some work harder than others and some work as hard as their abilities and energies allow. In the world of work these days, in most jobs, working 'incredibly hard' is an entry level requirement not an exception.
I never said that anyone in any other profession would be any different and a positive working attitude should be a given. After some quotes had appeared that suggested that teaching was an easy ride, I was eager to provide an opinion to the contrary.
