So is anyone here on strike?

[Herr Tubthumper]

There is only one thing worse than ''Back of the fag packet economics '' and that is ''Bleeding heart Liberalism''

You come out with these silly soundbites about the glory of education when we are discussing teachers pensions ffs. The public sector have had it far too easy for yonks and I`m glad its going to change. You think that these teachers will drift out now and join the private sector..... let them and they`ll soon see how rosy they had it. I know plenty of teachers who have arrived in the profession late and they`ll give you a pretty good insight into what life was like before they came in.
Education is important, so don`t make out that everyone who is against this strike doesn`t care about it. We all do.

Judging by this post and your previous one you sound one very bitter and envious person. Just because you've been screwed over in your profession you take it out on others who are standing up for themselves and not taking the shit. Envy is a very vulgar trait.

 

[m20gull]

Under the existing pension agreement they will get a pension of around £12k per year or less, but only if they have put the full 40 years in.

and 3 years of pension paid tax free as a lump sum
and when they reach state pension age they get £5000 of state pension and don't need to pay NI

So £25K of salary becomes £36K of cash plus £12k of pension and £5k of state pension plus a NI saving of £2k. That's not a bad replacement.

As salary goes down the effect of the state pension becomes even higher.

£15K of salary becomes £21K of cash plus £7k of pension, £5k of state pension and NI saving of £1k.

 

[BadFish]

You need to keep the financial benefits of teaching low because you don't want a load of money hungry types coming in just for the cash. If you keep the salaries low then you only get people with a real passion for teaching, people who get satisfaction out of seeing young people achieve and grow.

And hey for those reasons people will do it anyway so who gives a toss about looking after them?

Lets not forget it is an easy job, don't even teach them to read, write and add up properly, and all those holidays.

 

[beorhthelm]

i think one of the most tragic things in this debate is how some teachers apparently believe they are over the hill and expired as viable workers at 60. for years Age Concern and similar groups have fought off this type of attitude. personally, i have a little more faith in the 63 or 65 year old teacher to utilise their experience to teach just as well as they did 20, 10, 5 or 3 years before. frankly its a pathetic case to make, as if on your 60th birthday you're washed up, if 60 is too old, then why not 59?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

What contract did you sign regarding your pension. Tell me the name of it so I can have a read up on it will you.
I wish I had read my contract with the government when I went self-employed 30 years ago. No dole, no sick pay, no paid holidays and now they tell me that I`ll probably have to work on until I`m 68-70 before I get my 90 quid a week. Try working in the building industry when you are nearly 70.
Should have read the f***ing small print then I might have become a teacher, who knows ?

"I wish...."

"Should have...."

You'd be a better person for supporting others as opposed to taking out your regret on them.

 

[BadFish]

i think one of the most tragic things in this debate is how some teachers apparently believe they are over the hill and expired as viable workers at 60. for years Age Concern and similar groups have fought off this type of attitude. personally, i have a little more faith in the 63 or 65 year old teacher to utilise their experience to teach just as well as they did 20, 10, 5 or 3 years before. frankly its a pathetic case to make, as if on your 60th birthday you're washed up, if 60 is too old, then why not 59?

Don't know about the UK but over here there are many teachers who are just going through the motions before retirement (there are many who are past retirement age and still loving it too) and it is not a pretty sight. Teaching is a job for those who have the enthusiasm and passion

 

[tedebear]

Spot on.

No, what defies belief is your post. The whole point of a strike is to inconvenience their employers - in this case the government, who are then answerable to parents. And once the facts become known, I think there will be plenty of people sympathetic to the teachers.

If this sort of proposal is the government's answer to our economic problems then God help us all.

Simster your patronizing tone from the outset is rather unneccessary - obviously I fail to make myself clear.

I have had the day from hell, 6 of my 17 were unable to make it in to work, failing to find adequate childcare in most cases, and a couple of "I can't be bothered to find childcare". Again as I said before I fail to see how this is something I should suffer whether or not I sympathize or not with the strikers. There has to be a more intelligent 21st century way to make the government see whatever point the teachers want to make other than to make people who have nothing to do with this pay.

To be clear, if the teachers are having their T's & C's changed mid contract then I agree they need to do something about it. But it is not fair to make me/us/our family pay for this. Our family company has paid the cost as Joe looked after Arthur and lost a days income and I have had to cope with 6/17ths of a workforce. Is that fair?

 

[Theatre of Trees]

i think one of the most tragic things in this debate is how some teachers apparently believe they are over the hill and expired as viable workers at 60. for years Age Concern and similar groups have fought off this type of attitude. personally, i have a little more faith in the 63 or 65 year old teacher to utilise their experience to teach just as well as they did 20, 10, 5 or 3 years before. frankly its a pathetic case to make, as if on your 60th birthday you're washed up, if 60 is too old, then why not 59?

If you were to see staff rooms in Sussex you'd have trouble finding any normal teacher still working full time into their sixties. The pace of a typical school day is physically and mentally demanding and when coupled with the mountains of irritating paperwork and marking eventually saps whatever remaining energy you possess. Add to that the changes imposed by governments from the left and right some for ideological reasons others just for the sake of it, a number of those find it increasingly difficult to keep pace. Many teachers are washed up in their fifties and I know a number of experienced ones who have just snapped and left the profession. The other alternatives are to go part time, move into a non-teaching post for less money or become a supply teacher.

 

[fork me]

apart from the 16000 job cuts between the 2 banks today - many of which will be earning less than the teachers?

All of whom will be the people at the bottom, not the people that caused the crisis.

Thye point is still valid.

 

[bhaexpress]

The difference of course is that Joe Public is financing the public sector.

We're also financing those banks who got greedy and needed to be bailed out.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

It all kicked off in Barclays, North Street yesterday. Some crusty with a loud hailer shouting and trying to storm the counter. All that happened was anyone who wanted to get in the bank had to show they had a Barclay card or debit card. Old Bill were camped in side when I got there.

 

[Gazwag]

There was one women teacher on the local news last night saying how she sympathised with parents who had to take the day off unpaid, I know what its like she said, I have two of my own, as the camera move to show them.

What a stupid women, how could she know what its like, her children couldn't go to school because the teachers were on strike but they were ok because she is a teacher on strike.

And as for the bloke on the mega phone, how cringeworthy was that

 

[Simster]

Simster your patronizing tone from the outset is rather unneccessary - obviously I fail to make myself clear.

I have had the day from hell, 6 of my 17 were unable to make it in to work, failing to find adequate childcare in most cases, and a couple of "I can't be bothered to find childcare". Again as I said before I fail to see how this is something I should suffer whether or not I sympathize or not with the strikers. There has to be a more intelligent 21st century way to make the government see whatever point the teachers want to make other than to make people who have nothing to do with this pay.

To be clear, if the teachers are having their T's & C's changed mid contract then I agree they need to do something about it. But it is not fair to make me/us/our family pay for this. Our family company has paid the cost as Joe looked after Arthur and lost a days income and I have had to cope with 6/17ths of a workforce. Is that fair?

Fair enough, I probably was patronising so sorry about that. Although in fairness, posting your own circumstances would have made it far clearer to see why you hold your PoV.

Incidentally, you say this:

"There has to be a more intelligent 21st century way to make the government see whatever point the teachers want to make"

Clearly there isn't, or it would be in place? The teachers feel betrayed, so they are fighting back. I can understand that.

 

[Albion 4ever]

No but the kids are home from school.Still its only a couple of weeks and the teachers will have 7 weeks off,oh and then an inset day i expect.

Two points:
Actually the Summer break is normally less than 6 weeks.
Regarding Inset Days, pupils have always had the same number of days at school (190). Inset Days were brought in addition to this so teachers have to work 195 days. Inset Days have not reduced the amount of days that a pupil is taught.

 

[Titanic]

We're also financing those banks who got greedy and needed to be bailed out.

Only in the form of loans (through share purchases). If / hopefully when the RBS share price hits 51p the govt will be in profit.

 

[SittingbourneSeagull]

Two points:
Actually the Summer break is normally less than 6 weeks.
Regarding Inset Days, pupils have always had the same number of days at school (190). Inset Days were brought in addition to this so teachers have to work 195 days. Inset Days have not reduced the amount of days that a pupil is taught.

Also most teachers I know will take a maximum break of 3 weeks and be working in the school for the rest of the time preparing for the start of term in September. I work with 3 teachers in a Special Needs Unit and they are always in by 7:45 and most nights don't leave until 6:00. They run after school clubs because schools have now become a creche and have mountains of paperwork to get through.
It is not an easy option. Now working in a Bank on the other hand!