Teachers' Strike!

[tonyhorne]

Education is far too important to be left in the hands of idiots like we tend to attract to Westminster.

Bruce!

What can I say? I actually agree with you.......

 

[tonyhorne]

See here http://obs.rc.fas.harvard.edu/chetty/value_added.pdf

The variance between a good teacher and a poor one are enormous.

Ah I knew it was too good to last. Your prior link to a recent OECD report explains what utter cobblers that sort of research is.

 

[steken1]

Like many thousands in the south east, I'm out tomorrow.

Another strike decision taken with a heavy heart [and I hate giving up a day's pay when I really shouldn't feel forced to] but there's no escaping the feeling that the reptilian Mr Gove is gunning for teachers in an almost sociopathic way. It's a tough, largely thankless job getting in front of 30 kids day after day yet we do it anyway - and often with passion and amazing commitment - but enough is enough.

If the Tories want top class teachers, pay a decent wage and treat them well. It's that simple. Don't erode pay and conditions so much that barely anyone with any talent will bother applying - isn't that the free market economics you so earnestly believe in, Mr Gove? Surely, to allow that is to sell the children of the UK short.

I strongly believe in a high-calibre education for this nation's youth. Does the government?

Support the strike. Support our children's future - they deserve to be taught by the best.

The worrying thing for me is that most people now go 'FFS are them crying kunts out again' or something like that these days.

Seems the whole country's happy to get shat on as long as other get covered in shiit too.

I admire anyone who goes into teaching. It's a calling, not a job. The majority only earn the average wage of this country too.

 

[Tubey]

“Two thirds of school budgets are for the costs of teachers and the achievement of pupils is largely determined by the quality of teachers. So the single most important way to improve the UK’s international performance is to improve the quality of its 400,000 or so teachers. We believe that this can be achieved by giving teachers the right support, training and incentives and it is absolutely essential that this be carried forward.”

Even your own source you're quoting there acknowledge the system is at fault for current standards. I'll bold the pertinent bit for you.

“Two thirds of school budgets are for the costs of teachers and the achievement of pupils is largely determined by the quality of teachers. So the single most important way to improve the UK’s international performance is to improve the quality of its 400,000 or so teachers. We believe that this can be achieved by giving teachers the right support, training and incentives and it is absolutely essential that this be carried forward.”

That's called "the system". Again, it's like trying to dig a hole with a stick instead of a spade. You need to give them a spade to get the job done properly. I've said that exact thing four times now.

I've read the full thing - again, your own source actually points out that the system in place is the issue that needs improving and dedicates full sections, headed in pink writing, towards suggested improvements to current failings.

You believe that teachers are to blame for standards, yet completely disregard the fact there needs to be a system in place to improve said standards. You're pointing out a problem, yet laughing off the root cause of it, which is obviously the framework systems in place. You're so bonkers that you place more emphasis on a random think tank report whilst simultaneously laughing off a comprehensive government-backed study from experts in their fields - and even then, you read that said report and gain completely ridiculous conclusions from it!

Sorry, but you're just barking mad.

 

[Steve0]

All the ones I know, do.

Well all the ones i know dont!

If we average it over their 13 weeks holiday (more for some) then it's nowhere near 50 hours, it'd be lucky to be over 30.

 

[Steve0]

I know teachers who do. They spend plenty of that 13 weeks working, too.

I'd love to know who where these teachers work. A couple i know, both teachers, spend the entire summer holiday in greece every single year. Usually have another holiday as well.

Fact is a lot of teachers aren't suited for anything else really and would struggle big time in a competitive market. Armstrong & Miller did a wonderful series of skits that summed up the state of modern teachers.

 

[Brennan]

Well all the ones i know dont!

If we average it over their 13 weeks holiday (more for some) then it's nowhere near 50 hours, it'd be lucky to be over 30.

Stats to back that up ?

 

[Steve0]

9-3 with an hour for lunch and two 20 minute breaks = 100 minutes a day for breaks, at least two or three frees throughout the week for most.

2100 minutes working
500 minutes break
120 minutes for frees

= 1480 minutes/week

x39/52 = 1,110 minutes/week. Round that down to 1,000 due to paid school trips to Barcelona etc, sports days, invigilating exams, reduction in lessons over exam periods, that last week in the xmas term where nobody ever did any work.

That's 16.666 hours a week. A couple of parents' evenings a term and holiday time meetings does not equal over 50 hours a week.

 

[RetroCat]

...don't deny anybody fighting to keep what others have fought hard to get. Don't begrudge benefits anybody in the private or public sector have. I'm a Civil Servant with 38 years service and I will retire in less than 3 years on half pay and 3 times that as a lump sum. Yes, I'm happy with that but its what I signed-up for in 1975 and have worked tirelessly for since.

This. Politicians are masters in playing divide and rule. Keep us carping at each other and hope we miss the real point, which is what a shambles they are making of it all.

 

[Brennan]

9-3 with an hour for lunch and two 20 minute breaks = 100 minutes a day for breaks, at least two or three frees throughout the week for most.

2100 minutes working
500 minutes break
120 minutes for frees

= 1480 minutes/week

x39/52 = 1,110 minutes/week. Round that down to 1,000 due to paid school trips to Barcelona etc, sports days, invigilating exams, reduction in lessons over exam periods, that last week in the xmas term where nobody ever did any work.

That's 16.666 hours a week. A couple of parents' evenings a term and holiday time meetings does not equal over 50 hours a week.

I said stats, not numbers you made up.

 

[neil999]

9-3 with an hour for lunch and two 20 minute breaks = 100 minutes a day for breaks, at least two or three frees throughout the week for most.

2100 minutes working
500 minutes break
120 minutes for frees

= 1480 minutes/week

x39/52 = 1,110 minutes/week. Round that down to 1,000 due to paid school trips to Barcelona etc, sports days, invigilating exams, reduction in lessons over exam periods, that last week in the xmas term where nobody ever did any work.

That's 16.666 hours a week. A couple of parents' evenings a term and holiday time meetings does not equal over 50 hours a week.

you forgot to include toilet breaks mate, i reckon eventually you'll have em doing negative hours

 

[RetroCat]

9-3 with an hour for lunch and two 20 minute breaks = 100 minutes a day for breaks, at least two or three frees throughout the week for most.

2100 minutes working
500 minutes break
120 minutes for frees

= 1480 minutes/week

x39/52 = 1,110 minutes/week. Round that down to 1,000 due to paid school trips to Barcelona etc, sports days, invigilating exams, reduction in lessons over exam periods, that last week in the xmas term where nobody ever did any work.

That's 16.666 hours a week. A couple of parents' evenings a term and holiday time meetings does not equal over 50 hours a week.

'Breaks' when they're supervising kids and 'frees' when they're subbing classes for absent colleagues.

 

[Allezfan]

Pretty sure teachers work about 20 minutes a day, like.

Mostly schools these days, there's nobody there.

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

'Breaks' when they're supervising kids and 'frees' when they're subbing classes for absent colleagues.

If life was such a toil then they wouldn't have gone into the job in the 1st place.

 

[Del]

'Breaks' when they're supervising kids and 'frees' when they're subbing classes for absent colleagues.

Nope TA's watch the kids during breaks