Comments on: Selfish Teachers Ruining – Inexcusably – Kid’s Educations! http://www.alanwcollins.co.uk/2008/04/25/selfish-teachers-ruining-inexcusably-kids-educations.html News - Law - Opinion Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:09:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Alan Collins http://www.alanwcollins.co.uk/2008/04/25/selfish-teachers-ruining-inexcusably-kids-educations.html/comment-page-1#comment-4243 Alan Collins Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:21:26 +0000 http://www.alanwcollins.co.uk/?p=881#comment-4243 I was having this discussion with Ali on Thursday, and we were agreed that the strike wouldn't really affect people in this area, because it is a fairly conservative area - schools in less conservative areas, the ones most in need of ensuring that education continues uninterrupted, were affected much more seriously. I sympathise with teachers because of their predicament - yes I think that they deserve more pay, and I of course think that that will encourage more people into teaching. However, I am fully against strikes. I completely oppose industrial action. It is not the right way forward and usually achieves nothing. Has the teachers' pay suddenly gone up? No. Why? Because there is no money in the pot because of the way the Labour government has increased taxes constantly, yet spent every penny whilst the economy soared and kept nothing aside for when the economy started to look slightly less certain. Basically, in a NUT-shell, the overall outcome of this particular strike was a day off for the NUT's members and senior staff in schools across the country having to work out how to cope with the sudden drop in staff numbers. No pay rise. No major headlines in favour of their cause. And I never said the comparison with the 1970s was fair - I merely said I was not surprised to see it being made. (The link from Medway Council worked when I tried it earlier. However, this post was on hold for ages when I went to Cadets). I was having this discussion with Ali on Thursday, and we were agreed that the strike wouldn’t really affect people in this area, because it is a fairly conservative area – schools in less conservative areas, the ones most in need of ensuring that education continues uninterrupted, were affected much more seriously.

I sympathise with teachers because of their predicament – yes I think that they deserve more pay, and I of course think that that will encourage more people into teaching.

However, I am fully against strikes. I completely oppose industrial action. It is not the right way forward and usually achieves nothing. Has the teachers’ pay suddenly gone up? No. Why? Because there is no money in the pot because of the way the Labour government has increased taxes constantly, yet spent every penny whilst the economy soared and kept nothing aside for when the economy started to look slightly less certain.

Basically, in a NUT-shell, the overall outcome of this particular strike was a day off for the NUT’s members and senior staff in schools across the country having to work out how to cope with the sudden drop in staff numbers. No pay rise. No major headlines in favour of their cause.

And I never said the comparison with the 1970s was fair – I merely said I was not surprised to see it being made.

(The link from Medway Council worked when I tried it earlier. However, this post was on hold for ages when I went to Cadets).

]]> By: Rob http://www.alanwcollins.co.uk/2008/04/25/selfish-teachers-ruining-inexcusably-kids-educations.html/comment-page-1#comment-4242 Rob Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:07:03 +0000 http://www.alanwcollins.co.uk/?p=881#comment-4242 Why shouldn't they get what the public sector get? Don't make the mistake of comparing a teacher to another public sector worker. When I leave uni with my Economics degree, I can either earn less that I was during my placement year and be a teacher, or earn mega-buck$ in the City. No wonder we have a lack of teachers. We need to encourage more graduates into the profession. Easiest way to do this is pay. Also, the people who say it affects their education are the people who take holidays in term time, or who don't bother turning up if it snows. One day has no effects on your overall education. In fact, my lessons were not disrupted at all. I'm not sure on your view, either. You disagree with the teachers' strike, yet you disagree with the gov't paying them so little? Also, we've had one week of one-day strikes, not months and months of strikes all over the place. Hardly a fair comparison. (That link about to the medway council doesn't work, and I was under the impression it was an English exam) Why shouldn’t they get what the public sector get?

Don’t make the mistake of comparing a teacher to another public sector worker. When I leave uni with my Economics degree, I can either earn less that I was during my placement year and be a teacher, or earn mega-buck$ in the City. No wonder we have a lack of teachers.

We need to encourage more graduates into the profession. Easiest way to do this is pay.

Also, the people who say it affects their education are the people who take holidays in term time, or who don’t bother turning up if it snows. One day has no effects on your overall education. In fact, my lessons were not disrupted at all.

I’m not sure on your view, either. You disagree with the teachers’ strike, yet you disagree with the gov’t paying them so little?

Also, we’ve had one week of one-day strikes, not months and months of strikes all over the place. Hardly a fair comparison.

(That link about to the medway council doesn’t work, and I was under the impression it was an English exam)

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