General Chat

I think it is so sad that the death of a dedicated teacher could be the thing that makes the public realise that it is not the cushy job they think it is.

I am behind them 100% and any others who strike. It is the right of the 'working man' and in many instances his only way to get his voice heard.

If it was not for the people in the Unions who do take a stand, we woud all be living in slums, on less than a liveable wage and still doffing our caps to our 'betters'.

Mauatthecoast I agree that there are some massive respect issues - due in the main to poor parenting.

So very sad. May she rest in peace

My heart goes out to this poor teacher who was stabbed to death. She worked for 40 yrs. in a job she loved.

I worked in schools for twenty five years, between 1970 - to 1990s and boy during that time did I see a big change,in both pupils and teachers.

Certain pupils were always disruptive, but on the whole most pupils were good. However nowadays many children have no respect for teachers and I'm afraid it's mostly down to uncaring parents, and the lack of discipline.

I've witnessed teachers in tears due to pressure/exams etc. and know three very good teachers who had to retire early with nervous breakdowns. Staff need the school breaks.

Don't think I could be a teacher ....well perhaps in Primary school, but now there's talk of exams for the tinies!!

How do you mean, Dermot?

What does it take to be stabbed to death in school nowadays?

Maybe those who bang on witlessly about teachers having an easy time of it will now start to listen!

In the past three years, figures available (which are only for about 60 per cent of police forces across the UK) show that around 1,000 pupils were caught by police carrying weapons in schools.

These include guns, knives, knuckle dusters, a taser and axes.

About a third were charged with criminal offences.

This is NOT just teenagers in inner city schools.

The figures include rural schools and a frighteningly large number of primary school children, including an eight year old who was caught taking a knife to school.

An easy job? No chance!

Absolutely awful thing to happen.

So sad.

I rest my case!!!!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-27193638

Dermot - be thankful that you have the numeracy skills to be able to perform a head count !

Secret Red Squiggle (sorry, that always goes through my head every time I see you post - no malice intended) - I agree with what you say. Typical diversion tactics.

After a quick head count, I realised that my extended family includes 5 school teachers.

So, in the midst of some diverse interpretations & conflicting opinions on this thread, I'm learning slowly but surely that sometimes my own opinion is best kept to myself.

Why can't nurses strike?

I thought that only last month they were talking about it - as widely reported at the time !

However, that is not what this thread is about.

pity nurses are not able to strike - now they do get a rough deal these days, but how could they strike?

There was a programme on BBC Radio 4 @ 5pm this afternoon under the general heading: 'Teachers vs. Government - 70 years of education policy'.

Some very interesting points indeed.

As for more going to university, well, don't get me started on that one!!!

SRS 007 1/2 totally agree.

I left school with no qualifications - my parents didn't have the money for me to stay on at school or go to university, I had to go out to work. In later life I trained as a nursery nurse when my children were at junior school. After that I got a job and worked full time in a school and brought up my family whilst perusing my university degree part time, it took me 5 years, and then to being accepted onto the graduate teaching programme (in school teacher training) in my 40's. I was lucky to have the chance to do so but I worked damned hard to do it.

There was a time not so long ago that only the privileged few extended their education beyond the basic 'O' & 'A' levels.

But now we've moved into a world where academic ability appears to be the only option and the formal learning curve can comfortably be stretched out into students' late twenties.

Well said Errol, Mildred and Gwynne x

"Teachers are not the only ones who work long hours in the call of duty ... but they make much more of a shin dig about it than anyone else. Neither are they the only ones not getting very good pay at basic grades in the public service. Unlike the army, police or nursing the NUT feels that going on strike will advance their cause"

Rollo, it's true, other parts of the public sector are losing out too. That doesn't make it right either. I don't think they are making more of a shin dig than anyone else, it's just that they get more coverage and going on strike seems to make an impact on many people.

Rather than people pulling apart workers in the public sector whether it be teachers, nurses, civil servants, police etc, maybe we should be looking at the MPS who managed to get a decent pay rise unlike any of the other public sector workers.

It's very easy for the media to manipulate the country into pulling each other apart when working conditions and pay are deteriorating. Meanwhile we tend to overlook areas that we should be focusing on.

Many of the banks who seemed to get us into this mess seem to be getting ridiculous pay rises again (apart from RBS who had to be vetoed by the government - not that they vetoed other banks that we have a share in!).