NUT strike

allegra · Post by **allegra** » Sun May 04, 2008 8:58 pm

Well KES and Magwich, people can't have it both ways - keep having a go at teachers for one thing or another, fail to support them when they're repeatedly given awful pay deals, berate them for taking action to earn a living wage, then complain at the calibre of teaching??? At this rate it'll end up like the school that is having to pay its sixth formers to teach the younger kids. And if you are opting out of the state system, please have the decency to hold back on the insults. Why do I suspect you feel no such antipathy for the City bankers who bring home obscene bonuses for doing what public service exactly?

KES Parent · Post by **KES Parent** » Sun May 04, 2008 9:36 pm

allegra wrote:Well KES and Magwich, people can't have it both ways - keep having a go at teachers for one thing or another, fail to support them when they're repeatedly given awful pay deals, berate them for taking action to earn a living wage, then complain at the calibre of teaching??? At this rate it'll end up like the school that is having to pay its sixth formers to teach the younger kids. And if you are opting out of the state system, please have the decency to hold back on the insults. Why do I suspect you feel no such antipathy for the City bankers who bring home obscene bonuses for doing what public service exactly?

I can't imagine why you would suspect that, Allegra. As it happens I have no particular view about City bankers, although if I was pushed to express an opinion I would probably veer towards disapproval of them, as I don't think anyone could deserve those kind of financial rewards just for moving huge amounts of money around. However I can't really see any connection between this and the fact that the particular NUT strikers who appeared on the news were not the articulate professionals that most parents would want to think were in charge of their children's education.

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Sun May 04, 2008 10:17 pm

How do you know that these NUT members do not teach in the Private sector!!

Please don't jump to conclusions ....

teacher · Post by **teacher** » Sun May 04, 2008 10:39 pm

It really is amazing that so many consider only those who make no grammar mistakes when they speak (and only then if you speak RP English; heaven forfend that you may have a regional dialect) or have perfect pronunciation could possibly be allowed to be in charge of their children's education! The number of times people have accused me of being a poor teacher because I have no pen on me, don't know the capital of some obscure country, the complete periodic table or the dates of every battle since 1066. 'Call yourself a teacher!' the hysterical cry goes up as they wait for your next horrendous slip with a Latin plural or the fact that you've forgotten an author. Of course, many professions work long and unseen hours; this is the eternal response if one ever dares to mention that teaching is not the big holiday many think it is. I am well aware of everyone's 'hidden hours' but I am not sure that others get criticised so much. This is like telling off a bank manager for having no loose change or having a go at a doctor with dirty hands when he is not working! And don't think KES teachers are inviolate; it is faintly possible that some of them may have pronunciation that doesn't quite cut the lingustic mustard!
I am not going to reply to further posts as I have spent most of the last 20 years responding to attacks at parties from total strangers and am off to plan for the week ahead!
PS I just know someone is scanning this looking for grammar errors.........!

proud mum x2 · Post by **proud mum x2** » Sun May 04, 2008 10:48 pm

Call yourself a teacher!

You won't even reply......ok don't!

allegra · Post by **allegra** » Mon May 05, 2008 9:38 am

KES, proud mum and all - I just think people should be careful about teacher bashing - in whatever guise - because teachers certainly don't do it for the money, and if they start to feel demoralised and leave the profession, or don't opt for it in the first place, then that is bad news for our children and the country. Of course there are bad teachers as well as good ones (in private schools too) but, KES, I really don't think pronunciation, or even in many cases grammar, is much of an indicator. A truly inspiring teacher can change the course of a child's life. I have already seen that in my own children's cases where they have opted for subjects because of the quality of the teaching. Sorry for making assumptions about you, KES, but alarm bells do start to go off when I hear the pronunciation thing.