I fully support teachers' right to strike but I do think striking is regrettable...
I don't really understand teacher pensions but I gather that this strike is about not wanting a lower one but surely that sends a negative message that teachers are motivated by financial rewards?
Many are saying teachers should shut up and be happy that they are employed and as someone unemployed and pretty desperate for work I am vaguely inclined to agree. However I do think teachers are undervalued a lot maybe people will learn to appreciate the work teachers do during the strikes and good will come in the form of teacher and parent relations for the long term benefit of children. Teachers do provide an essential service to society's children and have a duty towards those children they serve but they are not babysitters. I do think many people do not understand the incredibly hard work that goes into teaching but this is not to devalue other vital professions in society that are also unbelievably hard working.
Michael Gove seems to be arguing that children will be adversly affected by strike action but surely one day of no national curriculum will not be so bad? I would compare school closure for industrial action to that under adverse weather conditions but with closure for snow there is a greater risk to their physical health that genuinely and rightly outweighs the risks involved in not learning anything that day. Michael Gove has argued that 'it's immoral' for teachers to strike on thurdsay but some teachers (according to BBC WM's political corresondent) have responded by arguing it's the opposite as it is vital to teach children to stand up for what they think is right and fair.
I appreciate working families will be affected and highly inconvenienced but hopefully with some warning financial repercussions of ad hoc alternatives to school will be reduced? It seems from the few out of thousands of schools that the schools themselves are trying to support their staff by allowing them to strike but are also providing support to the families of the children attending the school.
I also appreciate that these are the opinions of someone who did some teacher training but who isnt't actually a teacher and doesn't have school age children so I ofcourse welcome the perspectives of teachers and parents! I also reckon there may not be many people able to respond who have school age children but I am CRBd, free on thursday and have some teacher training so if you are inconvnienced on thursday I may be able to help?!
Here's a link to the BBC article with Gove's comments
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-13947937
This is Patrick Burn's blog mentioned (Political correspondent for BBC WM)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-13945654
Still learning how to imbed links in a snazzier way!
