Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting 'SWINDON NEWS' to 80360 or email »
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Got a story? EMAIL US, call us on 01793 501806 or text us at 80360, starting your message
with 'SWINDON NEWS'
12:02pm Monday 11th February 2008
A THOUSAND teachers could walk out of the town's schools if a proposed strike gets the go ahead.
The National Union of Teachers (NUT) will ballot members to strike against the continued cutting of teachers' living standards.
And teachers in Swindon are getting the worst deal, according to union leaders.
NUT members in all of Swindon's primary and secondary schools will be balloted at the end of the month about a one-day strike on April 24.
The last time teachers in the town went ahead with major strike action was 22 years ago.
Andy Woolley, the NUT's south west regional secretary, said: "This is the third year running that the pay rise for teachers has been below inflation and this amount is likely to be the same for the next two years.
"Swindon is the worst hit in the south west region because of the high cost of living and so young teachers are constantly finding it difficult to get onto the property ladder."
Peter Smith, the NUT's Swindon representative, feels teachers earn less than the average graduate after leaving university.
He said: "They spend four years at university with no pay, and also have a building student debt and when they start they earn just over £20,000 - that's about £3,000 less than your average graduate. This gap widens over the next two years and within five years of joining the profession.
"Fifty per cent of young teachers leave because of heavy workload and pay conditions.
"The Government had promised us that if inflation continued to rise they would review our pay, but they have gone back on their word."
According to figures from the NUT, junior doctors who earn a basic salary with a supplement would earn £32,087 with the amount increasing to over £39,000.
Police officers also earn a higher wage than teachers and are paid during training and don't need to be graduates.
MFM, Wiltshire says...
12:36pm Mon 11 Feb 08
john c, swindon says...
12:41pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Oxford, Toothill says...
12:53pm Mon 11 Feb 08
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
1:03pm Mon 11 Feb 08
john c wrote:Erm...not really that well paid.
I say to the teachers out there the same as I do to the Police. You are Already Well Paid. £20,000 a year for a NQT compare that to £15,667 as a newly trained army private serving in Iraq. I suppose you think a class load of kids with attitude are harder work than terrorist with bombs.
Licnep, Swindon/Chester says...
1:03pm Mon 11 Feb 08
john c, swindon says...
1:20pm Mon 11 Feb 08
angry monkey, Swindon says...
1:24pm Mon 11 Feb 08
emmylou83, Stratton says...
1:33pm Mon 11 Feb 08
john c wrote:As a trained teacher who graduated in 2006 I resent that comment john c I worked my **** off for 3yrs and still came out with shed loads of debt and no savings.
As for "young teachers are constantly finding it difficult to get onto the property ladder." If they had spent more of their spare time whilst at uni working and less of the money partying then they would have savings instead of student debt. That would make things easier for them.
emmylou83, Stratton says...
1:37pm Mon 11 Feb 08
angry monkey wrote:Angry monkey, teachers dont get massive holidays all in all they get a few weeks over the summer as the half terms are used for planning and marking and reports, teaching is less about the children and more to do with the paperwork which is why I stopped doing it, I stopped enjoying it.
-In my experience most teachers that taught me were rubbish. -they get massive holidays - most young people struggle to get on the property ladder these days. teachers are no worse off than anyone else. - my (and most other peoples) pay rises in the private sector are less than inflation. Tough.
most students did find time for a part time job even if it was only at Mcd's during the term and/or the local supermarket during the long holiday's.
john c, swindon says...
1:53pm Mon 11 Feb 08
emmylou83, Stratton says...
2:00pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Voice of Sanity, Swindon says...
2:08pm Mon 11 Feb 08
PJC, Old Town says...
2:23pm Mon 11 Feb 08
angry monkey wrote:Get massive holidays eh? Yes, but they don't get ANY choice as to when they take them, and they are all in peak periods. Also I suppose you think they start at 8:30 and knock off at 3:30pm? Twit.
-In my experience most teachers that taught me were rubbish.
-they get massive holidays
- most young people struggle to get on the property ladder these days. teachers are no worse off than anyone else.
- my (and most other peoples) pay rises in the private sector are less than inflation. Tough.
PJC, Old Town says...
2:33pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Casual Observer, Swindon says...
3:01pm Mon 11 Feb 08
emmylou83, Stratton says...
3:06pm Mon 11 Feb 08
SwindonBorn, Swindon says...
3:11pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Grumpy, Swindon says...
3:19pm Mon 11 Feb 08
SwindonBorn wrote:Don't forget the never ending sets of 'targets' this government keeps imposing on all public sector workers, plus the continual testing of children that serves no real useful purpose what-so-ever.
My family are teachers so I have a lot of time for the profession but striking is not the answer.
Life is tough in the real world and teachers will have to learn to cope like everyone else.
The real culprit is the Government who simply throws money at iniative after iniative and expect teachers to be parents, police and doctors all at the save time rather than letting schools get on and do their job.
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
3:19pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Don't forget the never ending sets of 'targets' this government keeps imposing on all public sector workers, plus the continual testing of children that serves no real useful purpose what-so-ever.
emmylou83, Stratton says...
3:23pm Mon 11 Feb 08
plus the continual testing of children that serves no real useful purpose what-so-ever.
Emohawk, Swindon says...
3:40pm Mon 11 Feb 08
emmylou83, Stratton says...
3:45pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Emohawk, Swindon says...
4:09pm Mon 11 Feb 08
madamspud169, Kempsford, Swindon says...
4:12pm Mon 11 Feb 08
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
4:16pm Mon 11 Feb 08
madamspud169 wrote:There are bad apples in every batch, but that's hardly fair to deny the rest of them a decent pay rise (i.e. in line with inflation).
At least they got a payrise, neither my husband nor myself did. There are some teachers who shouldn't be teaching let alone getting a pay rise. It took me over a decade to start to recover from the emotional abuse I went through with one teacher.
emmylou83, Stratton says...
4:17pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Rob, swindon says...
4:23pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Oxford, Toothill says...
4:26pm Mon 11 Feb 08
emmylou83, Stratton says...
4:26pm Mon 11 Feb 08
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
4:28pm Mon 11 Feb 08
emmylou83 wrote:That's called danger money.
the pay isnt that bad well I dont think my friends who teach in central london get £25k depending on where you live depends on what you get paid, at least thats how it used to be
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
4:31pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Rob wrote:"Making a difference" - same reason I want to go into politics.
Why do so many young people train to be teachers, if the the pay is so poor ?
emmylou83, Stratton says...
4:32pm Mon 11 Feb 08
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
4:36pm Mon 11 Feb 08
emmylou83 wrote:Well, yeah, you did Oaktree - may as well do a tour of duty in Afghanistan, would be the proper comparison. One of the punks from that school put 3 windows in on our car (cost: £160 minimum) this weekend. We have two witnesses, but I can guarantee that he'll be too young to be prosecuted.
lordb very funny, I trained in london and the schools i taught at in swindon are just as bad
emmylou83, Stratton says...
4:40pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Emohawk, Swindon says...
4:41pm Mon 11 Feb 08
emmylou83 wrote:I know what you mean hun - anyone who goes into teaching deserves a medal :-)
Emohawk Ok sorry didn't mean to get all defensive just does my nut when people dont understand the pressures of teaching and the pressure of training to be one too - obviously you know where I'm coming from
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
4:46pm Mon 11 Feb 08
emmylou83 wrote:Oaktree, Penhill, and Pinehurst - that'd explain it ;)
I did oaktree, mountford, freshbrook, penhill, pinehurst (went there for 2days that was more than enough. Cant blame the teachers for it tho hun, not their fault
emmylou83, Stratton says...
4:49pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Emohawk wrote:yeah sometime wish I had the guts to stick it out but I look at my life then and my life now and I'm so much happier even if a bit poorer.
emmylou83 wrote: Emohawk Ok sorry didn't mean to get all defensive just does my nut when people dont understand the pressures of teaching and the pressure of training to be one too - obviously you know where I'm coming fromI know what you mean hun - anyone who goes into teaching deserves a medal :-)
Claire, Swindon says...
5:37pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Donkey, Swindon says...
5:43pm Mon 11 Feb 08
LordBelacqua wrote:The first hurdle is actually getting the support of the electorate ... clever (as you think it is) through jibes and name-calling, it is hardly likely to win friends and the required votes.
Rob wrote: Why do so many young people train to be teachers, if the the pay is so poor ?"Making a difference" - same reason I want to go into politics. I'd have to grease myself up first, I'm nowhere near slimy enough for the likes of the Bottler and his cronies.
Donkey, Swindon says...
5:51pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Teacher, Swindon says...
5:51pm Mon 11 Feb 08
dalekdave, Swindon says...
6:16pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Gem, North Swindon says...
6:48pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Gem, North Swindon says...
6:49pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Casual Observer, Swindon says...
8:46pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Claire wrote:I found an excellent way of getting pay rises in previous private sector jobs, perhaps you could pass this on to your husband;
I am a civil servent working for the cental Government in Swindon. I am still waiting for last years pay rise. The DTI are still in talks with the different unions, so we will hopefully get a below inflation pay rise by the end of this financial year (when the next one is due!!) This happens every year, which I think is disgusting. My husband and worked for the same company for 15 years in the private sector and hasnt had a pay rise for the last four! With the bills and mortages keep going up and no extra money coming in, I suggest the teachers do as my husband and I have done and get part time jobs. I work four evenings a week and my husband works one day at the weekend. That way we dont have to pay for the extra child care and the mortgage gets paid on time.
Licnep, Swindon/Chester says...
9:23pm Mon 11 Feb 08
Teacher wrote:I'm sure your not the only one at all!!! My Mum is a primary school teacher and people have said its a good job as she gets holidays off...this however is not the case.
Amazing how ignorant some people in this thread are. I can not believe those of you that think what you're writing is in any way helpful or productive. Let me set the record straight (as I see it). I work a 50 hour week, this excludes work I do at the weekend - which often runs into 3-4 hours as least. Half Terms are used for assessments, planning and preparation for future work - so little free time there. The article (for those who actually read it) clearly states that the few rises we have had are all below inflation. Some of the comments refer to uni students with debts - is this specific to teaching students? If you feel it is, that shows how little you actually know. The fact that teaching students attend more lectures than most limits free time for extra work, although I know of many students who do work extra (I was one of them). To sum up with: The min. wage for the UK is £5.25. I've been teaching for 6 years and my hourly pay (if you base it on a 50 hour week excl. weekends) is £8.10. Is £3 an hour worth the extra hassle, work, expectations and everything else that goes with teaching?? (and that's £3 based on the fact that I've been teaching for 6 years - NQTs are on a lot less)
Big Mac, says...
8:54am Tue 12 Feb 08
Donkey, Swindon says...
9:18am Tue 12 Feb 08
Al Smith, Swindon, UK says...
9:51am Tue 12 Feb 08
Big Mac, says...
10:00am Tue 12 Feb 08
angry monkey, Swindon says...
1:48pm Tue 12 Feb 08
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
1:52pm Tue 12 Feb 08
angry monkey wrote:O.o
I'm bloody sick of the army of public servants and their non stop whinging.
Mick out West, West Swindon says...
2:13pm Tue 12 Feb 08
Al Smith wrote:Do the Teachers have the same holidays as the kid's. 6 weeks in the Summer, 2 weeks at Christmas, 2 weeks at Easter, and 1 week every 6 weeks in between = approx 14/15 weeks holidays per year, if this is so and they are all paid, cant be to bad surely.
So what if teachers have long summer holidays. Even when you take into account the 6 week summer hols teachers will work an average of 44 hours a week. Which is more than the average working week in the UK of 40 hours.
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
2:20pm Tue 12 Feb 08
Mick out West wrote:But they work through their holidays and before and after the school day - homework and coursework don't mark themselves.
Al Smith wrote: So what if teachers have long summer holidays. Even when you take into account the 6 week summer hols teachers will work an average of 44 hours a week. Which is more than the average working week in the UK of 40 hours.Do the Teachers have the same holidays as the kid's. 6 weeks in the Summer, 2 weeks at Christmas, 2 weeks at Easter, and 1 week every 6 weeks in between = approx 14/15 weeks holidays per year, if this is so and they are all paid, cant be to bad surely.
emmylou83, Stratton says...
2:52pm Tue 12 Feb 08
angry monkey, Swindon says...
3:25pm Tue 12 Feb 08
LordBelacqua wrote:No. I'd rather they shut up and accept that most people dont get inflation based pay rises, and they cretainly dont get the benefits associated with working for the government, and they cretainly cant hold a gun to the governments head by threatening to strike eveytime they dont get what they want.
angry monkey wrote: I'm bloody sick of the army of public servants and their non stop whinging.O.o Suppose you'd rather corporations take care of education then? Not that we're not approaching that stage already, mind.
Al Smith, Swindon, UK says...
3:28pm Tue 12 Feb 08
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
3:33pm Tue 12 Feb 08
angry monkey wrote:So, if, in your job, you were unhappy about the stress and the lack of pay rises, suffered abuse pretty much every day, worked a 7-5 day, got all of 2 weeks off a year, and wanted to stay in your line of work but couldn't change to another job, you would sit back and let it all happen.
LordBelacqua wrote:No. I'd rather they shut up and accept that most people dont get inflation based pay rises, and they cretainly dont get the benefits associated with working for the government, and they cretainly cant hold a gun to the governments head by threatening to strike eveytime they dont get what they want. If people want to be well paid and stress free, they'd probablly best not go into teaching.angry monkey wrote: I'm bloody sick of the army of public servants and their non stop whinging.O.o Suppose you'd rather corporations take care of education then? Not that we're not approaching that stage already, mind.
angry monkey, Swindon says...
3:57pm Tue 12 Feb 08
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
4:04pm Tue 12 Feb 08
What are you on about? 2 weeks off in a year? no genourous final salary pesion scheme, no generous maternity leave?
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
4:08pm Tue 12 Feb 08
no genourous final salary pesion scheme, no generous maternity leave?
PJC, Old Town says...
6:10pm Tue 12 Feb 08
Christie, Swindon says...
8:47pm Thu 24 Apr 08
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Find your next job now in Swindon and beyond
Search Now »
Make a date in Swindon now!
Search Now »
Swindon homes for sale and to let
Search Now »
Cars for sale in Swindon and Wiltshire
Search Now »
john c, swindon says...
12:24pm Mon 11 Feb 08
You are Already Well Paid.
£20,000 a year for a NQT compare that to £15,667 as a newly trained army private serving in Iraq.
I suppose you think a class load of kids with attitude are harder work than terrorist with bombs.