SageAndOnion

(Baroness) Thatcher was indestructible. You would have needed a lot more than bombs. Hurrah!

__________________
Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.

zehner

ya right ya langer sage. get yer tory boy goggles off

__________________
Now, to pry into roots, to finger slime,
To stare, big-eyed Narcissus, into some spring
Is beneath all adult dignity. I rhyme
To see myself, to set the darkness echoing.

SageAndOnion

Sexy? Yeah she was sexy too.

__________________
Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.

naboo

Went to work as normal today. Not one to break a strike, but this is too fast. There should be a strike based on 'work to rule' first. The primary issue facing teachers is the workload, none of us are in it for the money.

We've had a pretty poor press today, probably because Journos are pissed off they've had to pay for childcare, after all, I'm a cheap form of babysitting. Apparently the average teacher earns £34k. I'll tell you, nobody in my department earns that.

As for the fun and games, they're going to start when the majority of heads retire in the text few years. nobody wants to take on the job of head because its a shit job, a fact supported by the statistic that 50(ish)% of heads die within a year of retirement (explains why teachers get a good pension, its only paid for a year!)

zehner

did ye get any concessions?

__________________
Now, to pry into roots, to finger slime,
To stare, big-eyed Narcissus, into some spring
Is beneath all adult dignity. I rhyme
To see myself, to set the darkness echoing.

Cyrille

Sounds like they should keep at it.

__________________
themoreiknowthelessiunderstand

grasshopper

she was a loony - who the hell shouts 'rejoice!' when they're sending people off to war

__________________
the answer to the secret of the universe is the secret itself

and the secret is.........................................it isn't there

grasshopper 2008

columbia

__________________
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no Interior Minister of Thailand's son.

Jon

I also heard teachers not in the NUT complaining they were striking for the wrong reasons, too. They said they should be striking for better working conditions, rather than pay. After all, wasn't it the independent body that recommended their pay rise? I don't know the details, but that's what they were saying. When the cops demonstrated in London it was because the govt hadn't honoured what the independent body had recommended.
I don't think teachers pay is that bad, but everyone wants more, and everyone deserves to have a pay rise at least in line with real cost of living increases. We got 1.9% this year because of govt interference over the date of the 2.5% rise, delaying it by a few months.

__________________
Sur votre bicyclette, mate.

Mister Fixit

Yeah, 'specially when she sent that torpedo right up the Argie's arse.

__________________
We would rather be ruined than changed
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb the Cross of the moment
And see our illusions die

Cyrille

But surely 'better working conditions' would include a wholesale re-education of English yoof?

And who's gonna do that apart from (better paid) teachers?

__________________
themoreiknowthelessiunderstand

naboo

Confused.

I'd happily strike for the following result.

My current pay (increasing with inflation)
Less work.

I currently work at least 60 hours/week, every week, due to excessive paperwork and a growing marking burden. My year 11 class this year has 32 students. We are completing a BTEC Certificate course. This involves marking 1 piece of coursework ever 2 weeks, returning the work to them with comments, then remarking it. Effectively I have to mark 33 pieces of coursework every week. Ridiculous, on top of this I'm expected to mark their classwork once a fortnight (do I fuck!). Everyone in my department agrees that the workload is manageable as long as you never do any marking. You do no marking, your assesment falls apart. Doesn't work, you have to do it, you have to work yourself into the ground.

Teachers work long, long hours. I couldn't care less about more pay. I want less hours. But then I'm leaving, so who gives a damn!