The annual Teachers threaten to strike thread

You haven't a clue, teachers agreed to the government's pay deal in 2010 and they promised no paycuts if we agreed not to strike.

They then changed it to 'no paycuts for current teachers' in the Dáil subsequently, and teachers couldn't strike...

Would you have supported teachers if they had gone on strike then???

I too always have a laugh when I hear this one from the uneducated.

Yes, I'm haggling.

Would you trade your exceptionally short working year for better conditions elsewhere?

Would our contracts be amended to include admin in line with our UK counterparts and would the promotional oppertunities there be applied to here? (Cherrypicking by me obviously, there's a lot of their system I'd hate to see here, selfishly and because of how poor their system is).

If just the calendar and we retain our current weekly teaching hours I think both teachers and students will be wrecked. Would also pose issues for SEC recruiting examiners and supervisors, let alone turning around results. I think I'd go with it if the pay increase was in line with the extra work but I think it'd be a bad idea overall for education.

Me? No , I have family and elderly parents here.

But there are a lot of younger teachers who do go abroad for better pay. Hence why you might find your son or daughter in 3rd year has had more than 10 maths teachers since 1st year, like in our school, plus NO home ec teacher for 2 months, and 2 languages killed off because it's too hard to get teachers (every student has to do Spanish whether they like it or not).

Quite unusual, considering its such a great profession according to every man and his dog.

But I'm sure I'll be told.

PS Unions just doing what they get paid to do. I don't think teaching is an easy career, and it must be repetitive as hell. However, I think the pay looks commensurate with the hours / training. I understand their gripe but nobody can afford housing a few years out of uni.

The second level hols always seemed overly long but are part of the contract.

What I can't get my head around is how primary schools close on half days every mid term, Easter, Halloween, Xmas, summer etc. Wasn't that the type of civil service 'bank time' that was done away with decade's ago?

My long retired mother in law former primary teacher thought it harked back to teachers getting back 'home' around the country. If so, ffs, time has moved on. I've seen most of the teachers in my little ones school hop into their cars and head off once the kids are out the gates so it ain't to hang back and confer from what I've seen. The optics are poor but those halfers seem to be a gimme. Are they counted as full teaching days? Is it in a contract? (Genuinely asking. If it is, grand. If it isn't, then the Government should have those lost halfers calculated into any new deal).

Modern foreign languages, Irish, Home Ec and Physics are also virtually impossible to recruit for in certain parts of the country.

Any teachers on here ever wonder why were always 'told' what our job is…?

Reminds me of that time when Trump came up with a COVID cure in 10 seconds , then doubled down and discovered another one.

See that doctor sitting down.... That's teachers right now.

Fair enough. The points are going up for teaching ( I know there was plenty of grade inflation) so it seems to be still popular for students to get into. Maybe more course places are required so.

Good job we had a teacher around to teach PHK how to use Google.

When did teachers threaten strike, btw PHK?

Jesus they've some neck. Given that's for about 6 months work and zero requirement to over achieve. Presumably anyone in before 2011 is even better off?

Greed is some drug.

I honestly don't know any teacher who doesn't do grinds/tuition for cash. Weird.

Wow that was big of you not to strike back in 2010 when the economy was on the floor, companies were going to the wall and people were losing their jobs left right and centre.

If you don't ask, you don't get.