Yesterday I went on a demo march and rally in support of fair pay for teachers. Between 20 and 30 thousand people marched through Glasgow to George Square. It was magnificant! People applauded us and cars tooted support.
Out of the 36 OECD (Organisation for the Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, Scotland's teacher salaries are in the bottom 5. And we're the lowest paid in the UK. On average, teachers work an extra unpaid 11 hours a week. That's an average, so people do more than that!
We're asking for 10%. We won't get it but we 're hoping that we'll get a better offer than the current 3%. Police officers here have just been awarded 6.5% and they deserve every penny. Public sector workers have had their salaries frozen for years under austerity measures and now people are really struggling as the cost of living has gone up. In real terms, my salary is worth 24% less than it was 10 years ago.
I've said before, teachers are leaving the profession in droves. They're over worked and underpaid. In my local authority (it's not that big) we have 4 primary schools without permanent headteachers. One more resigned this week saying she's had enough of education. She's 42. No one is applying for the vacant posts. Frankly, education in Scotland is in crisis.
*gets off soap box*
Here I am in my fetching yellow t shirt ready to go!
On the bedroom front, I'm just waiting for the carpet to be delivered and fitted. Photos and more details coming soon!
My FB header shows the poster. The hard part about people understanding teachers’ protest is that the unfair salary increase offer is the straw that broke the camel’s back. You and I both know all the reasons that the march was so big yesterday-my own daughter has been signed off for three weeks now with severe vertigo possibly caused by the stresses in FE, a job that she loves. I survived Houghton, Clegg, Main and McCrone reviews and my already reduced pension was short of a further 30 strike days. I too have stood in George Square when my banner was an umbrella with the name of my the school written in lipstick! I’m sad that that people’s health is being broken both mentally and physically ans each successive government seems to make a worse job than before mainly because they won’t listen to the people who have been trained to teach and to care. They are doing it to the NHS as well and police officers are leaving in droves too.
ReplyDeleteOn a hopefully lighter note-we are off to The Enchanted Forest tonight and an overnight in Pitlochry in what looks like a nice B and B.
Part of me thinks thanks goodness I'll be out of the profession in a few years but the other part thinks I want good teachers and good schools for my future grandchildren. I worry about my younger teacher friends and their well being. I met a friend on the march yesterday who told me she's been signed off with stress. Interestingly she works at the school where the head has just resigned! She's a really dedicated fab teacher and she's struggling with the demands of the job.
DeleteEnjoy The Enchanted Forest, it's supposed to be magical!!
We all support you, teachers, doctors/nurses, firefighters and police are all undervalued and under paid. I don't understand how here in UK, those who do these rolls are passed by, you all underpin our society, you create new adults, saves countless lives and ensure our local areas are a good place to live, but still we can't pay you a decent salary. As for the over payment of footballers, TV celebrities, total waste of money.
ReplyDeleteThank you!!
DeleteMy son and his girlfriend are both working hard on their respective degrees and placements to join professions in the NHS. They will be literally saving lives and yet will be paid a pittance. How have we got to the stage where some professions such as judges (who are already well paid) can get a 32% pay increase and those who keep us save and alive get very little? And don't even get me started on the ridiculous amounts of money footballers and so called celebrities get!!!!!
Last year my daughter gave up teaching after 24 years. She said it wasn't the pupils, but the continuous interference from the government. She has started her own business and is very happy being her own boss.
ReplyDeleteYep, interference from politicians who know nothing about education and how a school actually works. I love the actual working with kids bit but I spend almost an equal amount of time on planning, prep, tracking, monitoring, assessing, recording etc And that's not including marking children's actual work.
DeleteSo pleased that your daughter is much happier now!