Teachers

Are teacher right in wanting more money for their pensions and striking to get it thereby denying our children of an education that they need?

Greed is the downfall of society and wanting more is creating the Me,Me,Me society.

I used to visit many schools in my working life, in the Infant and Junior schools 80% of teachers were dedicated to helping the children better themselves whist 20% saw it as just a job. In Secondary school 20% were dedicated teachers, 70% saw it as a job and 10% just lazed around and were out of the school before the kids at the end of the day.

I heard a report on the radio this morning saying that the Union bosses have bullied teachers into striking, that I can believe, but how can a person who is dedicated to help our children walk out on them?

Teachers have gone down in my estimation and they who were once looked up to by everyone are now just part of the downgrading force in this country. Is that right!!!

Is it right for Teachers to strike?

Re: Teachers

Yes Antibrown, absolutely!!! they have a right to strike. If it weren't for my disability I too would be joining them on the picket line. If their strike and the ones promised later in the year by all sectors of the public services cause the coalition to fail and bring down the Government, then more power to their elbow I say!!!!

Re: Teachers

Joe, does this mean that you dont want to see a better country, you prefer the Dictatorial, dishonest, cheating, lying Labour party who ruined this country?

Shame on you.

Re: Teachers

No Antibrown, I detest with a vengeance this 'New Labour', have no time for either of the Milliband brothers or their acolytes, I deplored both Blair and Brown for what they did to the Labour Party, notwithstanding I am not a member of the Labour Party - I want a PROPER Socialist Government !!!

Re: Teachers

I am a bit divided by this one. My instincts tell me that the unions need to fight the attacks on pensions (after all, I am on a teacher's "final salary" pension after 40 years of dedicated youth work), but my experience has shown me that standards of teaching have declined disastrously over the past 40 years. There is a direct parallel with the disastrous decline in the standard of politicians.
Whereas, when I was a child, people came into teaching after serving in WW2, and politicians came into politics after a lifetime of productive work, nowadays the mainly middle class members of both "professions" tend to go in to teaching/politics straight from school/university and start work thinking they know everything while actually having zero experience of real life. This was certainly a large part of the failings of New Labour - too many flash, besuited young men who thought they knew better than us what we needed and were not slow in telling us so.

Re: Teachers

I agree with anyone's right to strike but we are all paying the price of poor government. The public sector can not say - "not us, we're a special case". Do we really want to go the way of Greece? If the unions wish to flex their muscles let it be for their country not against it.

Re: Teachers

What is a 'Proper Socialist Government'?

Re: Teachers

The one Clement Atlee headed was pretty honest & not so self glorifying.

Re: Teachers

I agree Nuttygran - and he was Prime Minister through a very difficult reformation period in this country as well.

Re: Teachers

Ok you asked for it so now I'll tell you - one that is prepared to renationalise (without compensation) all our public utility services (including British Telecom) that that Thatcher woman (phth, phth, phth) sold off, scrapping of the so-called independent nuclear deterrent, the total abolition of the House of Lords to be replaced by a directly elected second chamber, the abolition of the monarchy, to be replaced by a directly elected President, the abolition of so-called Public schools to be taken back under local Government control. The cancellation of so-called 'Academy' schools. Raising the highest Income Tax level to 75p in the pound, closing all the tax loopholes by for instance bringing the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man into UK tax system, letting the Irish have FULL independence by giving up the 6 counties of Northern Ireland into Eire.