63 replies to this topic

[Jammy]

4 weeks

Its 6 weeks in many parts of the country.

[Rob Himself]

Wrong, and right.

You can survive on £20k.
You can have a fairly comfortable standard of living for £20k.
As a student, once rent is paid and utility bills are paid (say, £3k a year) I've managed to live and survive off of £3k a year, without supplementary job. It's not fun, but can be done. So call it £6k. Gross earnings, you're looking at £9k~ish.

The question we need to be asking, is £20k a fair salary to pay in exchange for the fresh skills which a teacher possesses? Personally speaking - no. £35 for one with experience? I'd say yes.

Almost all private school teachers have a degree and many years experience in their field of teaching - these guys are looking at 40-50k, but many don't do it for the money... from my experience, lots did it for some sort of self-righteous Messiah complex.

Relative to other jobs and careers, it is just that - relative. A fireman requires (comparatively) minimal academic skill, but can you put a financial figure on bravery? Similarly for policemen - okay, only the men upstairs in suits have degrees, but does being abused, catching the archetypal 'bad guy' and so on warrant a financial bonus? Or maybe to some, doctors too, the inner notion of having done something good for the world is enough?

Think about it.


(PS: Where's Holly when you need her?!)

[mini_lover]

Not really for or against the strike, nor do I completely understand it, but:

My mum is a teaching assistant and my boyfriend is a NQT.

And I can safely say that they work extremely hard at their jobs. On a daily basis, they take abuse, verbally and physically - swearing, shouting, rule breaking, pupils refusing to be told what to do, disruption of lessons and some of the things that go on at school (mainly my boyfriends) is out of control, sometimes I genuinely fear for his safety.

As I went to a relatively decent school where most people were well behaved, I find it quite hard to understand what goes on on some of the minds of the pupils that he teaches. As a general rule, their attitude towards the teachers/anyone of authority is appalling and there's nothing that they can do about it. Im not saying all teaching jobs are the same, just trying to explain (badly as im tired) that its not as easy as a job as you first might think. I certainly wouldn't do his job, I could cope with the stress of it all for a start.

On the flip side, yes the pay is good, but from what I understand, the strike is for a 4% increase in wages in order to match inflation.

(as a side note, both my mum and my boyfriend did not strike today)

[mini_lover]

but you shouldnt want to be off! they are disrupting your education, something that helps you earn money in the future.

cant survive on 20k a year!?



my family do and always have done.

money management!

So, your saying teachers are extremely important... just not important enough to be on 20k? What do you think they should they be on then?

I don't think its a question of then being skint lol (money management) they just want a fair increase in wages to match inflation.

[wolfys_mini]

we all want a fair increase in our wages to go with inflation

but we arent going to get it.

after fuelling the car, i have £5 a week left to spend on food, im so far in my overdraft its not funny. so when are my wages going to go up with inflation?

[Bigideas]

you may be able to survive on £20k a year but only just. To live comfortable I need to clear a min of £40k any thing above that is a bonus for me and my family. you only live once so you need to enjoy yourself not just survive

Edited by Bigideas, 24 April 2008 - 08:01 PM.

[mattyoung69]

Relative to other jobs and careers, it is just that - relative. A fireman requires (comparatively) minimal academic skill, but can you put a financial figure on bravery? Similarly for policemen - okay, only the men upstairs in suits have degrees, but does being abused, catching the archetypal 'bad guy' and so on warrant a financial bonus?

Thats not actually correct. I work with several PC's who have University degrees, in all forms of subjects.

On the other hand then, why is it perfectly acceptable to the general public that footballers can get £100k or more a week - yet expect the people that protect them and keep them safe to earn a lot less for doing a hell of alot more?

Where would society be without the Police, Fire and medical staff? Yet everyone expects them to do it for little pay.

The Police cant take 2nd jobs, we dont get paid that much and have alot more responsibilities than a footballer!

[mini_lover]

we all want a fair increase in our wages to go with inflation

but we arent going to get it.

after fuelling the car, i have £5 a week left to spend on food, im so far in my overdraft its not funny. so when are my wages going to go up with inflation?

Am not a teacher so I fully agree with you there. And I have only just gotten out my university overdraft this from 2 years ago. If you was told that striking would maybe gain you a 4% payrise, would you? I pretty sure most people would be doing the same thing as the teachers...

[wolfys_mini]

if i strike i will be sacked, i would guarentee it

[Jammy]

Personally I believe that anyone that contributes to society in the way that the forces, the armed forces, nurses, doctores and teachers do should be first inline for pay rises and cost of living rises.

[the.stroker]

you think your hard done by,try doing my job,months away from my wife and children operating under the worse conditions possible with little or no support from anyone,and what thanks do we get,nothing,abused by civilians in the street ( when in uniform)yes we are a liitle better looked after than our army friends but still operate side by side,tell you what,do 4 months in helmand province working on apache and chinook aircraft in the open under fire " diong your job " under the banner of freedom and democracy,then youll have something to whine about , rant over ( and yes it was MY choice to join up,but that was 11 years ago before mr bin-laden and co decided to pick on the western world!

[mini_lover]

I expect that I would too, I meant hypothetically

Mark was told by the head teacher of his school that they weren't allowed to strike today, (not that I think he's particulay bothered, more worried about his year 11's course work that needs to be finished bob on by the week) whereas 35 teachers at my mums school (my old high school) were on strike today, and therefore only year 11 pupils could attend lessons...

[mini_lover]

Personally I believe that anyone that contributes to society in the way that the forces, the armed forces, nurses, doctores and teachers do should be first inline for pay rises and cost of living rises.

Agreed

[Rob Himself]

Relative to other jobs and careers, it is just that - relative. A fireman requires (comparatively) minimal academic skill, but can you put a financial figure on bravery? Similarly for policemen - okay, only the men upstairs in suits have degrees, but does being abused, catching the archetypal 'bad guy' and so on warrant a financial bonus?

Thats not actually correct. I work with several PC's who have University degrees, in all forms of subjects.

On the other hand then, why is it perfectly acceptable to the general public that footballers can get £100k or more a week - yet expect the people that protect them and keep them safe to earn a lot less for doing a hell of alot more?

Where would society be without the Police, Fire and medical staff? Yet everyone expects them to do it for little pay.

The Police cant take 2nd jobs, we dont get paid that much and have alot more responsibilities than a footballer!

Apology where it's due... I was broadly generalising.
Curiously, my housemate and I were discussing the £100k-football debate today, and how today you can turn something as 22 grown men booting an inflated pig's stomach around a grass field for far too long, into a multi billion pound industry.
Our general conclusion was that, as usual, politics and corporate disagreement gets in the way of the job in hand.

[RobJaxon]

Relative to other jobs and careers, it is just that - relative. A fireman requires (comparatively) minimal academic skill, but can you put a financial figure on bravery? Similarly for policemen - okay, only the men upstairs in suits have degrees, but does being abused, catching the archetypal 'bad guy' and so on warrant a financial bonus?

Thats not actually correct. I work with several PC's who have University degrees, in all forms of subjects.

On the other hand then, why is it perfectly acceptable to the general public that footballers can get £100k or more a week - yet expect the people that protect them and keep them safe to earn a lot less for doing a hell of alot more?

Where would society be without the Police, Fire and medical staff? Yet everyone expects them to do it for little pay.

The Police cant take 2nd jobs, we dont get paid that much and have alot more responsibilities than a footballer!

These 100k a week footballers pay 50k tax, EVERY WEEK!!!!! MORE THAN MOST WILL PAY IN 5 YRS
so i'd say they are important.