Sunday, 6 November 2011

Poll: Should teachers be allowed to go on strike?

Teachers will be going on strike this Wednesday to protest against their pensions being cut.

What do you think? Leave a comment below to let us know!

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31 Comments

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• redhorse10 (Age 14) wrote on Monday, 28 November 2011 @ 16:10

  NO! It's so unfair that they take everything they get for granted - there's loads of people in the private sector that don't even get a pension and only get like 4 weeks of holiday a year - and less pay! Teachers get so much money, loads of holiday and good pensions so I don't see why they're always moaning about it! Wake up teachers! No offence to anyone who has teachers as parents, but it is true.

  

• frules (Age 13) wrote on Monday, 28 November 2011 @ 16:28

  My school is closed for strikes and my mum is a teacher so I really feel strongly about this.Teachers are basically being made to pay way more money into their pensions - and get less out than they put in! The government are also going back on a promise that they made a few years ago that everyone was happy about. Strike is their way of getting a point across quickly, together and without violence!

  

• frules (Age 13) wrote on Monday, 28 November 2011 @ 16:29

  - And red you have it ALL wrong , teachers pay isn't that great , the private sector get payed MORE and get MORE money - and I know - my mum is a public sector teacher and my dad's girlfriend is a private sector teacher.

  

• charan (Age 13) wrote on Monday, 28 November 2011 @ 16:45

  Yes! My dad is a public sector teacher and my mum is in the public sector as well. They feel strongly about this because it affects their pensions.

  

• superdog7 (Age 12) wrote on Monday, 28 November 2011 @ 17:09

  well my aunt is well was it is quite complex the thing if she is or not working I admit she complains all the time and is not good at her job from what I herd but teachers get paid a lot my dad is an I.T person and gets pain 20 something per-year and teachers get a lot more then that and a lot of holiday so that I think is not worthy to complain about but going back on a promise is but parents have to take a day of there holidays out and spend the day looking after there kid or kids

  

• frules (Age 13) wrote on Tuesday, 29 November 2011 @ 15:54

  sorry if that looked rude :(

  

• redhorse10 (Age 14) wrote on Tuesday, 29 November 2011 @ 16:09

  Frules, your facts are wrong unfortunately. Compare the pay of a teacher to let's say an office worker. Teachers get way more pay and holiday, and pension. And at least teachers get pensions, most people don't even get them. Honestly, if teaching is so bad, why don't teachers ever leave their job? I'm not trying to be rude, but teachers need to get into the real world. They should try having a job in the private sector and see what the real world is like. Then they would stop thinking that their lives are so unfair. Plus it's disrupting our education. I want to be a doctor, but am I going to achieve that if teachers keep moaning about how hard their lives are when they aren't? No is the answer. Frules, I hope I'm not offending you. Teachers earn thousands more than office workers and most other positions. From what I understand, teachers don't have a great deal of public sympathy this week - it's not a good move for them and they're costing the country a lot as well. They forget that people in the private sector (tax payers) have to pay their pensions, so they should stop complaining and get on with it in my view. If it's that bad, they should get a new job.

  

• redhorse10 (Age 14) wrote on Tuesday, 29 November 2011 @ 16:09

  The whole strike is atrocious.

  

• superdog7 (Age 12) wrote on Tuesday, 29 November 2011 @ 16:16

  well frules i think you are right and the other are but not in every bit you only tell part of the story and so do i but none of us know the entire way the things work

  

• mollsy872 (Age 11) wrote on Tuesday, 29 November 2011 @ 19:57

  redhorse10, teachers can't choose when to go on holiday, they are told when to have holidays whilst people like office workers can. I agree with you, frules.

  

• frules (Age 13) wrote on Wednesday, 30 November 2011 @ 10:06

  Red, firstly they are in the 'real world' and that's the whole point - the government are going back on their promises and to be fair a job in the public sector is A LOT harder.In the private sector they still teach but the only difference is that in the private sector their pupils tend to have more money (obviously, if their at private school) but at public schools they have people from all backgrounds - whether they are well off or not. Secondly , they CAN'T leave their jobs OR get a job in the private sector because of the recession and you will still be able to achieve- 1 day is not going to ruin your whole education - and many schools are allowing pupils in if they wish to be taught by any remaining staff members.(Sorry if this offends you!).Not all teachers earn that much more than office workers and also EVERYONE pays taxes,that is what is being taken OFF of our teachers pensions.There is absolutely NO reason why they shouldn't share their opinions. I am sorry if this offends anyone but this is my personal opinion.

  

• Prunnie (Age 10) wrote on Wednesday, 30 November 2011 @ 12:25

  I'm off today, but I don't really see the point; they did this last year and nothing happened!

  

• redhorse10 (Age 14) wrote on Wednesday, 30 November 2011 @ 17:22

  Superdog7, I actually do know the whole story - I often see teachers (not at school, outside) who I know - not those who work at my school for example, and they're not always complaining about it. Frules, you're only talking about teachers, well that's not what the point is, we're talking about every job. Teachers should be grateful for what they have and need to see it from everyone else's side of the story.

  

• redhorse10 (Age 14) wrote on Thursday, 1 December 2011 @ 16:00

  Mollysy876, oh well, they still have more holiday than most people! It's not like they just have the 4 weeks that most people get, they have all of the school holidays. And anyway, I know about office workers, I've been around quite a few. They don't have as good pay or anything. Anyway, teachers get pensions and not many others do!

  

• redhorse10 (Age 14) wrote on Thursday, 1 December 2011 @ 16:08

  Frules, you can't say that it's harder, you don't definitely know that. Anyway, they need to come into the 'real world' because they're in their own teacher land where they only care about how hard their lives are when they aren't. Actually, 1 day could ruin my education. I have GCSEs soon! Anyway, what's to say it's one day? There could be loads of days when they're off striking (or doing Christmas shopping in this case). Well, most schools actually can't open - there's legal requirements. And they could leave their jobs if they wanted to, it's a choice they can make, so if it's so bad why don't they? It's all very well that there's a recession, but teachers aren't experiencing the worst of it! Take a teacher and then take, for example, a worker for a small company. Compare their pay, holiday and pensions. Teachers get more holiday, more pay and they get a pension whereas these company workers get very limited holiday, considerably lower pay and rarely get pensions! So if the teachers have to put in a little bit extra to get a decent pension, or a pension at all, they should remember that most people don't get one and have to work harder. Well, most teachers earn loads more than an office worker, and I don't think you noticed that I wrote that people who work as office workers or in the private sector have to pay THEIR money for TEACHERS' pensions! That is so wrong - most of the teachers being paid by us have done nothing for us. I honestly am not trying to offend you and I hope this comment is put up because it is my opinion and the truth. Prunnie is right - nothing is coming out of it anyway!

  

• redhorse10 (Age 14) wrote on Thursday, 1 December 2011 @ 16:09

  By the way, to prove I know what I am talking about, I know lots of people from both sides of the story and the private sector workers' lives aren't the same as the lives of the public sector. So teachers need to stop complaining!!!

  

• Laurakat1 (Age 15) wrote on Thursday, 1 December 2011 @ 18:12

  Redhorse10 and Frules stop arguing/debating!!! I have had enough!! You both may even be wrong!! And by the way its not just teachers, my mum is a community Nurse and she said its loads of different Careers not just teachers. Some of her colleagues have gone on strike as well! Redhorse10 work isn't all fun and games, its serious stuff. You can't just quit because its too bad! You have to think about what its effecting!! Like if all the teachers were to stop teaching there would be no where for peoples kids to learn and so on!!!

  

• 09AhmedA (Age 13) wrote on Friday, 2 December 2011 @ 12:36

  I think that the strike is a brilliant idea because it is unfair on teachers as they will have to work till they are 68 and get less money of their pension.Also these teachers teach you for almost 6 hours 5 days a week.As i live near a seconary school i can see my teachers leaving the school at 7:00pm or even later and while most of you are sleeping some teachers are waking up at 5:00 every morning without fail.

  

• shoeless27 (Age 10) wrote on Saturday, 3 December 2011 @ 09:15

  No! At our school, none of the teachers ACTUALLY striked, because we have a school trip that day. The library was closed though, and for the whole day, they just sat there, waving leaflets, and when we got to our school trip, there were people marching. If parents had to stay behind, looking after there kids, thats awful! Pensioners WANT more money, when they are actually LOSING people money. 09AhmedA, our teachers wake up at 7:00, and so do I, so teachers aren't in THAT bad need. Anyway, this is what they are paid to do! They are paid to wake up, teach children, go to bed. If the school is far away, thats tough, because teachers CHOSE the job in the first place, so they could've found a nearer school. Even if some teachers are so desparate for money, they teach at a far away school, they would be grateful for GOING to that school in the first place.

  

• shoeless27 (Age 10) wrote on Saturday, 3 December 2011 @ 09:17

  Anyway, I like school.

  

• shoeless27 (Age 10) wrote on Saturday, 3 December 2011 @ 09:24

  What is public and private sector? Do you mean teachers that come from private and public schools??

  

• frules (Age 13) wrote on Saturday, 3 December 2011 @ 13:13

  Red, I also know lots of people from both sides and I do have to say is that everyone gets a state pension but teachers have to put a certain amount of their pay into a 'pension pot' which then basically forms another pension. It is the same in the Armed Forces - and I know what I'm taling about because my mum is a teacher and my dad is in the navy. I agree with you 09AhmedA ! :)

  

• stupefy (Age 15) wrote on Saturday, 3 December 2011 @ 14:31

  I completely agree with frules, sorry redhorse but my mum is a teacher and the amount of work she has to do and the pay she gets for it is not fair!. The government is making teachers work longer for smaller pensions. People in the private sector had the opportunity to pay into a pension fund but if they didn't its their own falt. The strikes are definetly not atrocious, teachers and public sector workers deserve a better pension for the work they do. But David Cameron can't understand that because he came from a ridiculously upper class background and is too right wing for own good, he poked fun at the labour party for being left wing and calling them weak, a right wing government is only good for upperclass people at the moment! Teachers have very right to complain!

  

• redhorse10 (Age 14) wrote on Sunday, 4 December 2011 @ 19:36

  09AhmedA, no it isn't unfair on teachers.. They DON'T have to work until they're 68 and even if they do it's by choice. Loads of people work to that age anyway so it's not just them. Yes, they teach a few hours a day, five days a week (NOT 6 because there are breaks) and maybe they do a bit out of school, but actually lots of people work for longer than that - there are jobs that are 9 to 5 jobs which is about the same as a teacher, and then you have people who work at the weekend and don't complain as much as teachers. It just comes across as ungrateful. Many people do not get pensions, and teachers should be happy that they get what they get. And also, no, that's not all teachers leaving school at 7pm, I know for a fact that they can leave any time after school, they MOSTLY choose to stay that long, and no, they probably DON'T get up at 5, and that's their choice if they do. School usually doesn't start until about 9, so they could sleep in until half 6 depending on where they live. So actually, no offence, but what you said is completely incorrect. I hope I'm causing no offence. :)

  

• redhorse10 (Age 14) wrote on Monday, 5 December 2011 @ 17:00

  Shoeless327, you're right! We both have the same opinion on this - it's all silly! And the public and private sectors: private is when you work for a company and public is when you literally work for the benefit of the general public, eg Doctors, Teachers. I don't understand the sudden Great Need for teachers to complain. :)

  

• nwilliams wrote on Tuesday, 6 December 2011 @ 10:43

  Everyone has made some really valid points here. The thing is - no-one is right and no-one is wrong. There are too many sides to this argument for there to be a right or wrong.

  

• nwilliams wrote on Tuesday, 6 December 2011 @ 10:44

  Let's all remember that everyone is entitled to an opinion, and try to be respectful :)

  

• redhorse10 (Age 14) wrote on Tuesday, 6 December 2011 @ 16:11

  Laurakat, we aren't arguing so please don't be angry with us. What I'm saying isn't wrong, as Nic has said, so don't be annoyed! Exactly, Nic, and my opinion is that they can quit if they want, because they have a tongue in their head and they can quit if they want to. If there were no teachers, maybe we couldn't learn at school but there are other ways. :)

  

• redhorse10 (Age 14) wrote on Tuesday, 6 December 2011 @ 16:13

  And Laurakat, not to sound rude, but I am quite aware that work is not all fun and games and that it's serious. I myself want a job that's more difficult than teaching - I'm going to be a doctor and hard work isn't going to get in my way. I won't strike when I'm older. :)

  

• shoeless27 (Age 10) wrote on Tuesday, 6 December 2011 @ 19:18

  I might strike when I'm older because people do change and I might think it's unfair THEN.

  

• redhorse10 (Age 14) wrote on Wednesday, 7 December 2011 @ 16:31

  I won't strike then, because I'll be grateful for what I have. :)