Michael Gove! how does this cretin end up in such a position of seniority??...

His latest utterance " (Michael Gove)......has advised schools that teachers who work to rule may be in breach of contract and could have pay deducted. "

Mr Gove... 'Working to rule' means working to the strict definition and terms of one's contract of employment. Anything else relies on the goodwill of the employee. Whilst some contract have a catch all clause such as ' fulfil any duties required as and when' etc. I am certain no teacher or teaching union would give the Government ammunition to clamp down by failing to meet their contractual requirements. Most if not all teachers work well beyond the contracted hours simply to keep up with al;l the admin tasks... marking, lesson planning, objective setting, school policy meetings school strategy planning etc etc.

So...how do you deduct pay if someone is meeting their contractual requirements where there are no perfomance bonuses in the pay structure.

Presumably this is yet another crass attempt to turn the public against teachers so they can dismantle the national pay agreement aka ''divide and conquer' OR paving the way for performance related pay ??

PS I am NOT a teacher

 

why did you post this twice, are you on overtime?

Lol

 

I'm not a teacher (and not public sector) and if I were to turn up, do 9 to 5 and bugger off home I'd be out fairly sharpish. Everyone gets shafted, not just teachers.

 

Re: why did you post this twice, are you on overtime?

IE went wappy (I have 64bit and 32 bit versions) so it looked like first one hadn't posted when I tried to edit the misspelling. So I posted it again! In short....I'm a numpty!

 

That is NOT what teachers do when they work to rule... They just refuse to run the 'breakfast clubs' post school activities, cover absent staff by having to take over the maximum number of children allowed in their class. It does not mean they dont attend staff meetings, mark or set homework, plan lessons, prepare materials etc. They just remove 'goodwill' They do NOT as you say " do a nine to five and bugger off". I think you have been brainwashed by propoganda!
You didn't say what you do. I used to be contracted to do 36 hours but rarely if ever worked under 50 and spent weeks and months working away from home. It was part of the territory BUT we got performance related bonuses

 

My missus is a first year primary school teacher. 60 hour weeks are average - in school by half 7, there 'til 6 when she comes home to do more marking. Weekends always include half a day marking or playing catch up. She runs after school clubs. And For 21k. After getting into about 30k of debt to do the job in the first place.

Agree entirely - he's a *****.

 

Apologies, I misinterpreted your first post as suggesting teachers should be entitled to limit their work to their strict contractual hours no matter what. I'm not "brainwashed by propaganda," I just thought that what you were suggesting was out of step with what the rest of us put up with. Now I understand that's not what you meant.

I'm in law by the way (not employment law, as you can probably guess!)

 

It is quite frightening that this man is education minister when you read what his wife writes about him in The Times he is not safe to be let out of the house. And his children's dog ate their hamster.

 

My wife who recently retired after 37 years of teaching all stages of Primary seriously suggests she should adjust her work/life balance or she is in danger of 'burn out'. Life is a marathon not a sprint.

Schools and businesses will happily let staff work themselves into the ground (I have seen several very capable Project Managers where I worked 'burn out') . Heads are under pressure to meet tight budgets and the bottom line is if teachers did work to rule the job would not get done but heads and Government ministers use emotional blackmail.

As her resources and experience developed my wife did find actual teaching got easier and less time consuming but, unfortunately, this was offset by the hugely increased administrative workload (much of it of little or no benefit to the children) placed there by successive governments to make it look as though their policies were working and to justify their constant meddling. Unfortunately The current Education secretary is the latest in a long line of politicians who listen too much to advisors - many who have never taught or if they did were were not very good (and a being a good head (administrator) does not guarantee he or she was a good teacher). I recall one of his utterances some time ago .... "All children are the same!!!!! If he believes that or the advisor who told him to say it believes that then he is an absolute ignoramus when it comes to education. It rings about as true as the mantra "there is no such thing as a bad pupil only a bad teacher" What about the parents, peer pressure and home environment Mr Gove?

 

Nothing to apologise for. sorry I accused you of being 'brainwashed' I am on my soapbox on this one...Michael Gove is one of those opportunist politicians who I cannot stand!

 

"when you read what his wife writes about him in The Times "

Not being a Times reader what sort of things does she say?

 

Wife's a deputy head (on maternity leave at the moment). Literally did not see her in term time. She'd just survive until each holiday to recover, then she'd still end up in over the holidays. Was just same when she started as an NQT too in 2005. I would never become a teacher, worked to the bone

 

Sounds pretty familiar that mate. She's got Y6 in her NQT year, good job she likes a challenge/she's f.cking mental.

 

Nah it's you council workers with yer flexie time and yer 'planning meetings' for three hours in the pub. Yer dun't know yer born !

 

She's got year 6 in her NQT year? That's mental. Which school is she at? My wife has got year 6 and she's deputy head. She might be home by half six after leaving the house at seven this morning. Then she'll be marking until 9 o'clock tonight. All that and she has to put up with me making the tea every night. But she's got 13 years of experience. There's no way the school she works in would put an NQT teacher in the SATS year.

 

Holidays......just that

 

My wife 37+ years teaching threshold level 3) exclaimed when I read that. She said year 6 in an NQT year is absolutely unfair (her words were "the head wants stringing up". It is unfair on both the teacher and the kids. You should never stick an NQT in year 6 simply unreasonable! Best wishes to her and good luck

 

Cheers mate.

 

teachers holidays = convalescence, Rest and recouperation! Besides many teachers actually go into school during school hols to catch up on all the non-contact work that has piled up during term time. I used to go mental with my missus at first but for her own peace of mind she would go in so she was prepared.

the overwhelming majority of teachers StILL regard it as a vocation and want what is best for the kids in spite of rather than because of the Government meddling. Anyone who thinks teaching is easy nows nothing about it . Imagine teaching 30+ kids of mixed years and wide ranging ablities, some on the spectrum planning individual lesson plans to match their ability and delivering them simultaneously throughout the day. Add in the mix of discipline with disruptive pupils and lack of sanctions. I wouldnt (and probably couldn't ) do that. You may last a week, a month or even a year but try it for 10,20 or 30 years!! Holidays!! are no compensation

 

Holidays :-( worked first week of mine and spent a lot of the others doing planning getting classroom ready! Love it how mp's are looking at shortening holidays when they have a long recess in the summer!

As someone said in here 60 + hours is a normal week - I'm contracted to do 37.5 - that's some overtime! Works out about a 1000 hours a year