Follow me on Twitter
We all know what this is, the strike by Teachers.
I will jump straight in to what they are striking about?
Budget Cuts
I actually agree with the Government on this one, Schools have had their budget cuts or shall we say increase Student/Classrooms with no extra budgets. Although they have lost access to "extra" funding from disability benefits and grants.
Having worked in IT for many years in Education, I've personally witnessed endless amount of waste. Not by support staff or by Students but instead by Teachers.
Does a School need a Mac costing £800-£1000 instead of a PC which costing £200-£300?
Does a School need to subscribe to an online service costing £5000 a year just to be forgotten and not used?
Does a School need to print endlessly costing £40,000-£50,000 a year?
Waste.
This is why Schools are having "budgets cut", it's because Schools have never held back on spending money. They have never evaluated cost value. There is a reason why Schools are forced to do the 3 quotations to Governors - because it forces them to prove they are getting good value.
It's why the general public are angry when they strike over budgets being cut.
I managed to work out that in a few years a School has wasted £400K on "IT" that wasn't needed but it looked "pretty" and all of it was scrapped.
Pay
An NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher) fresh out of Education and has no life experience other then School > College > University will have a starting salary of £19,000 to £23,000. This is considered to be poor pay.
The average performance management review pay increases are around £1200 a year. When a promotion occurs to say Head of Department, that can go up by roughly £7,000 > £9,000 a year. An Assistant Head will earn roughly the same more and likewise for a Deputy Head. So a Deputy Head would earn roughly around £45,000 a year.
The Head Teacher can earn anything up to and beyond what the Prime Minister is on. The average of a HT seems to be around £75,000.
According to the Teachers, they are under paid.
Having worked in my job for a long time, I've learnt how to do things in my own free time with little support. I've been expected to do what professionals do in the private sector for double my pay yet do teachers care about that? course not.
Working Conditions
This part, is the straw that niggles me. The assumption they are the only professionals that work long hours for no extra pay.
I am currently on 37 hours a week and have been for a long time. I've never been paid for "overtime", I have never earned more for working from 8AM till 10PM at night for an event. I have never been paid for server maintenance on site nor at home till late. I remember once doing an urgent email server defrag and being up at midnight to make sure it ran smoothly on a Friday.
Did anyone care about? Did the very teachers who complain about this say thank you? Did they have sympathy for this? NO. So these teachers who accuse others of being uneducated because they don't fully understand are just as oblivious to other professionals that work long hours.
I access my email at home, my time off I am on my emails, when I am on holiday if there is Wi-Fi that's right - I am on my emails. Making sure the team are working, nothing urgent is occurring and generally helping out.
I remember once when a major server had failed and we had to order a part. This server was critical and I stayed till 9PM on three nights (starting at 8am). I did this for the HT because we got along very well and he understood it was out of my power. I advised the School to spend money on something and they ignored me (being the IT pro) so that cheap server failed.
One night I went home at 5PM when there was nothing I could do but wait for everything to restore. I would work from home keeping an eye on it. I found out the next day s Head of Science had criticised me for leaving ON TIME when I should have stayed. So a teacher who should know better had no clue about the hard work I had faced and long hours of no extra pay. Was I at the time on a good salary? NO I was on less than an NQT would be on today. Then again - I am grateful for what I have in life.
We are expected to do MORE
So teachers clean, do caretaker work and perform admin tasks for the School.
Well, so have I. I've been asked to be a cleaner, photographer, PA, TA and supervisor by teachers. They don't even ask "nicely" instead you will see my name on a list, that expectancy, that "You should be grateful for a job" attitude in my face.
Do you think the teachers really care? course not. They have a job that is beyond what anyone else does professionally. It's why I can't have too much sympathy for them.
Why the Teacher Unions need to go
I believe the Unions are responsible for the majority of the issues. Teachers know they are protected, they have legal advice on their contracts and pull out every stop to protect their fellow kind - teachers.
They are the ones who want "strikes" and "protests", they are the ones who push to protect teachers and NOT for the better life of our children. I know a lot of people that choose this profession just because of the summer holiday - not because they want to teach.
The teacher unions prevent Head Teachers from removing poor teachers, if I was poor at my job I can promise you I would be shown the door and treated very poorly.
Scrap the teacher unions and concentrate what you are paid to do - TEACH. I would tell that to the Government and to YOU.
The Holidays
These are actually not holidays for teachers, they are expected to get the standard 24+ days off a year which doesn't include bank holidays during that 24.
So what are they expected to do during those periods? Lesson plan, assessments, marking and data tracking. They are not for teachers to take off to Spain every chance they get. I would like to add I have been fully aware of some teachers that DO NOT come in during the holidays and DO NOT work either. How do I know this? because I've been openly told by teachers.
Today I've been watching the Twitter feed and the entire thing echo's Brexit.
You are uneducated - walk in our shoes - you are clueless. Insults aimed at criticising teachers.
The truth is, teachers can't take criticism. They do not like being told no. They hate not getting their own way.
I've worked with them for a long time and I'm fully aware of what they are like. This isn't just an IT person stating this, this is from every one that has ever worked with teachers in or out Schools.
Teachers, need a dosage of reality after all again they have only ever done > School > College > University > Teaching. They have never left education.
Final Note
On a last mention, I got told once "You chose your profession, it's occupational hazard to deal with people moaning at you all day. You should be grateful you have a job and you are here to do what I tell you to do regardless if it's IT or not". This was a very line that I got thrown in my face by - A TEACHER.
I've heard this line a lot through my career aimed at Support Staff with no care.
So why should I, the:
Voter
Parent
Tax Payer
Professional Worker
Support Staff
Done jobs OUTSIDE of Education
I will not have sympathy for Teachers when they will not have sympathy for others and automatically accuse "everyone" of not understanding. I am a professional and I am fully aware that people work long hours for NOTHING and everything can be out of their POWER.
If you read my other post regarding the difficulty of Teaching, you will see that I understand much more than they will ever understand about my job.
Showing posts with label Government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Government. Show all posts
Tuesday, 5 July 2016
Wednesday, 18 May 2016
Personal: Downfall of the BBC GIANT
This has been coming right? We can look at several reasons for this, we can look at several details and even specifics. As a kid a long time ago, I grew up watching the BBC for entertainment and even education.
When did it go wrong?
Instead of looking at new incomes and revenues the BBC makes cutbacks. You can't put in nothing and get so little back.
Political Correctness - Gone Mad
An expression constantly being used today, it's over the top and it seems no one has a back bone any more. I remember being told stories of family members who lived during WW2. They told me about the nightmares of fighting in the war, to surviving the blitz and moving to the Country side. They would tell me about stories, jokes, singing and rare quite nervous times while surviving. One thing really hit me - they got on with it. They didn't sit there and cry, pretend the world was pretty, complained when things got hard - they got on with it. Something I grew up being proud. During the worst times in the last 100 Years my family members were not ignoring what was going on but they continued on with life. They had that backbone, the spine, the courage and rarely complained when things got difficult. They didn't want to live through it, they didn't want to see it or be apart of it but they got on with it.
The BBC showed that courage with it's TV shows from comedies to dramas and even the news. They were never afraid to do jokes, sketches, insult politicians or generally make total prat of them selves. It was called entertainment, not taking like too serious and not "Politically Correct". Even now I can watch comedians that are not on the BBC rip in to anyone and anything regardless of race, life issues or society status. How many times have I watched the IT Crowd totally taking the mick about my own profession. I can relate to it but I don't take it personal because it's hilarious. How many times have I watched American comedians rip in to British white Caucasians and I find my self laughing without a care. Why should I? It's humour. Frankie Boyle is a prime example of a comedian who certainly doesn't hold back. We've seen this in all sorts of comedies over the years.
The BBC once had a ton of comedies that were simply in their own league. How many of them contained scenes that the BBC wouldn't even consider now? Too many.
Get over your self, grow up and grow a pair comes to mind.
Lack of Quality Sports
Does anyone remember always watching the BBC every week for sports? I certainly do. From Live Football, Formula 1, Rugby, Tennis, Cricket and even the occasional import from America. Sadly it seems every year that passes the BBC is losing more and more live coverage and can't even afford highlights any more. They have lost Cricket, F1 and the majority of Football. How long till it loses even more?
Lack of Quality Comedy
Dear oh dear, something the BBC excelled at once upon a time from great comedians to great sketches and they have all gone. How many of us can recall great moments? too many - BBC.
Now, those same comedies wouldn't be allowed to be made in todays world. Quite sad, pathetic and disturbing.
Star Trek/Simpsons - the Variety
Once upon a time, the BBC showed a few programs that were imported. It showed a variety to get viewers of all ages, all backgrounds to watch the BBC. Gone, done and dusted.
The BBC is a Easy Target
Let's face it, it's very easy for politicians to whine about the BBC, viewers, tax payers, license fee payers and finally those who watch iPlayer. Politicians are doing what they do best, getting involved with things they have zero clue, zero care and frankly no idea about. What the public want to watch, what the public want from their TV channel after all the BBC is the channel of the people.
What now?
Honestly I see the BBC dead, changed, different unless it adjusts. Cut back paying high board members who we never see, never know who they are but they earn not 10s of thousands but 100s of thousands every year. They don't work towards giving us great programs they are the ones who make decisions like the recent one - removing content from the website to apparently save a lot of money. Who should be the high earners? the presenters, the actors, the producers - the ones who actually give us that content. The ones who make the TV shows. Allow them to do what they feel like without any backlash from cry babies, whiners or general complainers.
It's quite sickening we live in a Democratic Society which is fast becoming a nation of whinge bags where no one is allowed to say anything anymore. Even Social Networking is taking a heavy beating because people post their views, ideas or even photos. Last I checked, if you don't like a TV program you have every right to - guess what - change the channel. You think I enjoy Country File? No. You think I want to watch how farm animals breed? No. So what do I do - I change channel.
Our internet is being slowly controlled, what we say is being slowly controlled and guess what - even I have to hide my identity in these posts just in case I insult one person who doesn't like it. I may not always agree with people but we are all entitled to have our opinion. When we say something in public it is no different to putting it on Social Networking. What's interesting is the same people who whine about Government Censorship are the same ones who say you shouldn't be able to say certain things online or comedians joke about certain things. So it goes back to the lack of back bone by todays nation. People far too easy not to take things on the chin, not able to open their eyes that the world doesn't evolve around them.
So welcome to 21st Century Democracy and the failing of the BBC who are unwilling to stand up to the whiners and be for British Broadcasting Centre we all loved growing up.
Don't agree? Let me know? I've not covered everything but just a few things.
When did it go wrong?
Instead of looking at new incomes and revenues the BBC makes cutbacks. You can't put in nothing and get so little back.
Political Correctness - Gone Mad
An expression constantly being used today, it's over the top and it seems no one has a back bone any more. I remember being told stories of family members who lived during WW2. They told me about the nightmares of fighting in the war, to surviving the blitz and moving to the Country side. They would tell me about stories, jokes, singing and rare quite nervous times while surviving. One thing really hit me - they got on with it. They didn't sit there and cry, pretend the world was pretty, complained when things got hard - they got on with it. Something I grew up being proud. During the worst times in the last 100 Years my family members were not ignoring what was going on but they continued on with life. They had that backbone, the spine, the courage and rarely complained when things got difficult. They didn't want to live through it, they didn't want to see it or be apart of it but they got on with it.
The BBC showed that courage with it's TV shows from comedies to dramas and even the news. They were never afraid to do jokes, sketches, insult politicians or generally make total prat of them selves. It was called entertainment, not taking like too serious and not "Politically Correct". Even now I can watch comedians that are not on the BBC rip in to anyone and anything regardless of race, life issues or society status. How many times have I watched the IT Crowd totally taking the mick about my own profession. I can relate to it but I don't take it personal because it's hilarious. How many times have I watched American comedians rip in to British white Caucasians and I find my self laughing without a care. Why should I? It's humour. Frankie Boyle is a prime example of a comedian who certainly doesn't hold back. We've seen this in all sorts of comedies over the years.
The BBC once had a ton of comedies that were simply in their own league. How many of them contained scenes that the BBC wouldn't even consider now? Too many.
Get over your self, grow up and grow a pair comes to mind.
Lack of Quality Sports
Does anyone remember always watching the BBC every week for sports? I certainly do. From Live Football, Formula 1, Rugby, Tennis, Cricket and even the occasional import from America. Sadly it seems every year that passes the BBC is losing more and more live coverage and can't even afford highlights any more. They have lost Cricket, F1 and the majority of Football. How long till it loses even more?
Lack of Quality Comedy
Dear oh dear, something the BBC excelled at once upon a time from great comedians to great sketches and they have all gone. How many of us can recall great moments? too many - BBC.
Now, those same comedies wouldn't be allowed to be made in todays world. Quite sad, pathetic and disturbing.
Star Trek/Simpsons - the Variety
Once upon a time, the BBC showed a few programs that were imported. It showed a variety to get viewers of all ages, all backgrounds to watch the BBC. Gone, done and dusted.
The BBC is a Easy Target
Let's face it, it's very easy for politicians to whine about the BBC, viewers, tax payers, license fee payers and finally those who watch iPlayer. Politicians are doing what they do best, getting involved with things they have zero clue, zero care and frankly no idea about. What the public want to watch, what the public want from their TV channel after all the BBC is the channel of the people.
What now?
Honestly I see the BBC dead, changed, different unless it adjusts. Cut back paying high board members who we never see, never know who they are but they earn not 10s of thousands but 100s of thousands every year. They don't work towards giving us great programs they are the ones who make decisions like the recent one - removing content from the website to apparently save a lot of money. Who should be the high earners? the presenters, the actors, the producers - the ones who actually give us that content. The ones who make the TV shows. Allow them to do what they feel like without any backlash from cry babies, whiners or general complainers.
It's quite sickening we live in a Democratic Society which is fast becoming a nation of whinge bags where no one is allowed to say anything anymore. Even Social Networking is taking a heavy beating because people post their views, ideas or even photos. Last I checked, if you don't like a TV program you have every right to - guess what - change the channel. You think I enjoy Country File? No. You think I want to watch how farm animals breed? No. So what do I do - I change channel.
Our internet is being slowly controlled, what we say is being slowly controlled and guess what - even I have to hide my identity in these posts just in case I insult one person who doesn't like it. I may not always agree with people but we are all entitled to have our opinion. When we say something in public it is no different to putting it on Social Networking. What's interesting is the same people who whine about Government Censorship are the same ones who say you shouldn't be able to say certain things online or comedians joke about certain things. So it goes back to the lack of back bone by todays nation. People far too easy not to take things on the chin, not able to open their eyes that the world doesn't evolve around them.
So welcome to 21st Century Democracy and the failing of the BBC who are unwilling to stand up to the whiners and be for British Broadcasting Centre we all loved growing up.
Don't agree? Let me know? I've not covered everything but just a few things.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)