Lisa, could it be that the messages are simply not getting delivered? We had this issue at my old school. They would write a note and put it in your pigeon hole, and the staff room was in another building, you could only physically check it in the morning. Plus we only had one phone so if someone else was using it that was it. Plus we only had 15 minutes for break and 30 minutes for lunch and I was lucky if I had time to pee, because I would normally be doing detentions, lunch clubs, or preparing for the next lesson.

I still think if this happens all the time you should complain! But just saying it might not mean the teachers are purposefully ignoring you and don't care about your child. Or if their policy allows it, could you ask for the teachers' email addresses so you could reach them quicker? Xxx

Lisa I'm a teacher and completely agree with you! That's not on, parent partnership is supposed to be of the upmost importance and they should be contacting you if promised.

I know sometimes our office wo say we are unavailable but that's if we are in a meeting. You have a complete right to be upset.

I have 2 children 5, 2.5 and one on the way. I am in work at 8 and leave at 5.45. I only work three days a week now as I wasn't seeing my children. Once yhe kids go to bed at seven I start again until 10/10.30.The two days off I have I work in the evenings anyway. We do have to take it all home, it can also be emotional when child protection is involved. I think the higher wages people have spoken of are from people working up the ladder as in any other job. If I worked full time I'd be on 41k but that's because I also design the website and am science leader for the school not just classroom teacher.

I couldn't do a nurses job I have friends that do it and I would hate the shifts. Agreed it's gotta be for love only.

I do work in the holidays as I am continually planning improving and preparing the path for my 30

Little people. But it is a flexible

and rewarding job.

Most teachers don't strike, most teachers work over, most teacher do their very best. Same

as other people in most jobs.

OP was just asking for compassion from an individual that judged before walking in a pair of vocational career shoes lol

Wow! What a long thread! Lots of discussion on here. Would love to read it all but I've just finished my workload for the night and I'm too tired. Yep, I'm a teacher! ?

Lisa - my apologies!!!! So sorry! I'm glad you and I are still friends! And I'm glad you weren't ranting at me :-)

Pp - I haven't said teachers work hardER than nurses. Have I?

I agree with this post most people's jobs finish when they leave the building teachers take there's home with them and carry on at home which they don't get paid for !! Teachers are well underpaid

Foulky - some randomer posted a comment saying they had 'never seen such a bunch of trolls' and 'read such an idiotic rant' or something. Looks like they deleted it though! So dont think Lisa was talking to you.

Think people have missed the point that you are not saying you arnt well paid or moaning about your job. You are just responding to the opinion off another poster that you are overpaid and have an easy job. You dont need to justify yourself to anyone. Everyone has there opinions and they only effec t your life if you let them xx

I can't believe I really read that teachers workload is worse than a nurse who works 3x12 hr shifts?!

Do all nurses have weekends off where you come from? Do your hospitals not care for patients over night?

Do mums who work in health care spend a full 2 weeks at Xmas with their families while patients take care of themselves?!

Nursing is a vocation for most and only people who genuinely care do it. What happened to teaching being a vocation? Are our children genuinely getting the best education they can from people who feel so badly treated?

Foulkybaby you were right in your comment, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise x

Well this morning I wish I wasn't a teacher or anything else!!! I'm dragging myself out of bed at almost 36 weeks and feel like crying but life goes on x

Lisa - who are you replying to?

Hope it's not me!! I haven't had an idiotic rant thank you! Neither am I on my high horse!! If I feel my job, that I work very hard for, is being devalued I will speak up for myself/my profession. I haven't undermined anyone or anyone else's job I've just stuck up for mine! If I offended nurses which really wasn't my intention then I apologise! I can see how that could be offensive!

I'm sorry your son's teacher goes home at 4 to spend time with her family then is up all night marking. I mark after school and also when lo is asleep because he goes to bed at 6.30 so I can understand some being flexible with their time - especially if their own children have swimming/music lessons, or if they need to run errands! If you worked flexi (bearing in mind AFTER working a shift, so on your "free time") would you want people dictating to you WHEN you should do your work?

Kez thank you. That means a lot. Of course you'll get some 'slackers' that give everyone else a bad name. And like shleen said they probably make it up at the weekend anyway. The ONE week I left school everyday by 4 I spent the whole weekend marking, won't be doing that again!

Thank you to everyone who understood the point of my post.

I won't bother commenting again, not to be told my comments are idiotic and that I'm on my high horse! Think I'd rather bang my head against a wall and flog my dead horse.

I think high school teachers are underpaid, no amount of money would be enough to have teenage me in a class room, many a times I reduced teachers to tears, looking back I feel bad and understand why they moan so much about the wages xx

I think they should be paid more. Not only do you have to do all that you have to deal with the kids, it's not like they want to learn these days which makes them little buggas. The only thing I would like about being a teacher is the holidays.

Thank God for you watching over our babies while they are in your care teaching them things that need to know. Thank you tjinking of thdm on your own time when your with your own family. Thank you forhelpi g us raise our little ones. Thank you for your advice that you give in the parents conference and the notes in the agenda. I do believe you should get more pay. You help mold their dreams into reality just as much as we do. Thank you for all fhe lives that you touch because it truly takes a loving and caring not mention patient person to be a teacher. May God bless you and your family always.

Toggy, ABSOLUTELY!! Especially in secondary maths! I don't mind marking at all - I find marking assessments at times quite therapeutic (as long as the kids are doing well?) as I feel there is a point to it and you can give valuable feedback, ways to improve and in general, I find the students are more willing to find out how to improve and act on it. Book marking - so 'tick boxy', the process is worse than pulling teeth, but only because it is mostly pointless and only satisfies management. The only time I find reviewing books useful is when I need to report on the student's effort and that I can do by a quick flick through. I'd much rather spend my time planning more stimulating lessons!

Ah, fair enough. You are a brave lady! ?

I'm drama so not a lot of physical marking, especially since I just have 1st, 2nd and 3rd years at the moment

Oh no, don't get me wrong, in-class assessment as well as feedback are very important, I just meant marking books alone.

I don't have a higher class so I don't have a lot of marking a such but my assessment is continuous in class, have to be watching the kids interactions, whether they are contributing to group discussions, if they are applying the skilled learned in previous lessons to their their current piece of work so it evens itself out that way. It's just the mastering the art of listening to 6 groups at once that is draining.

I don't think your over paid and I don't think your underpaid either to be honest because although you have a hell of alot of work to do for that salary, the responsibility just isn't say life threatening such as a nurse/ Dr or military and other things- (Though I can imagine the responsibility of 30 kids is a bit mad sometimes lol!)

I'm a nurse in the community now and I must say the hours are a lot more manageable 5days 8-5. Though I do a bit of organising etc at home in my own time and never get home on time but better than before. I also spend my own time worrying and thinking about my patients. I used to work on a medical ward. 3-4 13 hour shifts a week and that was what we were rota'd for we never got out on time nor have proper breaks. I have witnessed and experiences violence, aggression and abuse at work (from patients) worked every xmas day (except when on maternity) since I qualified, All for a lot less money than if Id trained to be a teacher (starting wage vs starting wage) but I chose my career because like you I want to help people and want to make a difference and I love it! I totally understand your angry at a comment about teachers being overpaid- I agree it's not true and I like lots of ladies on here who are teachers one of my best friends is also a teacher and I know you all work very hard to educate our kids! But please don't refer to nurses as having an easier time as they do 3 x 12 hour shifts because it's not that simple and the jobs aren't compatible- nor are the wages. I also pay £100 a year in nmc fee's just to do my job and decisions I make day to day could change someone's life drastically if not be life threatening. I Don't mean this to offend anyone by the way so please don't take offence OP I just don't like reading comparisons to other jobs especially one im so passionate about. I think the grass is always greener on the other side and actually U work hard to be where u are today and it's something to be proud of!

Ps like teaching assistants I think carers and healthcare assistants are massively underpaid also x

Slightly OT but

A little question for other teachers, - do you think it would all be loads easier if marking exercise books went? The one teacher I know who is happy and leaves early and doesn't work much overtime is the one who works in a school that isn't strict on marking (plus they use good textbooks). He is a fantastic teacher btw, I'm sure he's been nominated for some award or something! They just mark regular tests, and use that effectively for AFL, plus the responsibility is also on the kids. I personally feel book marking, at least at secondary school level, is not the most effective use of time, especially with having to write half a page of comments students don't even read.. I never get anything new from it really, it's more of a box ticking exercise. I would much rather spend the time planning lessons.

@Mrs.sadler wish I had a class of 8. I only have 20 most of the time but thats bad enough. Only working part time at the moment 3 days a week (I swear my days off are the hardest as my little monster is good at pushing my buttons) only have 2 classes on a Monday but not a big fan of Mondays, my other 2 days I have 5 classes. Great when they are working and following instructions completely draining when they are not. Mind you I would never consider working for a private school like my diamond in the rough.

They say couples mostly get divorced when it comes down to money... We have well and truly divided the forum tonight!! ?

I am teacher and I am out the door by 4pm most nights so that I can spend time with my daughter before she goes to bed. That means that my evening or weekends are spent doing reports etc. (also doesn't help that the heating is switched off a 4.30pm). I love my job (the one I am contracted to do) not so keen on the uncontracted bits (having to teach basic social skills and manners, dealing with children swearing at me or each other which prevents me from teaching the rest of the class) but just have to suck it up. I am at the top of the pay scale for a classroom teacher, no where near £50,000. It's under £35,000. Also have no choice when I can take my holidays. It's a job I picked but it has its challenges, more challenges the longer I work in teaching. At the moment teachers are being criticised in my authority due to the proposed cut in the school week, lazy etc...we don't want it but I can see how it will come about as we are forced to try and save more money in education.

My husband's sister is a teacher in a private school. Earns over £30k a year and has 8 girls in her class. She does have a lot of work to do and I see how stressed she gets. HOWEVER, she does go out a lot in the summer holidays and doesn't work her allocated hours that she would if she were behind school gates.

Now, my husband earns £26k and he has to answer calls and emails all evening, sometimes works his weekends. Gets out of bed sometimes at 4.30am and works until 6pm.

I earn £16k a year and I work with adults with learning disabilities as I find them jobs. My work phone rings off the hook and I guarantee when I turn it in tomorrow, I will have countless voicemails to respond to. I also work with some mental health clients with bipolar and schizophrenia. It's tough and stressful especially when you can't help someone. When they are going home to abuse and self harm.

I'd say I'm underpaid. But I love my job.

If someone thinks you are overpaid, why does that matter? If you really enjoy your job, you shouldn't be so defensive about it. Who cares how much money you earn and whether it's too much? Just own it. You don't need to justify yourself to anyone... ☺️

Oh wow can't believe this is still in discussion/argument!!

I work in macdonalds, s*** pay, rude customers, greasy place, have to do over time, no one realises the stress after I finish, I worry I have given people food poisoning or if I have forgot someone's order, I worry that the ovens didn't get cleaned. It's stressful! ?????

Nah I don't really just wanted to get in there sorry.

I feel for any won in professions that affect other people's life. I actually went for a hca job and got it but I couldn't do the 12 hours they were expecting in a shift as would leave me no time to sleep.

In seriousness I'm a full time career to my daughter who has autism, I get £60 a week, to claim I have to prove that I care for her for 35 hours plus! God nows what that makes a hour?

I'm sure I will be slated. And the press for teachers is awful but every one expects the employees to work for nothing as so many people are after jobs. :/

Same goes for nhs staff. Many get much less for 24/7 job. That's fine. Let MP's have 11% pay rise.

Just in defence of nurses/HCAs etc, the ones who work 3 x 12 hour shifts have one extra shift in a particular week to make up their average hours to 42 hours a week (inclusive of unpaid break times, if they actually manage to get one depending on the type of nursing)

I work 7:15am until 9pm, but on Friday when I was at work I left at 11:45pm because a patient was very unwell.

I'm not saying I work any harder than anyone, I love my job.

Just putting it out there if nurses are getting a bit of a slating here.

I'm all for 36 hour weeks though!

Well, Karen, you don't know much about what it's like to be a teacher same as I don't know much about being a mental health nurse, so why should we judge whether we are underpaid or overpaid ?

Grass is always greener on the other side.

How would I feel toggy? Id just laugh and tell em to spend a day on an acute psychiatric unit or take a good look at the news and the killings that go on in mental health, the suicides and also the lack of resources we face as professionals ??(I was goin to go on about sitting in a therapy session with a child with cuts that have needed surgery but I won't) I'm not saying u don't work hard bcos u do as WE ALL DO!! But u r defiantly not underpaid ?

Folky I agree with u, I came from a council, non working, government funded family and I wanted better so I flogged myself at university for 3 years whilst working as a nursing assistant. And now we live comfortably on our careers (well wen not on maternity leave ?)

Why has this turned into a competition?! I'm sure most people work had. Enjoy your jobs! Find positives in them, especially if you worked hard to get them. I understand this is in retaliation to another users comment but no one needs to try and justify themselves. Every job has pros and cons, no point arguing about it!

Some people didn't have the opportunity to go to university and would have loved to! But some of us make the most of what we've got! Others moan on about how fortunate they are to do a well paid rewarding job!

Karen - I said most nurses hun. There are quite a few nurses in my family and they all work 3 x 12hr shifts. Of course some may work longer.

I go home 4ish? Do I? I'm in at the weekends! Who else do you know who works when their shifts end? Not including people who are on-call or people who have their own business of course!

Pp, no offence hun but I went to uni because I wanted to AVOID getting a minimum wage job. I worked part-time (20hrs a week) as a waitress while I studied and that forced me to do well as I know I wanted better for myself, for my future. I'm sorry but it's true. I was fortunate enough to go to uni and was fortunate enough to be able to afford my uni fees. I do feel guilty about that but remind myself that I did work hard for my degree. And I was certainly not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I am from a working class family.

I worked bloody hard to get where I am as did every other professional. But no where have I said that we work hardER than other professionals. Just that our job ISN'T easy and that we AREN'T overpaid.

And speaking of not being able to switch off after work, it's equally as bad when children tell you they don't want to go home! Because some go home to be welcomed by abuse. Some come to school unwashed, hungry, tired and next to empty lunch boxes. You think we don't go home worrying about someone?

Haha nurses work set shifts!? Yeah right. You are doing the exact same thing that you are accusing other people of! Making assumptions. I'm a nurse and go home after every shift worrying about the decisions I have made and worried I will get reported for something with has happened to a number of colleagues. Most of us don't take our breaks and work over.

You pick a career, deal with it!

STOP WITH ALL THE BLOODY DRAMA THIS IS A PREGNANCY FORUM!

Just because teachers leave at 3 doesn't mean they don't go home and work till midnight..

Again, some people are missing the point. The post isn't just a moan about how hard it is being a teacher, it's a response to what's been said. So Karen, you obviously work in a stressful environment, with long hours, so how would you feel if someone said to you that mental health nurses are over-paid? Without knowing anything about your job?

Oh yawn.. We all do s*** jobs for s*** money, it's the time we live in! Try living on minimum wage like moi ?? and I work in a pharmacy, dispensing medication! Surely worth a bit more than £6.50 an hour! But I'm grateful to be employed!

I am a nurse and trust me most DO NOT work 3 x 12 hours shifts ? I do 9-5 same as u, (well u finish at 4ish) and I do on-call thru the night for 24 hours maybe twice a week. Even when not on call do u think we switch off when one of our patients says they have plans to kill themselves but there are no beds in the country.

No disrespect toggy but do not compare a teacher goin to a coroners court the same way a mental health nurse would.

I am the one undertaking the risk assessment, devising a care plan to stop someone/a child committing suicide. I am the one taking risks and faced with the unpredictability of a persons mental health. I have to deal with no beds in the entire country for a child!

If a teacher ends up in court it's either to give evidence or bcos they did something wrong themselves

* I am Completely talking from a mental health nurses perspective,I cannot imagine wot it is like for a nurse working in medicine and watching ppl die everyday knowing they couldn't be saved x

Kez why would I complain if I were a nurse!? Most nurses, if not all nurses, have set shifts! And work 3 x 12hr shifts! That's 36 hrs a week!! Why would I complain if I moved to a job where I would work less hours in a week? I know nurses work hard, I'm not trying to be condescending, but so do we! You think we get to sit down on our lunch hour? You think we get to sit down while we teach? The only time we sit down is to mark! I'm NOT complaining about my work load, I'm justifying the fact that we DO work hard and aren't overpaid as frog suggested on another post and it isn't an easy job?! Why would I want to change my career?! I wouldn't want to give up something I'm good at to go back to uni to do another degree to do something I wouldn't enjoy as much. I think you're missing the point of this post!

Toggy I was amazed by that previous comment too ? no teacher I have ever met leaves school at 4pm! Lol

And all the teachers I know hate striking...as if they have the time to miss a day that they could be getting things done.

I just think it ticks people off when well paid people ask for more...while other hardworking people in low income jobs are struggling financially to stay a float...

Sianii you will find that older teachers who are close to retirement are stuck in their ways. I would never dare ask my TA to write reports, plus she'd tell me where to go anyway ? Writing reports are gruelling as you know. I'll miss them this year.... Not x

Exactly, helz, I don't usually moan either, but it's when people say things like teachers work 9-4 (I'm at work for 7 and only leave at 6 because I have to then do work at home), that we apparently earn 50k and go on strikes cause of laziness plus that we are OVERpaid, things need to be said!

Maybe we should just create a new post and have a go at people who don't work for no reason instead!

I never strike either! It's a day where my children don't learn anything. I can understand why people strike though, it's never just for a day off. I think as teachers we get good holidays but those holidays aren't designed for our enjoyment, they are designed for children to spend time with their families. I make the most of my holidays but as for my weekend being 'free' that's very untrue. I have a few hours of work to do today!! My MIL works as a family support worker and she takes lots of paperwork home with her. I'm not blind to the fact that other people work at home but its people's ignorance and blasé opinions that rattle me.

Thanks folkybaby and helz1985 xx

Yep we definitely are.

It is her responsibility and the head has had words with her about it a couple of years ago actually but she still asks us write them out in draft anyway and then she finalises them, she said it's better to get a wider picture of the child from our points of view and experiences of the child. I think she gets away with it because it's early years. We write all get notes for parents evening too ?.

I really like the woman and she is a fab at teaching the children but in a lot of ways she is just treading water until retirement (another couple of years)...and she is earning a fab wage in the mean time.

A lot of great teaching assistants move on because of the money. It's an awful shame.

Can I also say this post isn't just foulky just moaning for no reason, she is one of the most proud and enthusiastic teachers I know! It's a reaction to a comment on another post.

Lisa, most teachers do work at home, not at school.

But I actually agree on strikes, I've never gone on strikes because I don't agree with them. However I must say that teachers (and other professions) strike simply because they don't know how else they can be heard. When your employer basically keeps changing your contract details without it being discussed and reflected in the pay, it's not fair.

Thank god I'm not the only one siani ! I've just written nearly the exact same as you a few replies down lol

Sianii you should refuse to write reports, that's a teachers responsibility!!x

Teaching assistants don't earn enough for what they do! I had a TA last year who worked same hours as me, stayed at work until 6 every night, took work home with her, planned her own interventions, helped with lots of paper work IEPs etc, attended parents evening. Yes it was her choice at the end of the day.... However she realised it wasn't worth the money and she now works in family support

Sianii for the record I think TAs are very under paid!

50k?!? That's news to me!!!!

Hiya I am currently a teaching assistant and work in a primary school ?

And my mil is a head teacher of a primary school.

Teachers are very hard working and the job is not easy at all by any stretch of the imagination, but Teachers are well paid for the job they do (not saying over paid but they are well paid).

And actually ladies the teacher that I work under earns 50k. She is an advanced skilled Early Years teacher.

I on the other hand take home 12.5k a year ?. And I contribute to the planning, write reports, support children, I teach when the teacher is other wise engaged (happens a lot in my class) as well as a million other things ? and I will never earn more in my job. Not that it matters this is not about me...but I do think Teachers earn a decent wage.

Well after working in two seperate high schools since being 16 as an sen teaching assistant specialising in those with autism I could very easily have a paddy how my £700 a month for the work I put in was not enough but I don't ! Teachers aren't the only ones who take their work home , I was responsible for my own differentiating , I wrote my pupils IEPs and IBPs , I involved the correct outside agencies once I got the go ahead nobody else ! aswell as planning my own sounds write lessons , maths interventions , b square programmes ECt ! Aswell as working 1:1 32 hours a week including my breaks and lunches - and you don't get paid enough ? Suppose I don't work hard enough eh ?

50k?!! Lol maybe if you are an assistant head!

Plus we could go to court at any time too..

I don't know any teachers that earn 50k!!!!

Your comment was ignorant because you made that statement without knowing anything about it. You're making assumptions and you are deluded. You also seem bitter? If you think it's that easy and that great then and if you really want our salary then why aren't you doing it yourself!? At least then I'd accept your statement because it's coming from understanding and first-hand experience! Not just an idea you've created in your head. Do you even know teachers?! I don't think you really understand how difficult it is, which makes everything you say very ignorant!

From wot I already know qualified teachers start on the same wage as a nurse? £21k ish?

Iv also heard teachers can earn upto £50k?? 50k??? That is ridiculas (I can't spell ?) I'm a qualified mental health nurse assessing and treating children who R in a mental crisis, who r self harming and have suicidal plans. I take massive risks in my job that cud quite frankly end me in a coroners court. I deserve the 50k not a teacher ? my wage is £28k and the only way of earning more is by becomin a manager and leaving clinical work. I knew wot my job entailed before studying and the risks involved but I still don't moan about it!

As someone mentioned earlier.... Teachers not only educate but they teach children social skills that stay with them for life. We spend almost 7 hours a day with our class, we nurse them better, we care for them and in the school where I work the care they receive at school is much better than some receive at home. These are things you don't learn on your teachers training. I'm almost 36 weeks and still taking the juniors to football tournaments etc. after school, you give up things for these children because we care about them. I am very fortunate to have wealthy parents who help me when I'm struggling for money. I think if teachers struggle for money then there is something seriously wrong

I think there is a lot of professions were people work hard and paid less . It's life .

I'm working with children with special needs , giving medication , giving injections , changing tracheostomy tubes , gastrostomy feeding , changing peg tubes , running shifts - I am NOT a nurse , I am a carer ! But I get on with it and do my job .

Think there is many in the same boat , not just teachers . However I don't moan and just get on with it . I'm sure everyone has responsibility and work hard for what they have !

Wow this post has really surprised me. I am not a teacher but I think generally they are massively underpaid. We trust these people with a huge chunk of time with our children and hope that they are helping give them the best possible start. Like healthcare, army and numerous others I am glad they are there for the reasons they state, ie a real vocAtion and I hope when my little boy starts this year he enjoys being with the fabulous teachers at our local school. People get paid more in (some not all) call centres how on earth is that worth more than the start teachers help give our children? X

Totally agree all the people who are making negative comments CLEARLY do not know any teachers and have not seen/experienced the daily pressures. Teaching is hard and yes it was our decision to take this career path but things change daily and we have no control over it so if you are unhappy you have to leave the profession which is a shame as most teachers become teachers because we care about the future of our children but government pressures sometimes don't allow us to enjoy our job anymore.

As for our wage, I've never known a teacher to have 3 houses. I have one and I can just about pay the mortgage at the best of times so would love to know what I can do to be able to afford another two and be comfortable! Most jobs pay you when you do overtime, I don't see myself getting paid for making books until 10pm each night

No there not there just not the same as yours folky.

Which part is ignorant? The bit where you chose to be a teacher or the bit where you knew the salary before you started or maybe the fact you can strike of you want to where as most of the country's work force can't? Clearly I'm miss interpreting ignorant and opinion because not of that is my opinion it's just how it is.

My opinion is I have no sympathy there are millions of people worse off and you need to get over yourself.

Clearly the government doesn't feel your skill set is worth more money or quiet frankly you would be getting it. But your not because that's what your job is valued at by the people who's job it is to review pay scale- btw that's also not an opinion. Just incase your unsure as there seems there's some confusion around the words opinion and ignorance on your part.

once again you start having a paddy like you always do every time someone doesn't agree with your opinion. Which is exactly that an opinion, which in this case is biased because you are a teacher and pretty much everyone thinks they should be paid more!

Before I was made redundant I reviewed social service care packages for coventry City council. I have work in different areas of social care delivering managing and reviewing care packages to a range of people across a range of services. Why it makes a difference what I do/ did I don't really know. Currently I'm a sahm because I don't need to work as my partners income is more then adequate to do so.

Ooops, I deleted my reply by mistake! Doh!

I just said that I'm in the profession because I care, I want to make a difference and do make a difference because I'm good at what I do. I'm in no means in this profession because it's 'easy'. That's a ridiculous, ignorant assumption to make. That's what annoyed me! Of course other workers are equally as hard working but people are deluded if they think teaching is an 'easy' working option! It's quite the opposite!

I think this is a really great post, so many people think teachers sit on their arses in the staff room and have weeks and weeks of holidays each year! It drives me mental. I've been teaching 9 years now and it is the most stressful and demanding job. Yes there are more demanding jobs out there but I think teachers get very little thanks for what they do. The money I earn for the hours I work is shocking yet I continue to teach because it makes me happy and at 30 Im too old to start afresh. And as far as striking whenever we feel like it is absurd, I've have never once been on strike because I cannot afford to!!!

We don't strike when we can't be bothered to work, what a silly comment. Did you not realise teachers don't get paid for strike days ? maybe you should learn and think about things before saying them on a public forum, might not make you sound as ignorant then..

And mamadimarco, she must have another source of income or cash from somewhere else.. Although maybe years ago it was different anyway! But nowadays my teacher friends, having done their degrees and worked in the profession for a few years, can only afford to share housing with friends.

I wouldn't say it's a bad wage, and yes, the holidays are great (apart from the fact they are fixed and are loads more expensive and we do work during them). But it's a fact that if you take into consideration the training involved, the hours the teachers work and the work-life balance, it's not the sort of profession people would want to be in for this money. Thats why it was on the news recently, most trainees leave before completing the course and lots of teachers are leaving :(

This is not a pointless point if it's bothering someone. No worse than my boyfriend doesn't help me, I feel so sick or I'm so tired. All things we had an inkling of when we joined that particular club. Doesn't stop us needing a vent.

Frogbog what do you do for a living? Just interested.

'Most stressful jobs are paid accordingly' - hmm don't remember hearing about the army getting any big pay rises? Dodging bullets is a lot more stressful then teaching kids and a lot of them are paid less than teachers - absolute joke!!!!

Omg who cares? Most people work too hard for s*** salaries but let's not get into arguments about it on a PREGNANCY forum. Just be bloody grateful to have a job!

Yup and you new all that before you started your job.

Worlds smallest violin.

Not like teachers are the only people who work hard is it. But then you can always strike if you cba to work. Where as 90% of the country's work force would be sacked for it.

This post is pathetic.