sheene

This was quite shocking to me:

http://www.theteachersareblowingthei...urproblems.htm

Some of those stories are quite horrific - is this 'normal' in Australia? In the 6 months in Oz so far I have heard of 5 physical assaults on Teachers at my school, and actually been involved in a situation where a 14 year old boy pulled a pair of scissors on a young female teacher, then put tape over her mouth and forced her to the ground. I can only assume that my arrival on the scene did not interrupt an advanced origami lesson.

Is this the same in the UK now - been away for a few years.

northernbird

I can't comment on all schools here or in the UK but this thing happens everywhere. My Uncle is teacher who retired through ill health last year. He was a Head of Year and English in a school in Tower Hamlets for 15 years. No problems at all despite it being in quite a run down, poor part of London. He got promoted to Deputy Head of a small rural school in Beccles and all the trouble started. The kids were feral. They accosted him in town, pushed him in corridors and when he tried to discipline them they beat him up in an office after a number of them barricaded the doors to stop other teachers coming to his aid. He went off with depression and never went back. I haven't heard of any assaults at my school but I am not naive enough to think it doesn't happen here in Australia. Sign of the times unfortunately with the current generation.

sheene

That is / was just horrendous. People will say 'oh kids have always been the same'. Yeah, right.

Turban Explorer

The power balance has swung so far away from teachers - who run the risk of being sued for even touching a child. Teacher training now overlooks classroom control to the extent that if your class is not behaving it is YOUR failure as you are not sufficiently engaging or using the correct amount of white board/videos and other high tech 'teaching' stuff. There are very few punishments you can impose on disruptive kids nowadays. Parents don't like after school detentions so you have to give up your lunch hour/preparation time for the afternoon.

On a more serious note children know what they can accuse you of and make no mistake, they're out to get you in to trouble if they possibly can - accusations of 'racism', 'bullying' and other types of abuse are made in the classroom everyday and parents often believe this stuff. That means suspension until the accusation is explored or at worst your career is over. A teacher I know chased a boy who had stabbed a classmate in the playground in a school in Darwin. He brought him down by his waist and called the police. The next day the child's parents came to school to complain that the teacher beat him up and they wanted compensation. The kid was covered in bruises (presumably the parents did it that evening). Unpaid suspension for 6 months for the poor teacher and a massive mark on his character.

Teaching is a mugs game IMO - the wage is only marginally higher than working in macdonalds full time. The hours are easily 8 till 6 when you include marking and prep and unless you can get a (fairly rare) permanent position you don't get the paid holidays. The state system treats staff worse than the Catholic/Independent. Ed Queensland charges fees you have to pay to join yet don't expect them ever to reply to a job application or an enquiry - at least they never have for me or other teachers I know locally. A good friend of mine was actually diagnosed with cancer half way through a term (she was on a contract for the whole term so should have got holiday pay at the end of it). As she needed 3 weeks off for the intensive chemo she was 'released from the contract' without the holiday pay.

(I expect it is just as crap in the UK before anyone assumes a UK v Oz stance)

sheene

So, so true. And yet, you will still get the ones who say 'teachers are overpaid / all those holidays' etc etc ad nauseum.

My response to that varies according to the protagonist:

1. Yes they are great holidays, it is wonderful. (always annoys them that one)

2. Swap? (never had a taker on that one)

3. Step up to the plate - would you like the address of the local teacher training college? (again, no takers)

But, and it is a huge one - the days / lessons when you get through, when you make a difference - best job in the world.

renth

The teacher's at my kids' school earn more than I do.

sheene

We should definitely pay them less then - that's terrible.

Turban Explorer

Not sure about WA but its $48k in the QLD state system unless you secure a permanent position (normally do your time in the Outback to get points) and manage to get up the scale after a few years . There is a lot of contract positions and even when permanent ones are advertised I get the impression they're already filled and sticking them on the website is a formality. HODs would be different - and Maths and Science - the areas where I think you can secure better conditions. Supply is the only area worth looking IMO - pays a whopping $65 per hour and you don't have to do any preparation or marking.

Kim67

Amazulu's kids go to a very old WA private boys grammar school, you can't compare the minimum teachers wage in QLD in the state system.

Edited to ad. Just noticed it was actually Renth, not sure where his kids go, I think it's another boys school closer to town.

Turban Explorer

I imagine pay and job security would be better in Catholic/independent ? I've no idea.

sheene

I think the disparity between states is greater than the difference between individual schools. NT has a higher payscale - for obvious reasons!

renth

No, it's St Mark's Anglican Community School, so private co-educational but not expensive private.

renth

Nah, they deserve it. most of them are great teachers. I'm just a copy and paste monkey.

Bix

Not in QLD.

Remember QLD teachers striking as they were the lowest paid of all the states and territories.

Catholic/independant teachers soon followed suit as they were lower paid than QLD state.

fish.01

well the strike seems to have worked as they were then set to be the nations highest paid

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-11-0...t-paid/1133364