GCSE Results

[notts_ram]

I agree with your comments regards attracting high calibre candidates from industry into the teaching profession;I seriously had a look at this option but the harsh economic reality I could not afford to take a 50% pay cut and loss of company car- the only people I can see being attracted are those whom have had huge redundacy payoffs with a wedge of cash behind them or where they are so financially secure they can take the drop, which will be mininmal.

 

Just as an aside and not being contentious, regardless of this debate about how many holidays a teacher gets/workload I cannot see any teacher complaining about the pension they get when they retire which counts for a hell of a lot.I just wish they would admit this sometimes instead of focusing on all of the perceived negatives of their profession.

[davenportram]

I agree with your comments regards attracting high calibre candidates from industry into the teaching profession;I seriously had a look at this option but the harsh economic reality I could not afford to take a 50% pay cut and loss of company car- the only people I can see being attracted are those whom have had huge redundacy payoffs with a wedge of cash behind them or where they are so financially secure they can take the drop, which will be mininmal.

Just as an aside and not being contentious, regardless of this debate about how many holidays a teacher gets/workload I cannot see any teacher complaining about the pension they get when they retire which counts for a hell of a lot.I just wish they would admit this sometimes instead of focusing on all of the perceived negatives of their profession.

On the pension thing the big issue is the increase in contributions without a valuation of surplus/defecit being made.

The pension that teachers leave with isnt as high as you might think. For new entrants its based on accruals of 1/60, so someone who has thirty years service will get half their final salary as pension.(with no lump sum) which is reduced if a lump sum is taken

Considering there are more qualified teachers not teaching than there are teaching there will not be many that actually reach that much service.

[notts_ram]

On the pension thing the big issue is the increase in contributions without a valuation of surplus/defecit being made.

The pension that teachers leave with isnt as high as you might think. For new entrants its based on accruals of 1/60, so someone who has thirty years service will get half their final salary as pension.(with no lump sum) which is reduced if a lump sum is taken

Considering there are more qualified teachers not teaching than there are teaching there will not be many that actually reach that much service.

Come on though Davenport, final salary pension schemes are a thing of the past so even to be in one is a massive bonus over other professions in itself -  and half your final salary at retirement will be light years ahead of any other professions

[davenportram]

Come on though Davenport, final salary pension schemes are a thing of the past so even to be in one is a massive bonus over other professions in itself - and half your final salary at retirement will be light years ahead of any other professions

That's still no reason to pour scorn on attacks to the pension and being made to pay more without proper consultation and valuation. You can't criticise discontent just because they happen to have a final salary pension.

If the scheme is in surplus then the increased contributions isnt needed - but no one knows if that's the case because the Government refuse to have a public valuation carried out - why not if it would back up their action.

My previous job had a pension scheme that had benefits that dwarf the teachers scheme. That scheme was closed down and replaced with a defined contribution scheme - which still is a better deal than the teachers pension.

[notts_ram]

Davenport, wasnt thinking of the recent strikes over pension reforms in the teachers profession when I wrote my comments - it was more of a expression that teachers do tend to overstate the negatives of their profession whilst totally understating the positives - excellent holidays, remarkable final salary pension scheme, poor teachers do not get dismissed but are encouraged to move from school to school. I cant think of many professions that have the above fringe benefits and where poor performance is not managed but swept under the carpet.

[davenportram]

Davenport, wasnt thinking of the recent strikes over pension reforms in the teachers profession when I wrote my comments - it was more of a expression that teachers do tend to overstate the negatives of their profession whilst totally understating the positives - excellent holidays, remarkable final salary pension scheme, poor teachers do not get dismissed but are encouraged to move from school to school. I cant think of many professions that have the above fringe benefits and where poor performance is not managed but swept under the carpet.

Poor teachers do not get moved from school to school, they get support to improve and competency procedures go on record an effect employability and can lead to dismissal

Teachers never belittle the holidays - most use them to do work

In the contract there is also the clause about giving time necessary to carry out duties related to the job.

[mozza]

'most' being the operative word..

[davenportram]

'most' being the operative word..

Yep it means generalised statements aren't fair on the profession as a whole.

[notts_ram]

Was just reading a statement from David Cameron about making teaching a noble profession again and him placing a bar on graduates with a third class degree gaining government funding to become a teacher to raise the quality of entrants. What utter drivel. I have a third class degree and I couldnt afford to go into teaching on the starting salary. Another piece of muddled thinking, do you have to be academically brilliant to become a good teacher? Utter twaddle again. I had a teacher at school whom had a PHd but he was the worst teacher in the school, could not control a class or enforce any discipline, could not engage the class and could not communicate effectively.

 

Camerons logic is people like him will raise the bar as he has a far superior qualification to myself. Utter twaddle. If you want to raise the standadr of teaching pay more than you will attract solid porfessinsal from other speheres who will be able to afford to make the transition, or start some fast tracking scheme for exceptional candidates as well. Dont just cut off the bottom quartile of graduates and say they are all rubbish, what message is that? You are saying anyone with a third class degree  should not have even bothered going to Uni. I know whom I would rather employ,  a third class Oxbridge graduate over a graduate with a 2:1 from Middlesex Uni.