Straw Poll

Are teachers being furloughed and on 80 % pay whilst the schools are closed - like those who are currently at home because their workplaces have closed ? Or are we paying them full whack to sit at home as we do during the 6 week holidays or when there’s a snow flurry the rest of us seem to be able to battle through

 

Teachers are still working.

 

Not the ones I know, got a photograph of my English Lit teacher pal painting his front room last week. So I take it the taxpayer is funding their sabbatical then ?

 

From the furlough scheme website:

If you’re a public sector employee
The government expects that the scheme will not be used by many public sector organisations, as the majority of public sector employees are continuing to provide essential public services or contribute to the response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Where employers receive public funding for staff costs, and that funding is continuing, we expect employers to use that money to continue to pay staff in the usual fashion – and correspondingly not furlough them.

 

Easter holidays last week

 

Every teacher I know is still working, setting lesson plans, answering student or parent questions, doing video lessons in some cases.

Either way, they get 6 months+ paid leave or sick leave anyway, as do a lot of other employees in other public and private sector jobs, so I don't know why they wouldn't be paid in full.

 

This, too.

 

Or perhaps hang down from the roof.

 

Not funny. Absolutely no need at all.

 

I also feel obliged to point out that schools were open during the Easter holidays (including the bank holidays) for children of key workers. Homework was not being set for children at home as it was, as you say, the holidays.

 

Not are they only still working, those in secondary (I don't know about colleges and uni) have to decide what grade students are going to get. It's quite a responsibility, because in some cases, the students were going to put the big effort into the final exam. There will be lots of Argy bargy when the GCSEs and A levels are handed out this year.

 

Of course, I never thought of that. Must be nice, 13 weeks paid holiday a year !

 

This is just a general dig at teachers then?

 

Sounds like you should have been a teacher.

 

I just wondered wether whilst they were sat at home like many of the rest of the country if they were also being paid 80% of their salaries up to 2.5k ? And whether the time children have lost out on full time education to date would be made up by having the schools kept open during periods when teachers would normally be on paid summer holiday. Thus allowing parents to get back to work when businesses start back again.

 

You should become a teacher. Clearly it's an easy job with a huge amount of benefits.

 

6 weeks of the 13 weeks is unpaid. Over this Easter holidays teachers are working because schools are open for key worker children and those deemed vulnerable. Work is being put online and obviously teachers/ schools are contactable during school.hours.
Having kids locked down and then say starting school in August would make it a very long autumn term in what is already the longest term of the year.

 

People who are working from home are not on 80% wages up to 2.5k though. Why would teachers (who are all on a rota and actually going into school, including during the holidays and bank holidays) be the only group who are to be furloughed and still working? By law, anyone who is furloughed cannot do work for their employer so no children would receive any more work, or feedback, or GCSE/A-Level grades or have a school to go in to if they are children of key workers.

 

Strange time to have a crack at teachers when they're helping to keep the country ticking over for NHS staff.

Most of my teacher mates are stressed out for large parts of the year. They're working on evenings whereas I have the liberty of finishing at teatime like the majority of us. They get generous leave yes but they have no choice when to take it, thus can kiss goodbye to cheap holidays and they still have to do some work over these periods. There is also a shortage of teachers, and from what I hear from my mates it is understandable. So I assume it isn't as rosy a job as you believe or everyone would fancy it wouldn't they?

 

I’m not convinced that all teachers receiving full time pay whilst off school are actually working full time whilst at home. But hey, as a key worker myself I’m still doing my standard 50 hour week to fund the teachers whilst they sit at home ‘lesson planning’ but as the saying goes those who can do, those who cant .....,