School pay strikes: your views

Columnist Mike Baker compared last week's NUT pay strike to the last teachers' strikes in the 1980s.

As usual we sought your views too. Here is a selection:

I have been teaching 16 years now...i don't want a life full of paper shuffling and so am still fully 'at the coal face'.....for less than £30k a year. In fact, do the sums the NUT asked people to do to calculate actual lost pay and i get...wait for it...£57 a day (wages after deductions for the month x12 divided by 365). A friend who is in her 1st year of teaching fares even worse on these calculations....£39 a day. I don't know what these 'real term pay increases since 1997' actually are...but IMO they are only 'real' in another reality!
Stu, Braintree, Essex

Strikes are pointless in this situation as the government aren't listening. They only damage the education of the children. I suggest other teachers do what I am doing - emigrating this July. No teachers complaining because there are no teachers is a very loud noise indeed.
Rick, Wiltshire

When you look at other public sector workers its a joke that teachers think they don't receive a decent wage, when you look at the police and then the Military its astounding. Teachers think its hard work with the 'Children of today', they should get into a trench next to a British Soldier and compare pay slips! But I don't think they would have the time with all the School Holidays and the Teacher training days that don't seem to fit into those holidays.
Darren Davey, Sleaford, UK

Growing up in Scotland, and having gone through the teachers' long running pay strikes as a pupil, I find one aspect seriously absent. There is no mention of the devastating effect the 80's strikes had on learners education. From my own experience, what resulted was a work-to-rule during working hours only, resulting in what I could only call a 3rd world education system. Missing teachers, little or no support for those who needed it (the ones without blue eyes) and an appalling lack of integrity when it came to marking.

In short, not only did teachers wreck my secondary education, they stock-piled a hatred in us which has not left. My own view, is that teachers are now overpaid and have self-inflated ideas of what they should earn, and how much holiday entitlement they should have. Get a grip!
Brian Dickie, Orpington, Kent

I was at school during the mid 80's teachers strikes and it had a devastating toll on my education, and now the same could be happening to my children!! I have NO sympathy for any of them. They are paid relatively well compared to other professions. Try telling the soldiers out in Iraq and Afghanistan that the teachers are underpaid on an average of £30K + a year. (and they don't risk their lives) No wonder respect for teachers (and more specifically their unions) is so low when they strike with less then 33% of members voting, so probably less than 1/5 of members agreeing to the strike. You are a disgrace and should hold your heads down in shame.
Paul Marston, Coventry UK

The average salary for teachers is ridiculous - this is an arithmetic average - with head teachers getting paid very large sums while the real average teacher is lucky to earn £25k. The government needs to use effective inflation measurements like the RPI to match pay rises. Just remember these are well educated people who must have further training beyond their Bachelor degree, in any other industry the staff wouldn't put up with the same lack of respect and workload. (I am not a teacher, just someone that still has respect for this undervalued profession)
Mr D, Wokingham, Berks

Teachers always become victims of political policies,britain and europe shoul be a model for the rest of the world in managing education and teachers pay . any nation doesnt pay good attention on teachers means that the country break the human rights...
Azhar, Acheh, Sumatera

I believe those who care about the children's education wouldn't deprive thousands of children of a days education all over the UK. This is a terrible example to set the children, especially from those who advocate anti-bullying campaigns? What is this message saying, give us more money or we will not educate the children. What a disgrace!
James Thomas, Cardiff

As a member of the NUT, I was on strike on Thursday. It seems to me that there is one key issue which the strike highlighted that is being overlooked. Democratic apathy. ... I voted no to the strike; I'm not sure that it did us any good but, I supported the strike because the democratic process was followed and the strike was voted for. How many of the strike breakers did not vote? And let's be fair, it couldn't be easier. The ballot paper is sent with a pre-paid envelope to return your vote. And if you did vote no, like I did, shouldn't you accept the views of the majority? ...

This attitude pervades so much of our life now. How many people do you know who feel speed limits do not apply to them, or ignore laws they don't like? Sometimes these laws may seem petty but "them's the rules" and you have to live by them, not just the ones you like or agree with. We invade countries to promote democracy and comment on how elections are run in other countries. People fight for rights and freedoms we have. But with those rights come responsibilities and one of them is to express your views and support when you are asked to do so.
Heather Penny-Larter, Leicester UK

I'm a NASUWT union member and DO NOT support the strikes. However, I do fully support the cause. Just because other public sector workers were not offered a pay deal that was as 'good' as teachers, does not mean that we have no cause to complain. In fact, ALL public sector workers are poorly paid and we, like some others who striked on the same day but were 'somehow' forgotten by the media, are entitled to let our feelings be known. If you are in the public sector and poorly paid, then do something about it, rather than belittle the teachers. We are being proactive by trying to put right what Labour have done wrong. And for the record: 1. We do not finish at 3:30pm just because your little darling does. At 3:30pm I am marking 27 x Numeracy books, 27 x Literacy books and probably 27 x Foundation subject work. THEN, ensuring resources are made and avaiable for all children, assessing their learning and planning the work for the week ahead. Not to mention the whole school responsibilities that we have AND making sure that after school clubs are ran, because parents insist on it! 2. 13 weeks holiday for your child means a chance for teachers to catch up on the planning, assessing (and in May half term report writing!) that we couldn't do in the evenings / weekends BECAUSE WE HAVE A LIFE TOO! To summarise, we actually continue to work late into the evenings, at weekends and THE 'HOLIDAYS!' So before attacking the work of teachers, try living and working a week in their shoes. I wouldn't dare criticise anyone elses job, BECAUSE I DON'T DO IT, SO THEREFORE DON'T KNOW IT!
Sue , East Yorkshire

The NASUWT survey of their membership consisted of a poll on their website which was open to all, not just non-members. I suspect if they had actually balloted their members they would have found the same strong support for action as the NUT.
Jo, West Yorks

Good on the teachers. They don't get paid enough for what they do. Most plumbers and non higher educated tradesmen earn a lot more than them. Without the debts, dangers and responsibilities that teachers have to face. How will we attract highly skilled professional experts into the teaching profession if they get paid less than they would as a graduate anywhere else? If you care for your childs future and the quality of their schooling, then you should support this strike.
Sarah Burns, Wimborne UK

I have just started work, a graduate position in industry, and upon comparing my salary with teacher's starting salaries I feel that they are already doing very well indeed. They are earning at least the same amount of money as I am although on the whole I hold more/higher qualifications than a teacher - BSc and PhD. When you consider the shorter working day of a teacher (preparation? Come on! After a year or so all the preparation is done and it's all repetition) and also their very favourable holiday deal I believe that they are very greedy and they are acting above their station! They don't half do well and should stop moaning or come and get a real job!
Mark, Bridgend, UK

This statement from the article is factually untrue: "...until this year teachers have fared relatively well from the pay review body...." Pay has been below inflation for the past 4 years. The real terms pay cut has in fact been 10%. No wonder my department is one science teacher short.
John, Birmingham

Considering the stress that teachers are under, not just educational, i.e. parenting, social skills, manners,driver safety, relationships,violence, anger management, peer group pressure, bullying (internet and mobile phones) the list just gets longer. Teachers deserve to be treated far better than they are by society and if that includes pay increases; go for it.
Gregory Moncrieff, Australia

Only a few years ago these teachers were given a package that removed the need to do cover for absent teachers - had mounds of admin tasks removed from their job - given teaching assistants by the bucketload and they agreed to pay restraint because of this significant reduction in workload now they want more money aswell as the 12 weeks or so holidays BTW - Well don't we all want more. These people are never satisfied - get on with the job or get out of the job To coin a phrase these whingers have never had it so good.
Brian, Bolton

A difference since the 80s not mentioned in the above article is that students have to pay for their training now so they enter the profession with debts. The increase does not cover the repayment of the debt (most NQTs start with debts of at least £16,000 and a starting salary of £20,000..........)
Annie Saunders, London

I support the teachers. Few outside Education, (including the press), realise that Management Allowances, e.g. Heads of Department, Heads of Year and/or House, have been frozen over a five year period already. In real terms this devalues teachers' pay, morale and motivation.
Howard Smith, Middlesbrough Cleveland

What is it with the trade unions in this country? They take what is basically a militant approach, then wonder why successive Governments hammer them and they lose public support. Part of the problem does lie with Government however, continually obsessed with targets and league tables, effectively dumbing down education for short-term political gain. But teachers are there to teach, and Governments are there to provide the means. It is the pupils and the future of this country that is suffering.
Neil Small, Scotland

When I began teaching, the profession's status was compared to medicine and law, and was seen as in decline. In recent times teaching is compared to nursing and firefighting - we are told that we are comparatively better off than these other public servants. I have a degree and a post graduate qualification, but I don't suppose that matters anymore. Teaching is no longer what it was - no longer a profession. In twenty years it will be compared to taxi driving or refuse collecting, and we shall be told, as ever, how lucky we are.
Andrew Strong, Llandrindod Wells, UK