Teachers leaving the profession

Don’t know what happened there. We had a newly qualified teacher held up by the neck against a wall for admonishing an unkind, rude child. Another time, a mother bringing her child late to school was asked to go to the school office as all classroom doors were now locked. Her language made my toes curl. Both parents were escorted off the premises and banned for 6 months. I bet they didn’t care one jot.

We had a newly qu

Grantanow

That sounds like the criminal offence of threatening behaviour though Scottish law may differ.

It was a long time ago and our head teacher didn't want to know. Times have changed.
We had to phone the police a few times.

That sounds like the criminal offence of threatening behaviour though Scottish law may differ.

In the days before Dunblane, when school doors were not locked, a parent walked into my class at hometime and pointed car keys into my face, because someone had stolen his son's football.
Apparently it was all my fault.

You need nerves of steel to teach in some area..

I was once collecting my youngest granddaughter from her primary School.I was standing in the school yard with other parents/ grandparents waiting for the children coming out when a class was returning to school from an outing.The children in this class we mostly walking in a straight orderly line except a couple of them who started wandering around the school yard.The teacher accompanying them called out for those two children to get back into the line.Immedietly one of the parents started shouting ''A good job that is not one of mine she is shouting at, I will give a her thump! no one shouts at my child''
That is just one of the things teachers have to put up with.

Understandable. Good luck to her.

Grantanow

My graduate DGN left teaching after about ten years for a high powered job in IT, more money, travel, expenses, interesting tasks and co-workers. She enjoyed teaching but found many aspects (yes, most of those mentioned above) stressful and unrewarding.

DD2 took the same path.

My friend gave up on teaching, and went back to being a scientist, and my family went off to France and ran a B & B instead.

My graduate DGN left teaching after about ten years for a high powered job in IT, more money, travel, expenses, interesting tasks and co-workers. She enjoyed teaching but found many aspects (yes, most of those mentioned above) stressful and unrewarding.

Really?

biglouis

I remember being on a cruise with a bunch of stuffy Brits. Everyone said what they did for a living and I mentioned that I was a university lecturer.

"Ah yes, some people do and others teach" One of them said sarcastically.

"That sounds like something you pulled our of a cheap cracker from the garage shop" I told him.

Everyone laughed and the joke was on him. You should have seen his face. We Liverpudlians are great at sharp one liners.

How clever of you.

Having good parents is a big advantage

It is indeed, and having rich parents confers more advantage still. Good parents come in all income brackets.

David49

There are good schools and good parents there are ways of getting the best for your children if you have time or money.

My youngest daughter didnt want a private school for her 4 children, so she paid for extra tuition for the 11+ to grammar school then paid again for GCSE tuition, it worked, the eldest daughter got top grades last week, she aims to be a vet

Having good parents is a big advantage

Especially ones who can afford to move to an area with good schools.

I worked as a private tutor for about 10 years. Nearly all my students lived in amazing houses and their parents had high-powered jobs. I used to feel quite guilty that I just couldn't afford to work "pro bono".

There are good schools and good parents there are ways of getting the best for your children if you have time or money.

My youngest daughter didnt want a private school for her 4 children, so she paid for extra tuition for the 11+ to grammar school then paid again for GCSE tuition, it worked, the eldest daughter got top grades last week, she aims to be a vet

Having good parents is a big advantage

I read what people are saying about the lack of TAs and feel for the schools that do not have them, but it must be certain areas, because all our local schools have TAs and SEND TAs in KS1 and at least SEND TAs in KS2, often more than one per class because of the increasing number of children with EHCPs.
Regarding pay for Early Career Teachers (used to be probationary year teachers)
As an ECT, you'll most likely start your career at M1, which means your salary will be between £31,650 and £38,766 depending on whether you're in or near London, going by the 5.5% figure announced for the 2024-25 academic year

I taught for many year in what was then called a ‘sink’ school. No one wanted their child to go there. Poor area, .The staff were amazing. Friendly and extremely supportive of each other. The children too, many often difficult, tried their best, and many were very lovable. The downside was…. the parents. Feckless, uninterested and often coarse. Most of those children didn’t stand a chance

mabon1

The wages are not terrible. £30,000.00 at 21 ain't bad at all

Three years-worth of student debt, plus, for most, a self-funded fourth year if doing a PGCE. Some do a year's qualification in school, which is great if the school is supportive and the mentor is good. Schools vary! I think they're paid non-qualified teacher pay which is less than minimum wage and very hard work (not just teaching all the time, but putting together files of evidence, that are needed to satisfy examiners). And of course nearly a third have dropped out after 5yrs.
So the youngest would be 22, most are older.
(The figures show that in 2021/22, a quarter of teachers (23.9%) had quit after three years at the chalkface. After five years, almost a third (31.3%) had walked away.)

My DD is a teacher in a primary school. Her main problems are kids with severe special needs. There is often no funding for a TA to help these children like there used to be. She's had one child a couple of years ago who physically injured every TA they employed (some needed hospital treatment) and after 8 agency TAs there was nobody who wanted to work with this child. She is now in a special school which was only funded after the girl left primary at the end of year 6.
Trying to teach 30 children with little or no support for the 4 or 5 in the class with special needs is a nightmare.
This is one of the main reasons teachers are leaving.

The wages are not terrible. £30,000.00 at 21 ain't bad at all

Aveline, you can’t stop them, or any other child going or attending as long as sufficient parents have paid, or the PTA have agreed to meet the shortfall.
They’re always very complimentary on our FB page, about how great the trip was, how much their child enjoyed talking to Tim Peake, or how good the visitor bringing Roman artefacts and activities was.

But I suspect you’re right about the “recreational”

I taught in few primary schools after college which was OK but not really me and I was lucky enough to work in school TV which involved visiting different schools and other places for various activities. It meant long hours and involved total concentration behind the camera but was really interesting. I didn't regret giving up teaching at all!

Maybe looked upon as recreational rather than educational ?What a shame to miss out on those enriching experiences.

I’m very impressed with your DGS’s maths score Grammaretto. I hope he enjoyed sufficient praise, even if he wasn’t top.

The parents of Asian, Chinese or the occasional Russian children we get or used to get, are certainly supportive of school discipline and their children’s education.
On the other hand, they often, in my experience, refuse to pay the “voluntary contribution” to school trips or to the cost of visitors coming into school to give demonstrations or offer experiences.

97% and still not top??? Blimey!