England’s teachers among the best paid for fewest hours in Europe

I am not qualified to talk about Pay for Teachers, but pay is but one aspect of the strike action, for there are others. Be their pay be good or not there is a shortage of teachers and other forms of support in schools. Schools are also extremely short of many other resources vital to the actions of teaching and much of this is down to the continued spending cuts imposed by Governments.

No matter how much one is paid they need all the resouces available to do the job completely and this is not occurring currently.

Source: England’s teachers among the best paid for fewest hours in Europe

Government suspends NUS funding over antisemitism claims and replaces with alternative student representation

Jewish students need to have confidence this is a body that represents them, says Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi

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Unfortunately racism is still around, but I had hoped not to the extent that it had been.

It is said that the young are not as racist as some of their elders, as no one is born a racist, it is of their own chosing, but racism is wrong from whatever quarter it comes from and any surfacing of any forms of racism have to be countered.

So, it is very disappointing that racism is still, apparently abound in the NUS and in a place of learning, for it seems that appropriate learning is not being practiced.

I so hope that the NUS and any other organisations wherever they are have a zero tolerence of racism as we are all supposed to be equal and colour, ethnity, age, gender, disability  and others should be be a target for anyone to cause abuse to.

Lets all of us, please, learn to live with each other for that is the right thing to do and is respecting all of our Human Rights.

 

Source: Government suspends NUS funding over antisemitism claims and replaces with alternative student representation

Young Russians are divided on the war in Ukraine as conflict nears one-year mark | Euronews

Although many support Russia’s objectives in Ukraine, many who don’t have fled the country to voice their opinion.

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The voice of the young and their actions could well influence how a country continues, but in many countries the power is not with the young, but more with the old.

This is certainly true in Russia for the Power is currently with Putin, while many of the young who have stayed in Russia appear to be supporting his propaganda, as manywho oppose have already left Russia. But not all for steady numbers are trying to show their disillusionment, but for their efforts they are be arrested and detained who knows where. Whether others will be influenced is still to be seen.

The next few months will show what will happen, for when the winter is gone, who will succeed, the Russian propaganda or the enlightened youth of Russia. This will be encompassed with how the forces of Russia and Ukraine emerge from the winter months and the extent of Western influences with aid of rearmaments to the Ukrainian frorces.

 

Source: Young Russians are divided on the war in Ukraine as conflict nears one-year mark | Euronews

Jeremy Hunt: New Chancellor Warns Of “Difficult Decisions” To Come

New Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has warned of “difficult decisions” to come and said “mistakes” had been made after a turbulent few weeks in the markets. Liz Truss’ new Chancellor took the job after Kwasi Kwarteng was sacked on Friday amid continuing fall out from the mini-Budget

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Yes,  I agree many difficult decisions to come and now is certainly not the time for tax reductions for the persons earning above £150,000.

The gap between the the poor and the rich should be being reduced, when it is really being increased.

So, for a temporary messures a further tax rate should be introduced for those earning above, say £500,000 of around 47% or even more.

The National Living Wage (NLW) is assumed to be the amount needed for persons to live, reasonably, on, so it makes no sense to tax anyone earning below the National Living Wage, therefore the amount for tax to start should be above the NLW and then, always, increased in-line with inflation.

Welfare benefits should also be increased to the NLW and then again always increased in-line with inflation.

Corporation tax should be retained at 20% and it be ensured that every trading organisation is taxed at that amount and the loopholes available to multi-national organisations be fully closed.

Now, austerity, we have already had at least 12 years and now is not a time for more as there should be no more savings to be made, that is, if there was ever before. As in many instances to achieve the levels required essential services had to be cut, when no essential services should ever be cut. So, therefore, no cuts to Health, Social Care, Education and maybe more.

So, we come to Defense, how can cuts be made there, especially with the increased spending required to fund arms for Ukraine, which again is essential, so that Putin, in his quest for power, to not be allowed to retain any part of Ukraine and also give back all the areas he has already took by force. If not, he won’t stop at Ukraine, but take all areas formally under the USSR and maybe many more. He should have been stopped in his quest for Crimea and all others before, but that was down to inaction from Western Governments falling for Putin’s bluster.

 

 

 

Source: Jeremy Hunt: New Chancellor Warns Of “Difficult Decisions” To Come

Teachers Should Put Their Political Flags Away At School

Why should teachers be permitted to display overtly political messages in what should be an apolitical learning environment?

 

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Well, the simple answer is taht a teachers politics should have no bearing in the teaching of pupils, for there is a great power inbalance in the teacher to pupil relationship.

In general, pupils are not that experienced in many ways and so are very open to influence and teachers are there to teach and not express their views and opinions on vulnerable pupils. A balanced view needs to be given in all situations, so that pupils are allowed to gain their own views and opinions without any due influence, for pupils are gaining information from many sources and some that are very difficult to control, such as social media and some other news medias. But, teachers are just one part, even though in pupils pre 18 years are there for a large part of their pupils lives only exceeded by the time spent with parents and maybe siblings and other close pupil to pupil relationships.

Teachers are there to provide facts and theories, but not personal opinions, as because of the power inbalance of teachers to pupils undue influence can easily be given, innocently, lets alone deliberately.

Source: Teachers Should Put Their Political Flags Away At School

‘They just want parents to go away’: complaints soar as special needs schooling crisis spirals | Special educational needs | The Guardian

Chronic underfunding of the Send system in England blamed for failure to offer children adequate support

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Yes, there is chronic underfunding for special needs in the Uk, but that is one of many for another is Social care and while the immediate funding rests with the respective Local Authorities, (LAs), who themsleves are short of finance also. So, who is directly to blame, well this is the Government, this current oned and many, if not all previous Governments, for LAs receive a bulk of their fun ding in grants from the Government but from 2020 the Governments subjected LAs to drastic cuts through the austerity programme, none of which has been repaid back to LAs.

So, lets put the blame where it really is and that is on the Government, who are not respecting human rights and totally lacking in ‘Duty of Care’.

Source: ‘They just want parents to go away’: complaints soar as special needs schooling crisis spirals | Special educational needs | The Guardian

‘My Daughter In Wheelchair Was Abandoned By School Taxis’

This all shows how pathetic the system is, with no one accepting accountability and leaving a very vulnerable person in, possible, great danger. All parties need to sort this out so it never happens again, ‘heads need to roll’.

Same Difference

A mother has told the BBC her daughter has been left “abandoned” outside her high school in South Lanarkshire because of transport failures.

The 11-year-old uses a wheelchair and is entitled to a taxi pick-up after each school day.

But her mother Lisa Harland said she has only been picked up twice this term and staff have not waited with her.

South Lanarkshire Council said pupils could wait inside the school if transport was unavailable.

However, Ms Harland said she had to leave work to pick up her daughter and found the school office shutters down.

Because the family live in Glasgow, the girl’s transport is organised by Glasgow City Council and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), and provided by Glasgow Taxis.

Ms Harland said she had called the taxi company and SPT but had been unable to find out who is in charge.

She said: “It doesn’t matter who…

View original post 680 more words

School Leaders With Disabilities: ‘It’s Important to Share That You’re Not Alone’

My own experience of the education system was around 60 years ago and it was in the UK, but from what I hear, it is much the same now and maybe worse when it comes to performance and disabilities.

In many instances the system is ‘one fits all’, whereas children, as are all of us, individual beings with our own distinct ways, so one fits all is not suitable.

Teachers, and I am not blaming, for it is the system tend to assume we are all the same and plan their lessons structures accordingly. So, when a student appears to be underperforming it is assumed that it is not the fault of the system, but the student, when, in reality, it could well be the system. Another factor is finance for like most areas in the UK there are great degrees of underfunding.

So, it is hardly ever, that other factors will be considered, is the current teaching appropriate, for some students will need more than others, and more importantly why do some need more input.

If a disability is visible then, that maybe considered, but not always, but when it is invisible disabilities, it will not be, for it is more than likely unknown.

But, whose responsibility is it to discover the invisible disabilities, well in effect it is everyone the student comes into contact with, but parents may not have the knowledge, especially if it is not already known to be there with other family members.

There is the family GP, but as much of a diagnosis is by way of communication to the GP by the child and their parents, if they are not aware, then how can they mention it.

So, the next area of regular contact is the school and especially the student’s teachers, but they are not necessarily looking for invisible disabilities, when it could be said that they should be, but is the possibility of invisible disabilities within the training of being a teacher, I fear not.

So, it is more than likely that the system is mostly to blame, and therefore these students are receiving a disservice which should not be so.

The system needs to change, and this has to be done in all areas, in the training of teachers, in teachers’ appraisals, more education of families and GPs. So, when a student is seeming to be failing, it may, most likely not be down to student attitude in not wishing to learn, but many other factors with invisible disabilities being one, but could well be that they are a young carer, family situation is not good for the student and many others.

Students have rights and these should be adhered to and blaming them should be a last resort, if at all and not the first, which the system dictates to.

 

Source: School Leaders With Disabilities: ‘It’s Important to Share That You’re Not Alone’

Students with Disabilities Often Overlooked in Gifted Programming – The 74

Gifted programming, already uneven across the country and prone to racial discrimination, has yet another blind spot: twice exceptional students.  These advanced learners, who may also receive special education services, can languish academically, their skills overlooked. The same holds true for low-income children, students of color and those learning to speak English.  Experts say most […]

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This is so true and not only in America, for it is, more than likely, the World all over.

This is due, as is everything, administered in a system and these systems are too rigid and maybe created by persons with no ‘expert by experience; knowledge, plus in many instances lack of sufficient finance.

Nobody, no matter who they are should have to ‘fit a system’ as systems should be created to ‘fit each individual’. However, it is believed it is easier to do the former, no matter how wrong it is, there being no equality and demeaning to those where are forced into the system.

Person-centred should be the prime factor, but it is institutional centred which is commonplace. This needs to change and to be changed by listening to ‘experts by experience’ and not just one expert but a cross-section of ‘experts by experience, then it would be a system for the people, by the people and not, as at present, a system by administrators and bureaucrats and also, be fully, adequately financed, while being extremely flexible to accommodate every person how they wish to be accommodated.

Then and only then will there be true equality for all.

Source: Students with Disabilities Often Overlooked in Gifted Programming – The 74

National Service would benefit young people today – Yorkshire Post Letters | Yorkshire Post

I believe it probably would benefit youngsters today as many have been brought up in a period when much is available, but only if you have the money available.

Crime has mushroomed, but although it has it is only done by a small percentage of the population, as is the so-called, indiscipline youth, but on viewing the media it would appear it is by the majority, but bad news creates much more public appeal than good news. Not that many would agree with this, but how often is bad news so prominent in the media while good news is not.

So would National Service be a good idea, on refection I think not, for many reasons

• all youth would need to be included, and not as it was with the previous national Service, when Black and Asian youths were generally not included and it was only males, now it would have to include all ethnicities and both males and females. This would leave a great gap in the areas of who would be available for other employments in the UK.
• at the time of National Service in the 50s the percentage of youths going into higher education, taking ‘A’ levels or the equivalent and proceeding to universities was small
• many occupations, such as care, depend on the youths to provide the numbers of carers required and there is still an insufficiency.
• then to crime, well in Sweden it has increased
• but could we afford to pay the numbers of persons that would be conscripted into National Service, as for years we have had a policy of reducing the costs related to serving in the UK armed forces
• surely a better education system would be a better idea, a system of providing learning to enhance and create opportunities for a good working life. and provide a basis on how to live. But currently we concentrate on giving an education to gain qualifications which for many will have no basis or help to living life outside education. When have you used trigonometry, algebra and much more forced fed to pupils by process of rote

Rather than fallback to areas which may have been believed to be good some years ago, more forward thinking is required to engage people to be more enlightened, to be more considerate of others, that everyone has rights and be able to lead a reasonable life. That violence is not the answer, but respect for each other is and not only for persons who are known to you, but everyone irrespective of race, gender, sexuality, age, disability, etc.

Abusing is not the answer, which many believe is what armed force is, but be a good listener, be understanding, always show respect, be a good citizen.

Source: National Service would benefit young people today – Yorkshire Post Letters | Yorkshire Post