Is this what we can expect from our educators?

[Dutto]

Just finished a long phone conversation with a nephew who is hoping to go to University.

He told me that in his school (previously a "Grammar School" but now an "Academy") a lack materials (including pens and paper), plus the fact that the school doesn't provide him with the relevant books he needs in order to pass examinations, is jeopardising his desire to go to University.

He pointed this out to the Headmaster during a "How can we improve our school." Meeting between the 6th Form Pupils and Staff. The response of "What can we do about it?" so teed him off that he suggested the school management could protest to the local education committee about the lack of funding and if necessary "Take the matter to the local Press."

Later the same day, the Headmaster took him to one side for a "brief talk", pointed out that contacting the Press could bring the school into disrepute and explained that he would "Frown upon such a move by a pupil of the school."

He then followed up this thinly veiled threat by pointing out that he and other members of the staff could "Always send negative references regarding an application to a university." and that my nephew should "Seriously think how contacting the Press could affect his future plans."

In this particular school, it appears that the Headmaster is the main source of bullying! Where do they find these people and how do they manage to get jobs in education?

Does anyone else have a similar tale to tell, or is the lad just plain unlucky to be educated in such a poorly equipped school with a pillock of a Headmaster like this one? :confused1:

 

[simon12]

Can't help but from what I remember of school and 1 of the worst still works there (my niece is now being taught by him) the reason they get jobs in education is they have no chance in the private sector as there barely fit to be part of the human race but as teacher salary is low beggars can't be choosers so they end up as teachers. Note the school when I was there (early 90s) and now is considered one of the best in an area of good schools. My form tutor how was about average as a teacher clearly could barley dress himself.

 

[Oneflewover]

Can't help but from what I remember of school and 1 of the worst still works there (my niece is now being taught by him) the reason they get jobs in education is they have no chance in the private sector as there barely fit to be part of the human race but as teacher salary is low beggars can't be choosers so they end up as teachers. Note the school when I was there (early 90s) and now is considered one of the best in an area of good schools. My form tutor how was about average as a teacher clearly could barley dress himself.

Ever tried being a teacher? I bet most people wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. Of those that are brave enough many don't make it beyond the first year. I'm not a teacher, but my wife is. I hate seeing her marking and lesson planning EVERY evening whilst she is watching austerity impact upon the education of the young people she is trying to teach.

I have absolute sympathy with dutto's nephew, and he should be given encouragement to do something positive rather than be gagged.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Let's face it - there are twa*s in all professions, but, speaking as a retired teacher, the teaching profession appears to have a much higher proportion. I've never met so many people with such delusions of adequacy in my life.
Bullying by senior management was a regular feature of my experience of teaching, and anyone who didn't toe the party line or spoke out against the system were "disappeared", either by intense pressure to perform to an unattainable standard, or by investigations into alleged poor conduct with no true substance other than gossip and rumour; teachers often laid down their arms in surrender and moved on. There was one silver lining to this cloud - anyone that the school wished to get rid of got glowing references.

 

[Gunge]

These days, I get the impression that teachers are more social workers than educators.

 

[GerritT]

Teacher here, vocational adult (16 -20 yrs -ish).
The school should (among other things) provide the pupil with a safe environment. Threats do not belong there.

 

[Dexter101]

This is a terrible attitude by the head... however I work for a private company that sells to schools and their budgets are getting stretched so far now that I am not surprised by the lack of basics. Many heads I know are speaking to people about their budgets including meeting with MPs etc. Also there are a number of teachers across the country who may be losing their jobs soon due to the lack of funds.

The problem you also have with SLT is its often made of of teachers who are more driven than their colleagues. This doesn't necessarily make them the best "managers" but just those who are driven to want more money and promotion.

Its a bit like the NHS, good staff get promoted into roles where their talents aren't used.

 

[Clint]

It’s a shame Dutto. The lad however has had a taster of things to come when he starts work...you’ll get all the pep talks on efficiency,improvement blah blah bloody blah where any ideas of the workers will be either mocked,totally ignored or worse still STOLEN and commended to someone else....
As for the threats the mans an arse...

 

[Graz]

I know this isn't the answer but to help you nephew through things can his family not get him the stationery and textbooks he needs? What's important now is for him to get his head down, nail the exams / get decent results, and get the place at Uni he wants. University is worlds apart from school and definitely where the real learning takes place. Once your at Uni you have to buy your own books and stationary anyway or spend a lot of time in the library.

The state funded education system is unfortunately stretched to the max and that isn't going to change anytime soon. A quote I read elsewhere pretty much sums it up: "Teaching is the only job where you take stationery from home into work & not the other way round"

 

[Dutto]

I know this isn't the answer but to help you nephew through things can his family not get him the stationery and textbooks he needs? .............

I think that may have been why he made the phone call as he asked me if I still had my copy of Perry's as per this ....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0071422943/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

... unfortunately for him, I gifted mine to another nephew when I retired.

Providing him with pens, writing pads and even graph paper isn't the problem, it's the sheer cost of textbooks. At £155 I wasn't about to buy him a Perry's; and even though mine served me for many, many years it must be well out of date by now.

Another factor of modern life is that schools seem to be relying on the Internet as a source of information which is why they aren't providing up-to-date textbooks; even in their libraries.

God, I wish I was nineteen again! Back then I knew all the answers and now I don't even know all the questions! :shrug:

 

[terrym]

Several issues here, including abuse of power and bullying, quality of teaching staff, and funding.
First it is very unsettling to read of the pressure that @Dutto described that was placed on his nephew. I presume Mum and Dad have been in to the school to sort out the problem, I know I would have at the first opportunity.
I have some sympathy with the argument that teachers only enter the profession because they can't find anything else to do. Whether that's a higher proporortion than those going into other similar careers is an unknown however. I do know that there are incompetent teachers out there, having listened to stories from teacher friends. But then equally I do know there are competent dedicated teaching staff at all levels from the top down.
Finally funding. There is not a day that goes by without us hearing about some group, cause, service or infrastructure funded by central or local government which apparently needs more money, with the perennial headliner being the NHS. How society deals with it whether to put up taxation rates wholescale for everyone to pay for it all ( with or without massive borrowing), or whether you manage with what you have got will continue to be bounced around for many many years to come. And what may be acceptable to me may not be acceptable to the next man or woman.

 

[Saisonator]

Sounds typical public sector situation, everything revolves around perception and not reality.

 

[Gunge]

It’s a shame Dutto. The lad however has had a taster of things to come when he starts work...you’ll get all the pep talks on efficiency,improvement blah blah bloody blah where any ideas of the workers will be either mocked,totally ignored or worse still STOLEN and commended to someone else....
As for the threats the mans an arse...

Last week, on night shift, we ran out of a machine consumable because the hot-shot new manager thought it would be clever to hide them. Presumably in an attempt to make us bodge the dodgy part, get a few more hours out of it and save a bob or two. Well that didn't quite work out... 6 hours and around 3 grands-worth of work gone west for the sake of a £35 component. Course, at that time of night he was tucked up in bed whilst everything ground to a halt. Such sloppiness on our part would result in severe reprimands - he managed to cover his tracks. Funny how some folk have the ability to to come up smelling of roses when they fall into a barrel of shYte.

 

[BeerCat]

Get him to have this conversation again with the HM and record it. Get him to cl;clarify his threats then tell him you have recorded it and will upload to youtube.

 

[Clint]

Gunge....do we work in the same place on opposite shifts.....?

 

[Dutto]

............... I presume Mum and Dad have been in to the school to sort out the problem, I know I would have at the first opportunity.

.........

The lad has been determined to go to University since he was about ten years old so any threat to that ambition terrifies him. As a result, he hasn't told his parents and I am sworn to not tell them or do anything myself!

The family motto is "Do unto others as they would do unto you; but do it first!" so I can understand why the lad is reluctant to get any of us involved!

 

[terrym]

The lad has been determined to go to University since he was about ten years old so any threat to that ambition terrifies him. As a result, he hasn't told his parents and I am sworn to not tell them or do anything myself!

That is a real shame he feels like that. Perhaps he needs 'someone' to explain to him that it might be in his best interests to involve M&D. A tactful shot across the bows of the school head and a polite demonstration that the parents are aware of what is going on with the intention of sorting the problem out rather than creating more may give your nephew some comfort in going forward 'a problem shared is a problem halved' and all that, and may give prior warning to the head that he might be unwise to pursue any threats he has made. That said there are always two sides to every argument and a face to face with that person would give he/she an opportunity to put their point of view, especially to a peer rather than a pupil.

 

[Clint]

Or you could try a spectacular combination of head butts and kidney punches....

 

[Dexter101]

The lad has been determined to go to University since he was about ten years old so any threat to that ambition terrifies him. As a result, he hasn't told his parents and I am sworn to not tell them or do anything myself!

The family motto is "Do unto others as they would do unto you; but do it first!" so I can understand why the lad is reluctant to get any of us involved!

Just to reassure him, there is no need to be terrified, I am sure those around his share his desire for his ambitions and having those people on board for the journey will certainly help more than the head teachers attitude.

Also, my advice with university is make sure he goes on the quality of the department he is studying and how he feels about the university, rather than their reputation. From personal experience, the best uni course is the one that gives you the most opportunities, the most learning and you wake up wanting to go to lectures.

I loved my (second) time at uni, and it was because I had amazing tutors, I wanted to attend everything I could and I got opportunities to incorporate the real world into the course.

Out of 90 people on my course, we all got good, full time employment at the end of it... that speaks for it self in my mind.

 

[Bigcol49]

Gunge....do we work in the same place on opposite shifts.....?

Ooooh! I WANT to work there! :thumb: