Seriously! Who would be a teacher?

Why would anyone want to be a teacher these days? The government is busily robbing current teachers of their pensions. They are forcing teachers - who statistically enjoy very short retirements before the accumulated stress of the job kills them - to work for even longer for less pension at the end of it. And then they are being criticised for daring to take a stand.

The Tory Gumby in charge of education

Yes - teachers will be going on strike this week. About time. But here is the real stinker. This week the government is planning to make it harder to enter the profession. There will be more exacting standards required of them. Fair enough, perhaps, if you are trying to give the impression that you need to be high calibre to do the job. But the same Minister who is demanding these higher standards has also suggested that perhaps parents and volunteers could step into the classroom this week to cover while the teachers are out on strike. A job so hard we need the very best - but easy enough that any Tom Dick or Harriet could just step in and do it at the drop of a hat.

More forceful than the average teacher

Of course, I blame the government. But I blame the profession even more. There are three major teachers' unions. Teachers rarely speak with one voice and rarely act with one intent. Three unions equals no union. They are too reticent to act in their own interests and, as a result, are mucked about by successive governments. Teaching is a really tough job and they deserve to be paid well and receive a decent pension. To stand back and let the government steal their (relatively high contribution) pensions would be such a pathetic climbdown. Teachers need to grow a backbone, amalgamate their unions and stop acting like glorified child-minders. They are graduate professionals and they deserve to be treated as such. But it will only happen if they decide to grow a spine and protect their own interests.