Teach Primary Issue 19.5

The writer is a teacher and teacher trainer in England. VO I C E S S trikes might grab headlines – but are they really fixing what’s broken in teaching? Another year, another pay dispute. Another round of strike threats. Another letter home. Another rushed SLT meeting about ‘contingency plans’. Another weary chat in the staffroom about who’s striking and who isn’t, who can afford to and who can’t, and who thinks it will really – truly – change anything. Conference season has been and gone, with both the NEU and NASUWT laying out their stalls. The hot topic? Strikes over pay. Now, before I’m accused of siding with ‘the man’, let’s be clear: teachers absolutely deserve decent pay. What we’re currently paid isn’t good enough. The unions should be fighting for salaries that reflect the late nights, the emotional exhaustion, and the endless redesigns based on the latest fad from Ofsted, new SLT, or – dare I say it – Netflix dramas. When I asked a former line manager of mine if he was striking in 2023, he said: “If I weren't to strike, what am I saying about the value of my profession?” He was absolutely right, and his mantra is now my own – I am not against striking for better pay. And yet... Most of us – I hope – didn’t become teachers dreaming of mansions, butlers, and private jets. We joined because we loved the idea of teaching. When we see 40,000 teachers leaving the profession in a year, we have to ask: are they quitting over the money, or over everything else that’s broken? I’m not saying we should be striking about parents slagging us off on WhatsApp, or Ofsted’s Nando’s-style inspection charts, or the reality that real career progression usually means less classroom time. But when the dominant narrative that reaches the national press is, “Teachers striking again because their third pay rise in three years isn’t enough – sneer sneer,” you have to wonder if the unions are getting the message across in the right way. Think of it like this: we want more teachers to stay and more new recruits to join us. We want teachers to love their profession and be proud of it. So why does it feel like we’re embracing tactics that scare people off? Who in their right mind would sign up for a career that constantly seems one bad headline away from being vilified? Which brings me back to the unions. Striking over pay used to be a nuclear option – a last-ditch shout for dignity and respect. Now it’s little more than background noise. I’ve voted in so many strike ballots recently it’s starting to rival how often I vote on Strictly Come Dancing . And when the headlines are always about teachers walking out, what message is that sending to the 21-year-old future Teacher of the Year, wondering whether they’re making the right career choice? Truthfully, I don’t think pay is the main reason teachers are leaving. So why aren’t we seeing the same energy spent fighting for smaller class sizes? More funding for teaching assistants? Holding parents to account for the 'I think you’re lying' responses when you ring about behaviour issues? Fighting for better pay is essential. But every time we focus solely on the money, it feels like we lose a bit of the moral high ground. And a bit more public respect. It's not just our income that needs boosting. It’s the whole, sorry, battered soul of the profession. And shouting louder every year about pay might win the odd battle – but it sure as hell won’t win the war. TP “Who in their right mind would sign up for a career that constantly seems one bad headline away from being vilified?” Is it me, or is teaching unions’ fixation on pay – over everything else that’s wrong with the profession – really not helping our plight? Our anonymous educator gets something off their chest www.teachwire.net | 19