Schools out for Summer

The papers are full of news today,of the potential strike by teachers scheduled for this Thursday. It would be a major event for a profession which has never gone on strike before. I suspect the reason for not taking industrial action previously is that it would be difficult to find another day for teachers to take given they are on vacation most of the year, and need to fit their quota of 'Baker Days' into the remainder of their working time.

The average wage of a teacher is higher than that of nurses and policemen already, and I know which I would consider to be more valuable to society.

Times have changed haven't they? When I was at school, teachers were seen as the ultimate authority, they were pillars of society and head teachers commanded huge respect within their local community. Parents would not dare to keep their children off school unless they were on their deathbed, and nearly all teachers ran extra curricular activities after school. These activities were conducted for the benefit of the children, and not because the parents were at work and could not, therefore, pick their little Johnny or Annie up until later in the evening.

These days teachers are less inclined to conduct activities outside core hours, they are fearful of political correctness, health and safety and positive discrimination, and they are geared to teaching children to pass examinations, not to turn into generally well educated children who are able to make the transition from childhood to adulthood seamlessly. Much of this is out of their direct span of control, although they are happy to use the excuse as its suits them.

The following example shows how standards have slipped in Maths, for example.


1. Teaching Maths In 1970
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for £100. His cost of production is
4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

2. Teaching Maths In 1980
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for £100. His cost of production is
4/5 of the price, or £80. What is his profit?

3. Teaching Maths In 1990
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for £100. His cost of production is
£80. Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Maths In 2000
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for £100. His cost of production is
£80 and his profit is £20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5. Teaching Maths In 2007
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and
inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the
preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of £20.
What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class
participation after answering the question: how did the birds and squirrels
feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers. )

6. Teaching Maths 2017
أ المسجل تبيع حموله شاحنة من الخشب من اجل ‎100 دولار‎. صاحب تكلفة الانتاج من
الثمن‎. ما هو الربح له؟

OK, its a bit flippant, but many a true word spoken in jest.

The strike this week will force many parents to take time of work to mind their offspring, something I am sure which will rebound on the teaching community in the long run. Here is a sure way of winding a teacher up though. When they say rather self righteously that they have 20 years teaching experience, just reply 'no, you have one years experience repeated 20 times'. They will go bright red and argue how wide and varied the annual teaching cycle is, trying to amplify their justification for striking. I feel a hundred lines coming on......