I begin writing today's blog post at 1pm on a Tuesday. Bit odd, you might think. Surely you would be in school, and therefore have no access to your blog. (Unless I was a super computer hacker whizz - I'm not!) Well, today I have the joy of not attending school, as does everyone else at my school, because a large number of teachers are striking a.k.a refusing to work on a particular day for a matter of reasons. Should the strikes be allowed? Will they change anything? And what can the government do to ensure that strikes don't constantly occur?
There are clearly many benefits to strikes occurring: both for the students and teachers. For us students, it's a day off, which is always appreciated as 5 days of week of constant work and revision can be a little tiring. It's an extra day to do what interests us in life; what makes us develop as human beings and what we enjoy. For me that's sleeping until 11am, blogging and looking through Instagram, but hey, better than revising algebraic fractions. Essentially, a day off school lets kids do what they want, improving their physical and mental health, making them happier and better equipped for a day of school. Strikes let teachers have a say. Refusing to go into work and protesting around your town means you have a chance to say what you feel, and tell others why you're angry. In my area, teachers are angry about a lack of funding into schools, not pay, which everyone sterotypes with teachers striking. Marching through the street can help to galvanize support from the public and help to persuade the Government to get something done. It allows the Government to see that what they are doing to schools isn't working, and helps to set up ideas for policy review and improving standards. Without strikes, problems may not be solved and students could suffer. There are clear costs to striking. Students not being in school means they are not learning, not making progress, and therefore not gaining the knowledge that will help them in exams. A vital piece of information that they may have needed to know will have not been taught and perhaps forgotten altogether. Losing a days work is bad for the curriculum, bad for students, and bad for parents. People my age can look after themselves for most of the day, but young children off school will need childcare covers, some of which can be very expensive and hard to find at short notice. This can therefore be a burden on parents who rely on schools not only to teach, but to look after their children. Striking can also be seen as a fringe protest movement that never results in anything but a day off work. Some of the government may not change anything if everything looks fine to them. Teachers striking can be seen as selfish when they get reasonable pay, good holidays, and workable hours. By striking, teachers are not seen to be fulfilling the job they are paid to do, losing a day's pay and not achieving much. It could be seen as more productive and resourceful to hold meetings with local MPs or councilors rather than resorting to strike action. Who knows, some teachers may see it as a last resort? So, hearing these arguments, my views? That teachers should have the right to strike. That teachers to be allowed to campaign when schools aren't working for them or the students. That government should clearly hear what teachers think. That issues regarding pay, funding, Ofsted etc should be discussed. But only at a last resort. The right to strike should never be exploited by self interest and should only be used when every other method of integration has not worked. If used only then, striking is an effective tool to make change and that you will not stand for anything else. Much as I like days off, I know the benefits of being in school far outweigh the enjoyment of a day off for students and teachers.
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Author:Noah enjoys writing a blog and drinking tea Archives
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