New powers to discipline bad teachers.

P

Purple

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After ten years the Department of Education has introduced new powers to discipline underperforming teachers. These [broken link removed] are standardised across all types of schools. If they go ahead as planned it should go a long way to addressing one of the biggest criticisms levelled at teachers and repair much of the damage that has been done to their standing in the eyes of the general public over the last 5 years.

As is to be expected the teaching unions are expressing their "concern" about the new powers but I hope that the profession as a whole has the strength of character to do the right thing and not let the bearded brethren of the INTO etc continue to set the bar at the lowest common denominator.
 
I always remember my children talking about their geography teacher who used to sit at the top of the classroom picking her nose while they were told to read their geography book during class.
I also remember the brilliant science teacher in the same school who encouraged a love for science in one of my children who now has a brilliant career as a scientist.
Both probably paid the same salary, both probably on the same pension now.
 

Good post, and as a public sector worker I think that measures that are fair and legal to allow discipline, and when necessary, dismissal of inadequate employees, should be welcomed by unions. The majority of people who do their work properly have nothing to fear and by not allowing more ruthless 'culling' of these type of employees, groups are only bringing themselves into disrepute.

However what we must not forget that in the public sector, it was failure of the employer i.e , the FF/PD government of the last 10 years, who missed a glorious opportunity with benchmarking to bring this about.

It is not the job of any union to propose these measures,its the employer's. .
 

Thing is this applies to nearly every profession and job in the world.

I'm sure everybody on here could say that in their own work place there are great workers and crap workers on the same pay.
 
Managers are terrified to say anything because the slacker knows he/she can shout the bully word.
 
Brianne said:
Purple, you are very lucky. From friends in both public and private sector, I know they exist everywhere.
Click to expand...

Do you think they are more likely to exist in a job where they cannot be sacked which is not subject to market forces or in a job where they can be got rid of if they under perform which is subject to market forces?
 
Reality is that in the private sector, underperforming workers will, in the end, be let go. It may take time but but it will happen eventually.
That doesn't seem to happen for teachers. I'm going back 20 years here, but I remember my headmaster in primary school failing to turn up at least one morning and sometimes twice a week, he only fianally retired a couple of years ago. I remember a science teacher in secondry school who if the class were not in the mood to do some work, all we had to do was mention hurling and that was it, he was off on a discussion for the next half an hour. These people should have been retrained, disciplined and if the problems persists, dismissed.
As for managers being afraid of bullying, an effective manager should not fear such allegations if he has the policys and procedures in place to back him up and follows those

The INTO and ASTI are disgraceful for expecting tax payers to fund salaries for lazy ineffective teachers and for jeapordising the education of our children by protecting such teachers
 
Great news!

The only problem is that the vast majority of principals are teachers themselves.

Nemo judex in sua causa.

Marion
 

The problem is though, there haven't been too many incidences in the past where they have dismissed Teachers for underperformace. Many though have been on 'moral' grounds, due to their lifestyle which was perceived at odds with the ethos of the School.
 
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