Former councillor slams teachers’ decision to strike
Politics / Thu 2nd Feb 2023 at 08:59am
A FORMER Harlow councillor has slammed the decision by teachers to strike.
Dan Long who represented the Bush Fair ward for UKIP between 2014 and 2018 was responding to an article by Passmores Head Vic Goddard.
Mr Long is also a care and teaching assistant at St Elizabeth’s in Much Hadham.
Mr Long said: “You and your teachers want to try and live on the wages me and my wife earn between us.
“You head teachers and teachers are on enough money to get through the month. If you or your teachers cannot get through a month on what you all earn, then you all must be doing something wrong, when it comes to spending and budgeting”.
Luke Burton
2023-02-02 09:06:54
Yes. Let's start a race to the bottom! We want to ensure teachers live on as little as possible because that is, of course, conducive to a high wage, high skill economy.
Nostradamus
2023-02-02 09:45:01
Most teachers are striking because schools are run down and the JD has just got longer and longer and longer and the workload impossible. The effect is that children's education has suffered tremendously. If you see the job as so attractive suggest you try teaching Dan. If you can't see the parallels with nursing and other public sectors then reflect as to why half the country was on strike.
Dan Long
2023-02-02 09:54:47
Nostradamus. I am a carer plus a teaching assistant for children with epilepsy,autism and mental health issues, which is a lot more harder and draining than working in a state school and in Schools for able children and teenagers and I have been doing this for 21 years this month. So again, think brfore you before you judge others.
Bruce Downey
2023-02-02 10:16:50
Teachers are the cause of generations of working class children being poorly educated. I notice this is finally being addressed and bad teachers being sifted out.
Dan Long
2023-02-02 10:57:21
Bruce. Well said and about time too.
David Forman
2023-02-02 11:19:30
Former UKIP councillor exposes the ugly truth about their hostility to unions and any working class organisations that stand up to the establishment. This is a common thread running through the far-right. Pastor Niemoller's poem exposed how the Nazis first occupants of Dachau concentration camp in March 1933 were trade unionists and socialists.
Comrade
2023-02-02 11:32:34
Bush Fair? Good luck. Ukip? Oh dear.
Jill
2023-02-02 12:04:05
Didn’t teachers get a 9% pay rise last October, or was the Head Teacher on TV yesterday incorrect, there are a lot of people who earn nowhere near the salaries that teachers get, Dan Long isn’t wrong. I’m fully aware that teachers do work outside of the school day , however if they worked anywhere else they would generally be on an 8 am to 5/6 pm day not including travel and with only 23 - 25 days holiday. They need to get back in the classroom.
Janice Garwood
2023-02-02 12:09:08
Dan Long - FORMER UKIP councillor. This has no relevance to comments today. He is entitled to his opinion whether people agree or not. I’m sure he is still as patriotic as he was when he stood for UKIP.
gary roberts
2023-02-02 12:59:47
Mr. Long, why do you think teachers' of all grades are leaving the profession in their droves?
Alex
2023-02-02 13:19:48
Well Jill yes they got a payrise. The problem is schools weren't Given any extra money to cover this and thus would have to find it from their already dwindling budgets.
Alex
2023-02-02 13:28:14
Incidentally , my wife's a teacher and in school by 7.30 am and, rarely home before 6pm. Its time to kill the myth that teachers start at 9am and finish at 3pm..
Theman
2023-02-02 16:04:32
Basically we need a new government and new political party that will look after what the majority want ( health care , education, transport etc) rather than all the minority issues which seem to absorb a disproportionate amount of the taxes we all pay and are leaving us with the failing systems we have. It’s obvious that if people are leaving in large numbers in education and health care then something is very wrong. We pay 50% of GDP in tax(historically its 33%) so the government have plenty of money, they just need to stop wasting it. I don’t think arguing amongst ourselves over who has it worse is really going to be productive.
Mr Grumpy
2023-02-02 16:11:20
Schools are run down due to a lack of finances and teachers are constantly expected to do more for less. The blame lies squarely on the shoulders of Government. They cut budgets to the bone and still expect miracles. I for one support all public sector workers in their industrial action. They deserve much better.
Bob
2023-02-02 17:40:06
Dan go back to school if you ever did
Dan Long
2023-02-02 18:02:07
What knowledge do you have forman, the biggest Nazis are left wing, not right wing. It's the left wing supporters and activistwho need to.go back to school to be rather educated.
Denise
2023-02-02 18:05:58
Long story short at the end of the day i’m not complaining about the strike tbh. but a lot of yous on here could be far less nasty and cut the slack of calling my dad all these names. Yes everyone has an opinion. Yes everyone’s is entitled. Teachers and students work hard which is fair. But some of yous are getting your point across with nasty comments.
Angry of Harlow
2023-02-02 19:06:17
By everyone striking they are putting pressure on our country, by being greedy they are putting a great financial strain on our struggling economy. There are some people out there that don't even earn the sort of money teachers and train drivers earn. I would love to be on what a train driver earns. Mr Formans comments about the former UKIP councillor are abhorrent and disgusting and he needs to done for deformation of character.
Dan Long
2023-02-02 20:38:36
Angry of Harlow, Im Glad someone is on my side and not the racist left wings. Thank you very much.
Peter
2023-02-02 21:04:42
Seems people are afraid to address the elephant in the room, Mass Immigration has put untold pressure on not just our schools but also our health services. It's little wonder we can't afford to upgrade our schools and class sizes are growing.
Charlie
2023-02-02 21:53:10
Think all the unions going on strike have a justified case. However, I truly believe they are playing into the Governments hands. By striking they are losing money hand over fist, and whether strikes are about pay, conditions, or more likely, an attempt to bring down the Government, if that happens do they really believe things would be any better with another party running the country. If they think that, then they are in for a very rude awakening, as I don't think another party will give in to their demands any more than the current Government. I have not got an answer as to what else they can do, but striking is definitely not the answer. Unions and employer s and Government need to be locked in a room together and not let out until they sort the problem out.
Dan Long
2023-02-03 06:51:13
Well said Peter.
Kim Oconnor
2023-02-03 10:40:51
I agree with Mr grumpy. This is not purely about pay, this is years of cuts, to pay , to people s jobs funding. One person doing the work of two or three people because of all the cuts. Teachers work doesn't stop when the bell rings, it's constant, through hoilday s, after work, and because of cuts, this work load is twice as much, even when ya retired they will ask you to come in, because of lack of staff. This applies to every sector, and the load just piles on to them. Teachers worked all through pandemic, the same as many key workers, but the load is heavy through lack of staff..
Harlow parent
2023-02-04 11:56:17
No one likes strikes - the people losing money striking or the people inconvenienced by it. Instead of being abusive and calling people names why don’t people actually look at the issues raised - why is there a shortage of teachers? Why did the govt only recruit 59% of the teachers needed last year? If you can change that without improving pay and/or conditions please say how to do it Mr Long. I know you will probably raise something else that doesn’t answer the question but I thought I’d give you the chance. Strikes are a pain but saying teachers are greedy and lazy is simply not going to help solve the recruitment issues. Schools have all made people redundant. Why? Because schools all have enough money? Because they just want to make people unemployed. No one likes being inconvenienced but when enough is enough and the people that provide the money aren’t listening what choice do they have. I trust the teachers with my children so I trust them to do what is right
Dan Long
2023-02-04 15:02:08
Harlow parent, where and when did a mention about teachers being greedy and lazy. Talk about try to stir things.
Harlow Parent
2023-02-04 15:14:30
Dear Mr Long Please reread my message. I did not say you, specifically, had said that but others have. How about answering my questions now?
Harlow Parent
2023-02-04 15:17:28
In case you missed them Mr Long Why is there a shortage of teachers? Why did the govt only recruit 59% of the teachers needed last year? Schools have all made people redundant. Why? Because schools all have enough money? Because they just want to make people unemployed? Thank you I’m advance for your answers, I’m sure the Harlow schools will appreciate you solving this for them
Darren
2023-02-04 17:39:38
The only teachers who got a 9% rise were those who have just started - most others would have got no more than 5% (with inflation above 10%). This is on top of the last 13 years of either not pay increases or below inflation ones. Not only that, but often any pay rises are non funded - in other words, the schools have to find the money from their budget to pay them, rather than the government giving them the extra money. Teaching is not a "9-5" profession - during term time we often work 50+ hours a week, but our contracts are for 32.5. With many vacancies unfilled, government recruitment targets not achieved and teachers leaving the profession this all adds up why enough is enough
Harlow Parent
2023-02-04 17:47:12
Mr Long?
Kim Oconnor
2023-02-04 20:04:12
Harlow parent, you are spot . Not just schools, they made redundant, but colleges to. So theses people lost there jobs , for what,... all cut back, people that did not want to loose there jobs.. and now the system is failing, because of lack of staff, and those staff doing twice as much..... where are you now Mr Long????
Harlow Parent
2023-02-05 11:03:43
It’s a pain when facts and the need for solutions get in the way of righteous indignation
Kim Oconnor
2023-02-05 11:14:30
If they did get a pay rise, which I may add, he doesn't deserve, Mr Long wouldn't turn it down. Would you Mr long.?? His still missing.
Kim Oconnor
2023-02-05 11:30:17
I would all so like to add. That working as a teaching assistant Mr long, and as a carer are two completely different inviroments. I know this first hand, having a disabled granddaughter. I would love to put you in full time teaching inviroments, schools and colleges, then you can see first hand for your self how difficult this is, and made more so through lack of staffing..
Harlow Parent
2023-02-06 15:41:28
Hi Mr Long, just checking that you are ok? I wondered whether you’d managed to think of any realistic and new ideas to answer my questions or if you are still just going to make statements with no solutions or answers to back them up? I see you have tried to blame the shortage on immigration which doesn’t hold up to any sort of fact checking but is par for the course knowing your short lived experience as a UKIP councillor. Here are my questions, once again, in response to your very strong opinions. Why is there a shortage of teachers? Why did the govt only recruit 59% of the teachers needed last year? Schools have all made people redundant. Why? Because schools all have enough money? Because they just want to make people unemployed? I hope that you are able to tell us the solution to this national problem as the government has failed to do so for the last 12 years or so. It is a real surprise that teachers are paid well enough for the job they do (according to you at least) but not enough people want to do it!
Harlow Parent
2023-02-07 12:31:10
As I thought Mr. Long. Lots of anger and opinion but no answers. Everyone with any common sense can see that to make more people want to be teachers the government needs to improve pay and conditions. Unless you have a surprise solution Mr. Long?
Kim Oconnor
2023-02-08 10:27:50
Oh he still missing.
Harlow Parent
2023-02-08 15:45:59
I feel this is appropriate for mMr Long ‘Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts’ - Daniel Patrick Moynihan
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