Shepton Mallet Children Enjoy A Day Off, But The Debate Rages On:

This morning on a housing estate in Shepton Mallet the sound of children playing could be heard, while nearby Whitstone School was utterly silent.  Today was a day of industrial action across England and Wales by teachers who claim government proposals affecting their pensions are unfair.

Despite counter claims that the pension deal, even after the proposals are put in place, is better than anyone working in the private sector could reasonably ever expect, Whitstone School was closed as were two out of the four classes at Bowlish Infants.  This is oddly representative of the national picture, where it is said around 50% of teachers demonstrated their support by industrial action.  Of course, some teachers who did work are bitterly against the proposals but considered the action unethical, further subdividing the profession.  

What it's all about:

A newly qualified teacher earns around £25,000PA straight out of University, which is around the overall national average income.  Averages being averages, many working class people will never earn an annual salary of that amount.  Further up the scale, an experienced standard classroom teacher can earn in excess of £50,000PA and headteachers' salaries often top £100,000PA.  The proposals would see an experienced teacher making an average monthly increase to their contribution of £100, and the retirement age go up to 68 for newer teachers.  At present teachers pay 6% of their salary into the pension scheme and this is supported by 13.5% by the employer.  Under the proposals the employee contribution will go up by 0.4% while the employer contribution will rise by 0.6%.  Having already suffered a 3 year pay freeze, teachers say this is unacceptable.  

Reading between the lines, the break-down in relations could at least in part be attributed to the psudo-Thatcherian approach which David Cameron appears to be taking, in some sort of bid to appear similarly tough to the Iron Lady where the Unions are concerned.  The Government have fought a fairly unsubtle game in the war of words and have managed to make it fairly obvious that the plans will not be changed and the proposals will go ahead, leading teachers to conclude that their is no point in entering into 'non-negotiations', leaving industrial action as the last resort, and the only option.

Teachers undoubtedly shoulder one of the greatest responsibilities that exists in providing education for our children, and this should rightly be rewarded.  It is the recognition of that responsibility that has divided people on this issue; we want the very best for our children which inevitably costs, and we are happy to pay, within reason.  While wanting the best for our children means supporting teachers, teachers striking is at odds with that value.  

This is, on the surface at least, a very middle-class debate, which does not help teachers' cause.   The very words 'industrial action' brings to mind images of miners in the 80's, black bags piling up in the winter of discontent during the 70's, or dockers and shipbuilders fighting for the very food on their plates.  

Casting aside any utopian view of the classroom, the reality is that for some teachers, going to work is more like going to war.  While I don't believe that Bowlish, or even Whitstone are quite that severe, most people will acknowledge that teaching is a challenging profession. 

Those same people looking from the outside in will also recognize the financial struggle which they are experiencing themselves, including pay cuts (not freezes), job losses, and the prospect of next-to-nothing when they retire.  All this makes the debate harder to weigh up and the fact that in just under a month, teachers will not be able to strike as they will be on holiday for 6 weeks is not lost on anyone.

The government say that the teachers are wrong to strike while talks are underway, and even Ed Milliband has stated that he does not support the action.  This is clearly an issue with many shades of grey and absolutely no black and white. 

Where do you stand?