Umm... Are these people delusional?

I'm assuming it's just the usual conference brouhaha and has no basis in reality. It sounds as if it's something that's being debated rather than NUT policy of any kind - iirc, anyone can table a topic for debate which is why some frankly bonkers stuff gets reported every year as "teachers demand..." when usually it's nothing of the sort.

I know several people who would love to be paid as much as £26,000 4 years after graduation. Not quite sure on what planet that particular union happens to find itself. Asking for 10% in a recession is beyond offensive and ignorant.

Funny enough Nick have just made the same comment to my H so glad it wasn't just me who was horrified by the headline. If it is just as PL says then that would make more sense and means that only a few people are delusional!!

All the teachers I know (and it's a fair few) would say that the money is fine now. There's a lot to complain about in the job, but the money isn't one of them any more. FWIW, I'm unlikely to find another job that pays as well as teaching with my experience and qualifications - the one I'm contemplating retraining for pays less, as basic pay - but you can get more by doing overtime/unsocial hours. One of the gripes about teaching is that there's no concept of overtime like there is in, eg, nursing or the emergency services. But then, that's the case in most professional jobs AFAIK.

I think (perhaps unfairly) that amongst some teachers there is a perception that their job is much harder than anyone else's. Most jobs that average £33k pa are not 9-5 jobs paying overtime and other assorted benefits. I'd extend that stereotype to a few of the other heavily unionised professions such as rail workers.

I know a fair few teachers too and I'm waiting till some of them come online to get an opinion. Although being in NI they're not NUT.

There's a definite perception amongst them that they are almost angelic in their devotion to 'our children' (and it is actually notable that the majority are without issue) and they can become quite angry when any suggestion is made that their job is perhaps not that difficult.

I think you're right, to an extent, and it doesn't help to get the real issues addressed. It did amuse me that all bar two of the schools I ever worked in referred to themselves as "the toughest in [insert area here]" - even lovely, quasi selective little schools in the Cotswolds who tbh were living in a dreamworld if they thought they had anything but an easy ride in terms of children's behaviour.

But in the school I spent longest in, which genuinely was pretty tough, of the people doing my kind of pastoral management job in the time I was there, two of us got ME, one went off long term sick with stress and one fell down in the coffee queue with a stroke in his early 40s. That's a fairly high casualty rate given that at any time there would be 3 people in that role ?

There are lots of difficult jobs; I hear about the hours that, for example, city law types put in and think that I'd never do that in a million years - but the difference in the private sector is that you can negotiate terms and pay, you can work for another employer whereas if you're in state education you have pretty much the same t&c wherever you are in England and Wales, so you are a bit stuck unless you move into the independent sector [shudder] or go abroad.

I saw this news story before and I just didn't know what to say to it except how rediculous. I'm a teacher ( at my union conference last week, although I'm not in the NUT but ATL) and there's no way I'd ask for that nor do I think many others would either. There are plenty of people who earn a lot less than I do (I've been teaching for 7 years and I'm on the top of the mainscale pay line so 2 points ahead of the girl in the article).

There are plenty of shitty parts to my job but the pay is not really one of them. Our union are just happy that the 3-year pay deal is going to stay if Labour stay in but, having had a debate at conference with the lib dem and conservative shadow secretarys of state for Children Schools and Families, this will not happen if the Conservatives get in.

From listening to the article o nthe radio it sounds like that girl was speaking her own area as part of a resolution put forward and not the union stance.

Stories like this are the reason I chose not to join the NUT and I'd hazard a guess they're also the reason the NUT is no longer the biggest teaching union. A lot of the bad press teachers get stems from something the NUT have said or done and it doesn't help our perception amongst the general public, most of whom seem to think it's a 9-3, 5 day a week job for half the year. I'd be surprised if you can find a single 'normal' teacher who thinks it's a great idea to demand a 10% rise at this or any time. When the NUT balloted recently for a strike over pay, less than 30% of its own members even bothered to vote and, of those who did, almost half said no. It's about time they started listening to their members.

I was wondering why the woman who was quitting the UK because she was struggling to pay her £25000 loan was paying it in the first place. H is a teacher (as am I) and he doesn't pay his as they are deferred as he works in a state school. Has the system changed, or was it because he teaches a shortage subject?

I think the NUT have lost the plot - what other post graduate qualification is funded like a PGCE is? I know our local university's PGCE course is very nearly full if not already full, and we had an overwhelming response at school for science posts which have been less popular in the past, which kind of indicates that there isn't too much putting graduates off the classroom in time of recession. Of course, how many stick it out once other sectors are recruiting again remains to be seen!

I thought the ATL last week made all the right noises about student discipline and then the NUT go and do this - how uplifting for those of us working through our holidays for next term!

I get really annoyed by these headlines because they make out all teachers agree with the comments - I don't and I often don't agree with a lot of th ecomments made. There are tough parts of the job (like most jobs) and I think most of the issues come from the government not trusting us to do our job!

The one problem I don't have is the pay and it is daft to think that we deserve a 10% pay rise when so many people are losing their jobs. Maybe they should ask all eachers not just those standing on a stage trying to get headlines.

I'm afraid I am NUT ? although I only have the very minimal membership now, just for the legal cover as I do bits of tutoring and so forth. All my teaching mates are NUT as well, but none of them would go along with this, or indeed voted for the industrial action a few months ago. It does bother me that the conference numpties get so much publicity although it's not really surprising that those who spend their Easter going to conference have strong views.

Caroline - no, that scheme doesn't exist anymore, although you do still get (some) funding for doing the PGCE. Her student loans are v. high though, presumably not just Student Loan company ones.

Well, it's a headline, it's the NUT, what do you expect really...teaching conference time is always silly season. The pay isn't too bad and a very good thing is that I know for the next 4/5 years at least (I'm in my second year of teaching) I will get a pay rise every September - of around 1 1/2 - 2k each time - as I move up the main payscale. Plus, it is (pretty) secure employment so I'm very glad of that at the moment.

I found this article https://www.tes.com/article.aspx?storycode=2619349 quite interesting about average teaching salaries etc.

Nick, I think most teachers can become quite defensive because they come across the attitude that actually, teaching is an easy 9-3 job with loads of holidays all too often. There are lots of great things about my job - the holidays being one of them! - but there are also lots of pretty tough things and it gets a bit irritating when all people mention is the long holidays!

I have to pay back my student loan- I've been teaching 7 years and have had to pay from my first year as a teacher. No deferring here. I'm a primary teacher.

I'm in ATL and yes, I think the stories that made the news from our conference were the right ones.

I'm also in ATL and I avoided the NUT like the plague when I first qualified. I'm also a primary teacher and am happy with my pay, I think that we get paid well. In fact, the pay is the main reason I've not expanded my own business more, leaving teaching in a recession would not be a wise move imo.

It's something I wanted to do, to the extent that I'm aware of the requirements and the REAL nature of what it is that teachers have to do.

I know it's not big holidays and 9-4, but sorry, in comparison to other public sector salaried employment......

I would have loved to be a teacher, but.... Drug kids in order to make my life easier? Sorry, not happening.

It's something I wanted to do, to the extent that I'm aware of the requirements and the REAL nature of what it is that teachers have to do.

I know it's not big holidays and 9-4, but sorry, in comparison to other public sector salaried employment......

I would have loved to be a teacher, but.... Drug kids in order to make my life easier? Sorry, not happening.

Another teacher here. I am happy with my pay...of course I would like a bit more (who wouldn't?) as we live in a stupidly high house price area. My H is a technical instructor in the private sector...he has a degree and post 16 teaching qualification but I have just overtaken him on the pay front and I get more holidays. However, I would say I bring more work home than him. I spend all Sunday working and every evening. However, this is a reflection of the school and I know not every teacher works 80 hours plus a week like alot of middle management teachers in my present school seem to do.

I left the NUT last year after their strike action in April as I felt they didn't listen to the members. This BBC article is yet another example of them being pushy...I am sure more members will leave. On the other hand, I do support their views on KS1 and KS2 SATs, althoughI know other unions have the same opinions. The NUT just seem to shout alot louder than other unions...and use more aggression which obv is not always the right way to gain support or share views with a wider audience