This morning, for two hours, we have a teacher's strike. To protest the lack of special education places. The funny thing is, I don't recall being told anything about this prior to the strike being announced.
I should say, while I'm in a union, I have no real patience with teacher's strikes. The people to suffer are the students. It's a problem for me right now, as I have a shift tonight, so instead of being able to just go off to sleep today and hope for an unbroken three or four hours, I'm going to be lucky to get two hours instead, but that's neither here nor there in my mind. I could have dropped my son off to watch movies in the library.
Is the thinking that every time a strike gets called, oodles of upset parents contact the Department of Education and thus the problem is solved? I'm not inclined. If anything, I'm inclined to contact the teacher's federation and object to the holding to ransom of children and their education without appropriate notice to parents.
Want me to write a letter to the Department? Ask me. Lay out your case. I'm lucky enough that I'm not affected by this particular issue - but what's fair and right will never go out of fashion. If there are deficits in the education system (no doubt really, but I'm laying out my case), then involve all of the stakeholders. That includes me, my husband and my son. Talk! Find ways.
Going out on strike should only ever be a last resort.
Well, having got that little controversy off my chest, nothing much else to report.
From my keyboard to no-one's ears.
