School Strike

[Square Ball]

Anyone know what is going on here? thats a week I think that this has been going on and the kids are off school

school at the centre of a dispute between teachers and education authorities is to remain closed.

The South Eastern Education and Library Board said it deeply regretted that no resolution had been found to the dispute at the County Down school.

Some teachers at the 540-pupil Movilla High School in Newtownards have been striking since Monday.

The dispute arose over their pay being docked when they refused to teach a pupil they claim assaulted one of them.

Talks at the Labour Relations Agency late last week failed to resolve the situation.

Representatives of the NASUWT, the union representing the 25 striking teachers, said they put a proposal to the SEELB to resolve the dispute but had not been contacted by the board over the weekend.

The union said it had asked the board to make alternative arrangements for the pupil.

In a statement issued on Sunday the board confirmed that the school would remain closed on Monday.

The board said it had "made a number of offers to the trade unions" in a bid to resolve the dispute.

"The trade unions have rejected the offers and are demanding that the pupil be taught in total isolation from other pupils and teachers in the school or that the particular pupil is requested to leave the school.

"The board and board of governors cannot accede to these demands, however, the Board will continue to make itself available for further discussions to find a resolution of this dispute."

[ziggysego]

I support the teachers on this one. All they asked for was not to have the specific child in the class. They wouldn't agree to this and we've come to a stand off now between the teachers and the education board.

[donalmac99]

the nolan show covered it today. By all accounts the pupil is a right little scrote.

[rrhf]

How can you keep order in a classroom when a toe rag like this is permitted to stay.  Fair play to these teachers for supporting the integrity and professionalism of their colleague and the future discipline of their establishment 

[donalmac99]

How can you keep order in a classroom when a toe rag like this is permitted to stay.  Fair play to these teachers for supporting the integrity and professionalism of their colleague and the future discipline of their establishment 

and also insuring the protection of other pupils, in the school, from this little b**tard who , it's reported, seriously assaulted another pupil a few weeks before the teacher incident. I dont see what the problem is, it's a 'no brainer' in my opinion, the teachers are in the right and the strike is justified.

[Orior]

1) I suppose the toe-rag deserves some education, but where? Social services people would no doubt cry that he is a victim of his environment.

2) Its a shame that the parents of toe-rag have been able to keep their anonymity in all of this. They're the real culprits.

[rrhf]

I believe that parents of kids under say 16 or indeed 18 should receive community service or fines in the event that wee Joe clobbers a teacher os steals a car.  If we entwine their responsibility as parents of the wee bastards with the lack of responsibility courts attribute to youths because of their tender age then we have culpability.  Share the guilt halve the crime rate - I say.   

[Lar Naparka]

I'd be very slow to comment on this specific case as I'm certain the full facts of the case are not being reported. They seldom are in public disputes because of the potential for libel or slander suits arising.
I can only compare what seems to be happening in Moyvilla with what I know about such situations in the Republic.
Twenty eight teachers will not go on strike anywhere at any time if a pupil merely pushes a teacher.
You can put your shirt on that.
For one thing, there is the matter of salaries being withheld; I doubt if any teachers' union has enough money to hand to pay the full equivalent of members' salaries for an indefinite period.  A union might do that for a short period alright, but not if a strike is called at short notice.
I'm guessing that the strike pay is around £100 weekly –certainly no more than £150. How many of the group on strike can afford to take such an abrupt hit to his or her income? My bet is that there are some in dire straits already and still the strike goes on.
Besides all that, most responsible teachers are very much aware of their duties to the kids they teach and I assume most in question here would return to work if they felt it was practical to do so.
I haven't heard of any of the strikers breaking ranks either.  Only very serious and determined people would maintain solidarity over such a long period with no immediate end in sight.
Like I say, the actual facts of the case have not been disclosed.

[Lecale2]

I wondered what a Children's Commisioner does to put her days in.


School strike 'abuse of rights'

Children's Commissioner Patricia Lewsley has said the strike by 25 teachers at Movilla High School is an "abuse of children's rights".

The dispute arose over their pay being docked when they refused to teach a pupil they claim assaulted one of them.

Talks to resolve the issue have failed and the commissioner said the issue had been blown out of proportion.

"I have already offered to mediate in this dispute. That has been refused by the unions," she said.

"They have been in negotiations and I think that there is the possibility of a resolution if they were prepared to sit down and talk about it."

Peter Scott from the NASUWT, the union representing the 25 striking teachers, said he thought Ms Lewsley should have recognised the seriousness of the situation.

"Twenty-five teachers don't just take this sort of action, unless there is some reason for it," he said.

The South Eastern Education and Library Board said it deeply regretted that no resolution had been found to the dispute at the County Down school.

The teachers at the 540-pupil school in Newtownards have been striking since Monday, 13 October.

Talks at the Labour Relations Agency late last week failed to resolve the situation.

Representatives of the NASUWT said they put a proposal to the SEELB to resolve the dispute but had not been contacted by the board over the weekend.

The union said it had asked the board to make alternative arrangements for the pupil.

In a statement issued on Sunday the board confirmed that the school would remain closed on Monday.

[donalmac99]

I wondered what a Children's Commisioner does to put her days in.


School strike 'abuse of rights'

Children's Commissioner Patricia Lewsley has said the strike by 25 teachers at Movilla High School is an "abuse of children's rights".

The dispute arose over their pay being docked when they refused to teach a pupil they claim assaulted one of them.

Talks to resolve the issue have failed and the commissioner said the issue had been blown out of proportion.

"I have already offered to mediate in this dispute. That has been refused by the unions," she said.

"They have been in negotiations and I think that there is the possibility of a resolution if they were prepared to sit down and talk about it."

Peter Scott from the NASUWT, the union representing the 25 striking teachers, said he thought Ms Lewsley should have recognised the seriousness of the situation.

"Twenty-five teachers don't just take this sort of action, unless there is some reason for it," he said.

The South Eastern Education and Library Board said it deeply regretted that no resolution had been found to the dispute at the County Down school.

The teachers at the 540-pupil school in Newtownards have been striking since Monday, 13 October.

Talks at the Labour Relations Agency late last week failed to resolve the situation.

Representatives of the NASUWT said they put a proposal to the SEELB to resolve the dispute but had not been contacted by the board over the weekend.

The union said it had asked the board to make alternative arrangements for the pupil.

In a statement issued on Sunday the board confirmed that the school would remain closed on Monday.

how can she mediate when it's quite clear that she has her foot frimly in the pupils 'camp'. I wonder would she be so comapssionate had the little bollix violently attacked her or her son. From what i gather there were 16serious  incidents involving him since september.

[full back]

If there have been 16 incidents with the said student from Sep, how in the honour of fcuk is he still in the school
Did the school not take any incident serious until something involved the staff?
Why are the governors backing the pupil so much?

[donalmac99]

If there have been 16 incidents with the said student from Sep, how in the honour of fcuk is he still in the school
Did the school not take any incident serious until something involved the staff?
Why are the governors backing the pupil so much?

the nolan show sent a reporter to the pupils family and the school. he discovered, from the school that the incidents ranged from walking out and disappearing to violent assault. The pupil claims to be claustaphobic (sp?) and teachers cannot go within 3 feet of him. He also claims the  death of his granny and brother account for his behaviour. The union have suggested a series of plans tailored to meet his needs but patricia lewesly claims it 'villifies' the pupil.
If you can listen to the nolan show on the bbc 'listen again'. the union spokesman was to speak to nolan after they went off air to go into more details about the nature of the incidents involving the pupil.
i dont blame the teachers, i wouldnt be in the same room as someone that posed a danger to me, esp if i was female.

[Orior]

The little toe-ragl gets loads of public money spent on him, and all because his parents lack discipline and he lacks discipline.

Whoever is in charge of discipline at the school needs to be taking the lead on this, not the teachers.

[magpie seanie]

From what I've heard I support the teachers 100% and frankly the people who have failed to expel the lad must be complete clowns. If it was a one-off temporary loss off the cool by a fairly decent pupil then I could possibly see an argument to not expel but with a serial trouble maker you have to show the door.

[rrhf]

Until there is a zero tolerance attitude to violence in schools by the senior managers there is a big accident here waiting to happen.  This is much more commonplace than is reported.  Governors, principals appear to desire the easy life instead of facing up to their employer responsibilities facing the challenges and rooting the wee bastards out of the school and prosecuting them. Teachers need to stand side by side and support their own, The PR gurus / Principals of today need to take their politically correct heads out of their arses and govern the school the way any other aspect of society is governed ie where violence does not pay and is not stood for.  A teacher will be killed shortly and what will we say then - the onus is the principals to stand by their staff?