I’m rattled now? Good one.
I can’t help seeing your posts because I’m reading this thread, what point are you trying to make?
Teachers work around 3,000 less hours per year than any person in standard full time employment.
The avg industrial wage is 40k a year. A teacher is on that in their third year of employment and their salary rises to 71k after 25 years - doing 3,000 hours less a year than your average worker in full time employment.
And you’re playing the poor mouth.
2 Likes
It’s very unlike you to engage with someone who clearly has a bee in his bonnet about teachers and every post since early morning on this thread has been pure drivel.
If they’re like that in primary school, imagine how bad they’d be in secondary school.
Athlone must be an awful hellhole.
I’m not one to divulge too much information about myself on any online forum, but I’ll indulge this once as it seems appropriate to do so.
I get the anti-teacher sentiment as “the lazy auld teacher” line gets thrown around too often and it’s begrudgery of the highest order.
My own circumstances are that I went back to study teaching when my young fella was 2 years old. I had a good secure job in the motor trade and was making decent money, with a wage that was rising every year. But it was a killer being gone from 8-7, 6 days a week and missing the young lad grow up. So I took the plunge and went back to study. (online)
The last year or two has been incredibly tough, the missus has her own small business (closed for the past year) and money has been tight, despite being in subbing most of the school year.
I will openly say I went back, because I didn’t want to miss the young lad growing up and not having time with him or the missus. At least now I am home at half 3 and have that time, and when he goes off to school I’ll still be home around the same time.
Job security would have been equal for me in both motor trade and teaching, jobs for life, and salary was decent in both. Rising every year in both.
It was a selfish decision to go back teaching, but it’s something I enjoy, and as had been said, definitely not easy, there are some really hard cases and sad stories.
But as an older man going back teaching, it’s the absolute incompetence that drives everyone crazy, that’s from teachers, staff, teaching council, the unions and the two departments.
As I’m learning, you teach from where the students are, not just regurgitating some tried and trusted method that worked 20 years ago. No two students are the same. And this one size for all and not being able to think outside the tried and trusted methods are what drive everyone crazy.
But I’m not ashamed to say I went back to become a teacher for family reasons and its reflective of the life I want to live. I love the job and know in my heart and head I’ve made the right choice for myself and my family.
The only way to get change is to get involved, roll up the sleeves and do it, not sit on the outside sniping and shouting at everyone else.
26 Likes
Well done, it’s a similar story to my own, I had a few extra kids 
More than anything I’m very proud of the work that I do, I don’t give a fuck that teachers have a bad rep with many, very few professions get to make a difference like we do.
Are you subbing now? Decide on the school that you see a future for yourself in and give them preference, become their go to guy, it will make a huge difference when the interviews come around in August.
3 Likes
Cheers! Pressure is on at home to have a couple more kids too! 
Yes, I’ve been subbing most of the year in a couple of local enough schools both in person and online teaching! So they are both in my eyeline for the next school year. If nothing comes of it, I’ve two good references!
I’m currently on (unpaid) school placement and I had the last inspection yesterday and passed thank god! So on the home stretch and will be out the gap in July after the oral exam.
11 Likes
If you’re a teacher in a secondary school in a rough area it’s a very hard, stressful job. 50k a year for that, not sure how anyone would think that’s good money tbh.
3 Likes
Conversely if you’re a teacher in a small primary school in a nice rural area on 50k a year, doing 3,000 hours less than a worker in standard full time employment is incredibly good money when you take all the perks on board.
A teacher who starts out on a permanent contract only has to work for 2 years before they reach the average industrial wage, that wage will continue to rise for 22 more years. They seem to get other allowances on top of that too.
There is definitely disparity when it comes to teaching.
Secondary school teaching looks to be a lot tougher than primary school teaching I would say.
And teachers who work in Dublin should certainly be earning more than those in Leitrim/Longford etc.
But the bottom line is that a 38-71k salary for an entrant teacher who has close to 4 months off in the year is absolutely crazy money.
This seems to be the nursing salary scale.
A teacher is on the equivalent of the top scale of the nursing salary after maybe 6 years in the job? Never having to sit an interview or go for a job again, great job security pension, unbelievable working hours and leave entitlements.
A nurse has to work a 40 hour week in what could be very harrowing conditions and they are shafted by the government but put the duty of care of their patients ahead of trying to hold the nation to ransom.
Teachers on the other hand regularly fuck over the children they are meant to educate to milk even more out of government on what they already get.
I didn’t want to be a teacher, I don’t think it’s for me but I think if you look at what Tomas O’Se said - he took up teaching for the hours and the time off. I would say 90% of teachers did it for that reason and that’s why they don’t leave. They won’t get that level of pay for as little working hours in any other profession.
It’s a job for life with great perks and a very healthy pay structure. A teacher who does 45 years service will be earning over the avg industrial wage for 42/45 years doing about 60% of the working hours a person in a standard full time employment will do.
2 Likes
If you’re so annoyed at teachers pay then do something about it like write to your TD or run in an election so you can then make an actual change. You’ve clearly got deep rooted issues with the teaching profession.
9 Likes
Lot’s of factual content there which I’m not disputing but there is a subjective side to the equation, teaching in a lot of secondary schools in rougher areas is a very hard and stressful job and I certainly woudn’t do it for 45, 50k. Even with the perks there’s much handier jobs out there for that money that doesn’t involve the grief you’d get 8 hours a day, every working day for 9 months. I’d contend they earn every penny of it in the majority of those schools.
3 Likes
I do.
I think their arrogance and constant striking action to bully through their demands are absolutely disgraceful when you consider the working conditions for an awful lot of workers in this country.
What I do find odd is that teachers can’t even acknowledge that they have such a good deal. I know what it’s like to live in a state where one part of society tries to hog everything for themselves so I feel fundamentally compelled to fall out the scurrilous selfishness of teachers.
I’d say every teacher would have their own preferences. I know a teacher who worked in a private school and hated it, just felt it was a results factory with added pressure from parents. They now work in a public school in a more deprived area and find it much more rewarding and with far less pressure.
3 Likes
Maybe there is but I don’t see them. Do those jobs have the same job security, guaranteed payrises, pension benefits?
What jobs would you be referring to here? The line a lot of lads like to throw out about teaching is “it’s a tough job” - most people can make that claim about their own job if they are suitably motivated.
Do you ever tire of repeating the same things over and over and over again?
2 Likes
The truth tends not to change.
Real change is effected through TFK.
Great thread by the way.
If you’ve a business degree but not necessarily professional qualifications, with experience, there are many jobs in marketing, finance, accounting, banking, administration across a variety of industries where you can earn 40 - 50k handy. Granted, not the same vacation but depending on the employer, pension contributions can be quite generous.
Not the same vacation leave, more hours, no real job security, in some cases very pressurised targets, inferior pensionable benefits. Do these jobs generally exist outside of Dublin? I wouldn’t say so.