
Originally Posted by
jackd
I can't let that bit of teacher / public sector bashing go without comment. As a teacher, about to log on to my schools home learning platform to mark work, set more work and deal with pupils queries, I find your post quite offensive and a little disappointing.
We are not on strike, the unions are not 'whinging about anything and everything'. We are working within the limitations placed upon us by the government. Speaking for myself (and all the teachers I am in contact with have said the same) we would much rather be back at work and getting on as normal. The union are simply doing their job of checking that it will be safe to do so when we do return. Not just for teachers sake, but also the kids, parents, grandparents and the wider community who have regular contact with school kids and staff.
If the government didn't have the advice that shutting schools was as necessary as the other measures, they would not have closed. The unions didn't shut the schools the Government did.
Can we give the 'public v private' sector argument a rest? In a modern diverse economy, we all know one could not function without the other. The entrepreneur needs a literate and numerate worker, who is healthy and can get to and from work using the infrastructure provided. Don't forget, all the public sector pay their taxes (I don't know many teachers taking advantage of 'tax efficient' investment opportunities registered in the Cayman Islands) and contribute to the economy.
If we went all the way down the free market liberal capitalism road, how do you think we would be faring now with the current crisis? It's the government propping up the economy at the moment, not business 'paying 100% for corona virus'. And as for 'not a penny from the public sector', lets wait and see the more familiar side of this government when it comes to who actually pays for the amount of government borrowing going on. Remember austerity? Remember the cuts? And where did all that QE money go? A lot of already rich people got quite a bit richer after the last round of disaster capitalism. I doubt anything has really changed.
Got to go to work, from home for the time being.