No teacher I know "knocks off" at 3 pm without good reason. Those who live with one of this species will know they actually work unpaid overtime each evening, weekends and during holidays to plan for their class and to complete paperwork rather than spending time with their own families. Why?
Because they take their responsibilities seriously. Although the media may wish to constantly portray them as lazy spongers who are certainly undeserving of parity of pay with the rest of the UK, I believe this is a galaxy away from the truth! My day is spent being part social worker, police detective, banker, office manager, ICT technician, librarian, nurse and babysitter, to name but a few of my many job titles, which surprisingly still leaves a little time for actual TEACHING.
MLAs awarded themselves a pay rise of 11% for their one job but seemingly teachers are just not worth it. Definitely a point to be considered as NI election time looms once again, Mr Peter Weir! I honestly can't see too many teachers casting a vote in your direction!
So, let's consider the governmental constraints affecting education in NI. Firstly, budget cuts. This results in fewer teachers with larger classes and an increased workload during the same number of hours in a day. (We may not have the time to pee during term time but at least we can mark multiple sets of books!) It means that a child gets less 1:1 time on a daily basis. It means that each class has less money for the very basic resources like the Great Pritt Stick Drought of January 2017. Additionally, teachers can only order requisition from specific (more expensive) suppliers. There comes a time when teachers will no longer put their hands in their pockets to foot the deficit. You do the Maths!
Education and Autism. I believe that most teachers actually DO try their best for EVERY pupil in their class. They are increasingly aware of autism and how to put strategies in place to help. What they can't do is CURE autism. It is a life-long condition and part of the child's genetic make up. When parents, the self-confessed experts, don't have all the answers, why would a teacher have much more information? Just as a GP has a general overview of knowledge, a teacher has a broad but not necessarily deep awareness and understanding. I'm lucky to know about ASD but my experience of other conditions may be limited. Teachers also, may have 33 children in their class with a range of varied abilities, issues, strengths and weaknesses, all to be considered and managed as best they can with the resources they have and within human and governmental constraints. Teachers are not superheroes but they will and do make decisions with the best of intentions for the children in their care.
Inclusion. In my experience, children are encouraged by the EA to attend mainstream schools. All the little 4 year old square pegs are pushed forcibly into round holes because one size fits all. NO! STOP! Equality doesn't mean everyone is equal, it means equal access to the opportunities and services you need to succeed in a diverse society. Teachers are not trained Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Educational Psychologists and neither are classroom assistants. Some children need extra support and sometimes, mainstream is not the best setting. Some may thrive in Special Education with small classes and better adult:pupil ratios and that's OK.
SEN provision. Yes, schools have a SENco. Yes, they are highly trained. Yes, they will teach small groups and they will make referrals to external agencies. However, the route to gaining this additional help for children with more complex needs is never an easy one and that is not their fault. The reality is that schools have a quota of Educational Psychology visits per year (where 1 visit means the assessment of 1 child) according to the total number of pupils in the school rather than dictated by the meeting the actual need within a school. Therefore, schools are being asked to prioritize which children are most deserving of help in any one academic year without any criteria and regardless of whether 3 children warrant extra help or 23. This is inherently and morally wrong. Children are being placed on lengthy waiting lists when Early Intervention is clearly key to a child's progress. Surely this contravenes the United Nations Conventions on The Rights of The Child?
Article 23
You have the right to special education and care if you have a disability, as well as all the rights in this Convention, so that you can live a full life.
Article 28
You have the right to a good quality education. You should be encouraged to go to school to the highest level you can.
Teachers are at the chalk-face carrying the brunt of society's wrath when in reality, it is the institutions of our government that are responsible for the lack of attainable services. The excuse is often a shortage of Education Psychologists and their unmanageable workloads. Well here's a mind-blowing idea - How about training more of them? Give a wage and bursaries to experienced teachers in schools across the country who are willing to retrain. Reduce waiting lists for diagnoses and Statements of Educational Need. Counteract this expense by opening up employment opportunities for cheap Newly Qualified Teachers who can't find a job because of experienced teachers retaining their posts.
Invest properly in the futures of our children so that they have the opportunity to be productive adults. It is after all a very basic human right. Look again at the promises made in the Autism Act 2011. Most of all, let's remember when a friendly-faced, local politician knocks on the door during election fever, ask them what their manifesto promises on education and disability. My vote is up for grabs and I will be VERY interested to hear the answer!