Are teachers necessary? - or can they be replaced by self-learners, parents,
or do-it-yourself? After all, most specialist jobs are merely those we
haven't got time to perform ourselves, so delegate. "Those who can, do;
those who can't, teach." - and - "Those who can't teach, take gym" (movie:
"School of Rock"). There are two main criticisms levelled at teachers (a)
that they often come into the profession straight from school, and thus have
no experience of "the real world"; and (b) that they have long holidays (12
weeks per year). The answer to the first is that we all live in the real
world, one way or another, insofar as marrying, raising a family, and paying
off a mortgage, is concerned. The answer to the second is that teachers,
when they do work, work twice as hard as most people - preparing lessons,
controlling a class, and marking papers afterwards. Still, when teachers
make an (ambit?) claim for a pay rise of 30%, then it could indicate an
inflated ego, and might result in the demand that they work a full year,
like everyone else. PS. Note stuck on the masters' Common Room door -
"Bread is the staff of life, but the life of the staff is one long loaf".
=========================

Archived from group: aus>education