Teachers stage working conditions protest outside Stoke-on-Trent City Council HQ (video)

“Gdaws. Well written. Totally agree with you. The 'cruisers' need to be woken up and those who are not up to the job are weeded out. These are our youngsters and that they are entitled to the best preparedess for life in their future that the system can provide.”

“Gdaws. Well written. Totally agree with you. The 'cruisers' need to be woken up and those who are not up to the job are weeded out. These are our youngsters that they are entitled to the best preparedess for life that the system can provide.”

“I am a mainstream teacher and I am baffled by this story! Yes there are changes to performance management policy as well as competency procedures and performance related pay but I welcome these changes! In the past there have been teachers who have 'cruised along' feeling that they can do the bare minimum whilst potentially putting children's education at risk (and still getting paid a good wage). These changes will make sure that those left responsible for teaching our children, including those teaching our 'deaf and visually impaired youngsters', are of the highest quality who are competent enough and capable enough to teach! Surely, if a teacher knows that they are capable enough and are successful at delivering high quality education to their pupils, then these teachers have nothing to worry about having a new performance management policy. If a teacher is worried, may this suggest that they know they have areas of weakness in their teaching??? Another point: Whose going to be around to support schools with 'deaf and visually impaired youngsters' whilst their teachers are on strike? Seems to me like vulnerable children are being put in an even more vulnerable position!!!!”

“How can performance management be really termed as working conditions. It is only a means to get improved results (in whatever form that may take) for the children there and to measure the improvement. Surely that is what teachers should be doing anyway. Provding that it is done fairly - what is the problem? It can reward better teachers, identify improvements for others, and weed out failures - is this what they are afraid of?”

“Moanamma.....my criticism of teachers wasn't anything to do with their work ethic....I have no doubt the vast majority of teachers apply themselves extremely diligently to their vocation. However, using already disadvantaged kids, to support the "merits" of their case cannot be right whether their particular grievance is justified or not. The teachers involved do themselves and their profession, no credit and fully justify the criticism rightfully heaped upon them in this particular instance.”

“To all those who are criticising the teachers ( and no, I'm not a teacher, neither is my wife, son, mum etc etc) please, before you come out with the same old drivel about holidays, working hours and the rest of the unfounded and naive (at best) opinions, try to educate yourselves as to the realities of modern teaching. Lessons don't plan themselves, nor do books mark themselves, reports write themselves and so on. This is one of the few professions in the public sector (and private for that matter) where the workers take work home and continue there. Well after the children's school hours, well into "holidays" and weekends. If this is such an easy job surely we should all aspire to become teachers. Easy life???!”

“Youngsters, starting out in life, already burdened by the loss of hearing or sight, now after endure being used as "political pawns" between the very people who are there to help them and the council. Shame on the teachers , supposedly the pillars of any society, who can allow this to happen to such already disadvantaged youngsters.....you can expect from the Council, we all know they havent a clue.”

“Time these lefty teachers got into the real world. Try being unemployed then you'll know what stress is. Public sector workers-and i use the term workers lightly-do not know they're born.”

“Time these lefty teachers got into the real world. Try being unemployed then you'll know what stress is. Public sector workers-and i use the term workers lightly-do not know they're born.”

“I see I wasn't the only one who had a problem with the commenting system today...”