I always thought that teachers had a really tough job, but that the benefits they received (such as long school holidays) successfully balanced the difficultly of the job. But what one teacher had to say, as reported in this Education Guardian article made me think that, perhaps, teachers
have it easier than I thought:

“People aren’t necessarily going to want, after a hard day, to watch teacher telly,” says music teacher Robert Fox. “We shouldn’t be expected to do training outside work time.”

That’s a heck of a cushy job then, if you only work 9-5, Monday to Friday, with thirteen weeks’ holiday, on a starting salary of nearly £19,000, with no requirement for out-of-hours training. That’s nearly £14 per hour.

A £19,000 starting salary is much more than (and I know I’m biased here) a PRHO’s starting salary of £17,935, which works out at an hourly rate of £8.97. And medics have to pay for five year’s tutition too (and will be in around £20,000 debt under the current system – more under the new system) because of this. Is a newly qualified teacher really worth 55% more per hour than a newly qualified doctor? And when did you last hear about doctors complaining about having to do out-of-hours training?

I have the upmost repect for the hardwork teachers do, but I really hope they stop moaning about how much they get paid, especially if they’re going to make comments like that above when a TV service is being provided to make their job easier (at a cost equivalent of 1000 PRHOs, or 346 GPs, or 376 dentists). When so much is spent on making an already attractive job easier, only to be received with comments like the above, it makes me feel really quite angry.