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Letter to PC Pro

Dos_Box

By Dos_Box
in IT News

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ninjabeaver

ninjabeaver

Posted
Posted

Yeah, Stewart does not want to release his moth collection from his wallet. lol

 

But it's a good idea to post a pic of it. I'll try and get a copy later, gratz by the way.

woody

woody

Posted
Posted

Well I had a subription last year to PC pro, but I didn't renew it. True, I couldn't fault the quality of articles and the bench tests, but I just got fed up of them putting tv programs on the DVD rather than the stuff you want: useful free programs.

 

Who want's tv programs like 'Starry night theatre' or 'mountain lion' on the front of your DVD? You are buying a PC mag, not a discovery channel advertisement.

 

Anyway, glad to hear the letter was published. I just hope people bother to read it.

OverWorked

OverWorked

Posted
Posted

I've joined EduGeek after reading the letter in PC Pro on Saturday. (I'm a subscriber). I read the first two paragraphs thinking that things in the private sector must be as bad as in school, then read the next sentence and laughed out loud. It's not often PC Pro is good for a laugh.

 

You hit the nail right on the head. I've been here three years and am paid a pittance. A casual trawl of job adverts recently showed that I could increase my salary by at least £7,000 right now by getting a basic IT support job anywhere in the private sector. As soon as a get the MCSA (by Christmas, I think), I'm off.

 

It's not just that. It's the treatment I get from some teachers. A few of them have even shouted at me in front of the kids, mainly because of their lack of undertanding, like Excel didn't do what they expected.

 

I don't even have a budget, the Head manages it himself, and won't even tell me how much it is. This makes it impossible to plan large projects, like server upgrades, email servers, school website and the like.

 

I work alone, supporting the school myself. I have no assistance. We don't even have an ICT co-ordinator, so all the staff access me directly, thinking they're the only ones who need help with their plans for ICT in lessons.

 

I'm glad it's not just me who feels like this. I feel better now.

woody

woody

Posted
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Welcome Overworked! Like the name. I'm pretty new here myself but I do feel at home already. Most of the crew on here are good lads, not to go blowing their trumpet or anything!

 

But it's nice to have people to talk to who understand what you have to put up with, and to help you with the day to day problems that are unique to school setups!

pshuttle

pshuttle

Posted
Posted

Good effort on getting this published. Things at our school are not too bad I suppose but there is definitely room for improvement. We still lose one member of staff every year and to be honest if I want to get on with a career I will have to be next..... My colleague decided enough was enough and will be going on to do a PGCE.

 

My colleague and I had to go through Hell and High Water to be made full time (not term time only) was only on 11,000 previously - they were not prepared to give us a pay rise but we both were in deserate need for more money :(

 

I cannot complain too much as I had an operation recently which ended up infected so I have had four weeks off work - and the staff have been very good to me here.

 

As techicians (I hate that word as it often gets used in a "he is only a young lad technician way" - not as an IT professional with a computing degree and BCS membership etc) we are definitely an under-class in schools and if things are going to get better this has to change!

 

Pete

tarquel

tarquel

Posted
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*makes noise of a trumpet*

 

@Overworked: Welcome to the forum :)

 

I'm sure you'll find this refreshing from the lack of understanding you get at work :) (I know I do)

 

I'm in a similar situation to you, except the head and ICT co-ordinator (who doesnt co-ordinate anything to the teachers that I've seen in the past year or so) hold the money but thankfully she's all for IT (mainly int projectors *groans*)...

 

I wont go into detail (as I have in other topics hehe) but I'm the only sap here in IT, working for peanuts, etc. - I only do it because there simply aren't much IT jobs (no *good* IT jobs btw) around here - and not driving dont help too. The retailer I help said he'd employ me but I told him sat that he cant afford me lol and that I enjoy the networking/server managing side of things - the reason I've stayed I think.

 

PC repair aint fun day in day out for 8 years, thats why I dont want to work for him doing that as I'm pretty bored of that as it is lol

 

/rant

 

Sorry - got me started again lol

 

Edit:

pshuttle @ mark posted while I was writing lol Damn I take a long time lol

 

Welcome to edugeek pshuttle :)

 

Cheers

Nath

StuartC

StuartC

Posted
Posted

my job means i speak to IT technicians from a lot of schools across the country, you see a wide range in IT department development. sometimes there is a whole team, with the latest machines, we've had schools installing lots of our equipment in places they might not need it because they have the spare budget. then there are schools with no IT technicians, i've spoken to some schools where technology teachers (woodwork, design etc) have become the it support, because they are more technical. They are great people, they will work their hardest to help fix problems, but i feel they are sometimes fighting a losing battle if they are given no backup by the people they work for.

 

well done for highlighting this with the letter.

 

its unfortunate that the people who control the budgets wont get to read it.

pshuttle

pshuttle

Posted
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Thanks Mark - I actually have been browsing the forum for a while but had not posted.

 

The lancsngfl forum members will know me and my ranting lol.

 

Pete

Dos_Box

Dos_Box

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Dos_Box, did anyone at the magazine write a reply to your letter? It would be interesting to here what they said!

 

I haven't heard from anyone. I haven't even seen it in print yet!

StewartKnight

StewartKnight

Posted
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I thought I reckognised it as well! Good ol LSA, just to live just down the road @ Cleveleys, and go drinking in Poulton. Even worked at the Civil Service Computer Centre there, on occasion!
RobC

RobC

Posted
Posted

Welcome to all the new members! Good to see you all. :D

 

It's not just that. It's the treatment I get from some teachers. A few of them have even shouted at me in front of the kids, mainly because of their lack of undertanding, like Excel didn't do what they expected.

 

I have to say that I have quite a short fuse when it comes to this sort of thing. Our ICT Co-ordinator's wife is an english teacher here & is extremely demanding regards some things. I have come VERY close on several occasions to letting rip at her, but have managed to keep my cool. Job or no job, I will not let a teacher think that they can laude it over me, especially as I have just been promoted to Technician from Technical Assistant. Thankfully, these sort of staff are in the absolute minority in my school.

 

As for the letter, there was no reply printed at all in the magazine. If I remember, I will scan the page tonight & post it.

pshuttle

pshuttle

Posted
Posted

Just out of interest, are any of you members of a union?

 

I looked into it but I could not find a union which I felt represented us as a technician in the education environment. Perhaps I did not look hard enough.

 

My colleague and I have often joked about organising some industrial action! It is just easier to look for a job in the non education world.

 

Pete

woody

woody

Posted
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I am a member of unison, but I've never seen them speak about 'IT staff in schools' as a group. I'm afraid we come under the goverment-wide classification of 'Public sector workers.'

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