[news] Schools are closed as teachers cannot afford to live close to schools

[somabc]

Who can afford to live next to where they work!? Certainly not me!

 

Francis Gilbert: Schools are still closed because teachers can't afford to live near where they work | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

 

No, the real reason is because many inner-city teachers are exiled to the remote shires, living in homes they can afford on their modest wages.

 

A colleague of mine told me the other day that she would need to put down 40% of her dream home's value before getting a mortgage to buy it – something she couldn't possibly ever hope of doing.

[jamesb]

When working as a network manager I couldn't even have afforded to rent a broom cupboard near the school, let alone think for two seconds about buying one.

 

As such, my sympathy on this matter is a little conflicted. Its not just teachers who are needed to keep a school running.

[danIT]

When working in a school I always wanted to be as far away from it as possible, nothing worse then bumping into pupils at the school when doing your weekly shop.

[webman]

What will they complain about next to try and get themselves more money I wonder?

[rad]

When working in a school I always wanted to be as far away from it as possible, nothing worse then bumping into pupils at the school when doing your weekly shop.

 

Totally agree!

 

I work about 6 miles from home, normally this is too close but in London, its way away. I would not be able to afford to live in a good place nearby,.

[tech_guy]

When working in a school I always wanted to be as far away from it as possible, nothing worse then bumping into pupils at the school when doing your weekly shop.

 

Yes, I agree too. I live 20 miles away from the school and it's bloody brilliant in more ways than one.

[powdarrmonkey]

I had teachers who drove from the wrong side of Birmingham to Alcester every day, in all weathers, and one who drove from the Forest of Dean and was always on time, even in snow. There's no reason teachers couldn't do it nowadays too.

 

Edit: for perspective, that's a 120-mile round trip almost.

[nicholab]

My dream home would be my own House!!!

[Geoff]

I'd buy Hawaii.

[alan-d]

I'd buy Hawaii.

 

I'll let you know when I want to sell it

 

[apoth0r]

First the Earth, then the universe!

Get 'orf my laaaaaaaaaaand!

[elsiegee40]

When working in a school I always wanted to be as far away from it as possible, nothing worse then bumping into pupils at the school when doing your weekly shop.

 

I live 10 minutes from school which is good up to a point. However, it would be nice to go into Pizaa Express or Sainsbury's without a youngster saying loudly "That's Mrs G...!"

 

I actually asked for a different table as I was being seated at Pizza Express a week or so ago. I would have been surrounded by kids from my school

[tmcd35]

I had teachers who drove from the wrong side of Birmingham

 

Erm, is there a 'right side' of Birmingham? If so I've never found it (sorry to anyone living in Birmingham).

[mac_shinobi]

Erm, is there a 'right side' of Birmingham? If so I've never found it (sorry to anyone living in Birmingham).

 

Makes 2 of us lol

[danrhodes]

I live about 20miles away and that just a nice distance away to not see any of the kids and its also a nice little drive too :-)

[CHR1S]

Erm, is there a 'right side' of Birmingham? If so I've never found it (sorry to anyone living in Birmingham).

 

More like right areas lol and yes there are a few if you look hard enough

[tmcd35]

More like right areas lol and yes there are a few if you look hard enough

 

Oh now come on, you got to give me more than that! How about an example or two? You're just teasing me are you not?

 

I studied for three years at the UEA (university in Norwich), which is a grey boring, depressing concrete mess. Every time I've been to Birmingham it's immediately reminded me of my university days. Grey, cold and boring! That and it always bloody rains! Why is it every time I go anywhere near that part of the M6 the heavens open?

 

Still sooner visit Birmingham again than Stoke-on-Trent

 

(again sorry to anyone unfortunate enough to live in these places and actually like them).

[Rydra]

I was lucky enough to get a job within a mile or so of where I live, and TBH it'd take a LOT for me to move to another job further away.

 

When I look at a job offer, I consider "How much time do I put into the work", "How much travel time is involved ON TOP OF the work", and "How much more money would I get by working that far away."

 

Now my original job was 6-8 miles away, and about 30-35 minutes drive. I now work about 1 mile from where I live, and less than 10 minutes drive (cannot wait for weather to sort itself out, so I can finish building my shed, and cycle to work!)

 

I was offered a job recently working 30-40 miles from where I live/work now, the salary was £3,000 more, involved longer days, and more of them (I currently work Term Time+a bit extra). I may have got some expenses towards travel costs, which would have boosted the salary a bit, but I considered adding another 3 hours of driving to my day each day, and the added wear/tear on my car not to be worth it, let alone working another 15-20% of the time.

 

Education, like pretty much every government based work, hasn't moved with the trends in the private sector; once being a teacher, or a doctor etc meant you were the top of your game, and paid better than some, often better than most others in a similar field.

But that pay hasn't really moved much in 30 years, whereas every other profession, and even private equivalents to the same professions has gone up and up, and often those in education or government are seen as "Substandard" to others.

 

If you pay peanuts, expect to employ monkeys?