North West News Today

[e_g_r]

Did anyone catch the BBC North West News programme this morning? I missed it but the missus reconed that they were talking about stopping the new builds in Rochdale and Oldham.

 

Nothing on the web though.

[clareq]

£55bn school building programme could be cut - Telegraph

 

£55bn school building plan faces axe to fund Swedish-style system | Education | The Guardian

[Guest theeldergeek]

£55bn school building programme could be cut - Telegraph

 

£55bn school building plan faces axe to fund Swedish-style system | Education | The Guardian

 

What concerned me was Chris Keates, general secretary of NASUWT comments who seemed to be in support of BSF? I get the impression that many of us here are opposed to BSF, but teaching Unions are pro the idea, it seems?

[TechMonkey]

What concerned me was Chris Keates, general secretary of NASUWT comments who seemed to be in support of BSF? I get the impression that many of us here are opposed to BSF, but teaching Unions are pro the idea, it seems?

 

Being a cynic I would guess that was because it doesn't directly affect teaching staff. There wouldn't be teaching redundancies or cut backs linked to BSF. They get shiny new toys and classrooms and some probably think that it will put those techs in their place having to be managed properly by a proper company. Or maybe that's just cos I'm in a grump today.

[e_g_r]

This was specific to the North West and Greater Manchester Authorities

[broc]

Most teaching staff are pro-BSF, at least until they realise for those in schools with falling rolls it means less space, fewer resources....

[Diello]

Teachers just hear the "brand new building and shiny things" line, they don't actually see what it means in reality.

[e_g_r]

Our staff had a brain storming session on what they wanted. Two things that made me laugh were

 

1. State of the art toilets!!!!!

 

2. Better blinds

 

Apparently what we have gets wrecked easily!!!

[broc]

State of the art toilets... tell that to an architect & this is what you get....

 

A building designed with unisex toilets, with staff & student toilets in the same area and nothing to prevent staff toilets being used by students & vice versa? Or how about staff toilets controlled by swipe cards, with locks that malfunction leaving staff locked inside.....

 

I am not joking.....

[Dos_Box]

Being a cynic I would guess that was because it doesn't directly affect teaching staff. There wouldn't be teaching redundancies or cut backs linked to BSF. They get shiny new toys and classrooms and some probably think that it will put those techs in their place having to be managed properly by a proper company. Or maybe that's just cos I'm in a grump today.

 

True. Imagine if teaching staff were told that their contracts were to be taken over by a third party company and their paygrades 're-aligned' and then some of them would no longer be required. Then tell them that the nice shney new building they will occupy will, for all intents and purposes, belong to someone else and they control they have over it and a large chunk of it's contents, minimal. And I think that mentioning the fact that the proce for most common maintenance\installation tasks such as new mains plugs and network sockets will almost double.

I'm sure they will be over the moon.

TBH, if teh govt goes ahead with the 'free' schools idea these schools could run at a greatly reduced cost compared to new build BSF simply because they will have the freedom to shop around for the best deals in all areas. I wonder if they will be able to dictate teacher wages?

[AyatollahPies]

Who ever dreamt up the idea of Unisex toilets should have their head flushed in one.

 

Women have enough trouble going to the loo in women only toilets when there is another woman in there*, so I doubt very much if they'd be happy to go knowing a man is there too.

 

 

(* Apart from when they're out clubbing for some reason and all share a cubicle )

[e_g_r]

State of the art toilets... tell that to an architect & this is what you get....

 

A building designed with unisex toilets, with staff & student toilets in the same area and nothing to prevent staff toilets being used by students & vice versa? Or how about staff toilets controlled by swipe cards, with locks that malfunction leaving staff locked inside.....

 

I am not joking.....

 

Is there a real UK school example of this?

[broc]

Is there a real UK school example of this?

They are real BSF schools, I could name & shame the two schools, but I would prefer not to. In the school with the swipe card locks staff took their mobile phones with them in case they needed to be let out In the case of the mixed toilet school, discussions are ongoing with the staff who are unhappy about what has happened. I believe the plan is to designate one block male & another female, and erect some sort of dividing wall between the staff & student toilets, but the school was certainly built as I described.

Edited May 19, 2010 by broc

[GrumbleDook]

True. Imagine if teaching staff were told that their contracts were to be taken over by a third party company and their paygrades 're-aligned' and then some of them would no longer be required. Then tell them that the nice shney new building they will occupy will, for all intents and purposes, belong to someone else and they control they have over it and a large chunk of it's contents, minimal. And I think that mentioning the fact that the proce for most common maintenance\installation tasks such as new mains plugs and network sockets will almost double.

I'm sure they will be over the moon.

TBH, if teh govt goes ahead with the 'free' schools idea these schools could run at a greatly reduced cost compared to new build BSF simply because they will have the freedom to shop around for the best deals in all areas. I wonder if they will be able to dictate teacher wages?

 

Sorry, but this has happened. Teachers in schools going to trust or academy status also get involved in major changes of contracts and the discussions get very nasty. The whole attitude of the martyr that some people have seem to forget that it happens to others too. This is why I go on about how disappointing the lack on union involvement is. Perhaps we should just admit that teachers have better unions than support staff.

[SpuffMonkey]

They are real BSF schools, I could name & shame the two schools, but I would prefer not to. In the school with the swipe card locks staff took their mobile phones with them in case they needed to be let out In the case of the mixed toilet school, discussions are ongoing with the staff who are unhappy about what has happened. I believe the plan is to designate one block male & another female, and erect some sort of dividing wall between the staff & student toilets, but the school was certainly built as I described.

 

I believe that workplace toilets MUST be gender segregated and that staff & students should have separate facilities.

[TechMonkey]

Sorry, but this has happened. Teachers in schools going to trust or academy status also get involved in major changes of contracts and the discussions get very nasty. The whole attitude of the martyr that some people have seem to forget that it happens to others too. This is why I go on about how disappointing the lack on union involvement is. Perhaps we should just admit that teachers have better unions than support staff.

 

I've no doubt about that, I have heard of schools where everyone has had to reapply for their jobs, but with BSF it doesn't so there is no worries for them. This isn't a them against us issue, it is just so far from the average teachers thought that they have no clue. Whereas inversely most teacher issues effect support staff either because they are effected as well or because the solution means passing on work (12 tasks, rarely cover etc)

 

I can say though, the instant it comes up here I'm getting the Union involved.

[broc]

I believe that workplace toilets MUST be gender segregated and that staff & students should have separate facilities.

I cannot comment about your first point, but technically they are seperate facilities, they just happen to be physically adjacent with no restrictions (at present) to prevent either set of users using either set of facilities.