Job Discussion Forums

[The Fifth Column]

[HS123]

If we could take the educational allowance and use it to fund nursery fees I'd be delighted, but the feedback I've had so far suggests this is not possible. Do you know anyone who gets the allowance for kids under 5 and, if so, from which employers? Thanks.

[nomad soul]

[HS123]

Realised that The Fifth Column was probably being sarcastic - sorry

[The Fifth Column]

[veiledsentiments]

And then we singles got to hear from mommies/mummies who thought that we should arrange our teaching schedules and/or cover their classes to accommodate their little darlings' schedules. And we should cover for them at holidays so they could be with them. etc... etc.. I informed them that unless my pay was supplemented - preferably directly from theirs - I wasn't planning to do their work for them just because they had reproduced.

And then there were the two (or was it three) month maternity leaves that all of us got to cover for no extra pay. At one employer we had at least one teacher out on maternity leave every semester for 4 years.

Do I need to go on?

VS

[The Fifth Column]

[hamergirl]

Wow VS, bitter much? Those of us with children greatly appreciate the "family first/child friendly" mentality here. Of course teaching/proctoring schedules should be made to accommodate families - it's how things work here. I have never heard of maternity leave having to be covered without pay at any of the three main universities here. Also, maternity leave is only 8 weeks, and when you were working here it was only 6.

Birth rates in the west are plummeting - largely due to the disdain with which families and children are treated there. This region's love of children and respect for the family is something they do very very right. It's a lovely place to raise a family.

[veiledsentiments]

Bitter? No, that isn't the term that I would use, but everyone gets sick and tired of doing someone else's work for no extra pay... while having to listen to them whinge about how they are mummies and shouldn't have to do any of the extra work during evenings and weekends, and we single people should have to do it because we don't have any responsibilities to our families. Well sorry "mommy/mummy" but we have the same contract and you are the ones who chose to have children.

Same as one covers classes when any teacher is sick without extra pay - as stated in all the contracts, none of the 3 government universities and one private paid...

VS

[spiral78]

[nomad soul]

[johnslat]

Let's also get angry at the institutions themselves, which rather than having sensible and fair procedures in place, shift the onus onto the teaching staff.

They are the real villains here.

Regards,
John

[spiral78]

Dear John:

As you're aware, these things are so strongly culturally based....
The Netherlands is also extremely family-friendly and childless teachers are often expected to take up the inevitable slack when children require attention during work time.

I agree there should be a better way - those of us who are childless are not second class, though we're all-too-often treated that way.

Best,
spiral

[johnslat]

Dear spiral87,

Well, culturally-based can cover a multitude of . . . . . behaviors, at least some of which could be, in my opinion, unfair treatment.

Lest I be accused of being "culturally-insensitive," let me make it clear that I include ALL cultures in that statement, and that, yes. I am also aware that my views of what's just and fair are very subjective and - you guessed it -culturally-based (and, no doubt, biased, as well).

Regards,
John

[The Fifth Column]