Many teachers in Bournemouth are expecting to see a change in the upcoming general election regarding the insufficient funding in schools.
Crystal Appiah, who works as a tutor, said politics has significantly impacted her life.
“I think there’s even still issues to do with equal pay and even the lecturers and stuff like that. And it’s also to do with how the government is running things at the moment.”
In view of the forthcoming election, Appiah said she would vote to see the changes in children’s rights.
Similarly, Paul Bacon, a local teacher, also wanted to work ‘under a different government’, not the Conservatives.
Teaching came out on top in terms of the highest amounts of unpaid work with many teachers averaging on 4.4 hours each week. According to The Trades Union Congress (TUC), 40% teachers worked unpaid overtime last year.
In Bournemouth, many schools and teachers are facing struggles due to the plan to cut down on the mainstream school budgets of BCP Council.
Abby Marie Collins, a primary school teacher in Bournemouth, said: “There’s not enough funding to support the children as adequately as we need, particularly in regards to being in a mainstream school. I think that the pay doesn’t reflect the amount of work that you’re putting into caring for the children and just in schools in general.”
She also did the strikes for the “demands of everyday lives in school”.
Tom Hayes, Labour Candidate for Bournemouth East said: “Schools are going through underfunding and an undervaluing of the workforce. And overall, our education system just needs to be improved.”
He also said that there’re “professionals who are giving their life to supporting the education of children and young people who are feeling cast adrift, who are feeling undervalued”.
“We just want to give support to teachers so they can go and do their life’s work, their vocation, which is to educate a future generation,” Hayes added.
