Heading: Schools closed after they open for the first day of the new term... Indefinite strike action proposed by Teachers' Union from the the start of the new school year
Hey, Greek teachers, you don't scare me.
I know you are making very little money at the moment (like most of us - we are all in the same boat), and you believe you deserve more (like most of us), and some of you are about to lose their job (like so many of us in the private sector). And striking is the only way you know how to make your demands known in Greece. It used to work really well before, but not so much now, except as a scare tactic. There is strength in numbers, though, and you're the big tough nuts out there in the Greek public sector.
But it's not your fault - that's what you've been brought up to believe, to demand your working rights by not working. So I forgive you in that respect - but you of all people in the Greek public service should be the more creative ones, given all that knowledge of yours in your head; you should know all the answers. Admittedly you can't strike in August, because you can't hold pupils, students and parents to ransom then (schools are still closed for summer holidays). So you're threatening with strike action next month, as soon as they open.
But do you realise that parents are already used to their kids not going to school? Summer lasts a long time in Greece... And you do know that those bloody stupid set textbooks you yourselves complain about all the time are all available online? We don't need to go to school to have them given to us or explained... In my case, I've got to drive 22km to take my kids to school every day. So I guess I'll be saving a pot of money in petrol...
All the above may all sound like a simplistic view to you. But you can see why I'm not worried if the schools are going to stay closed indefinitely, while you have your little revolution.
Changing your mindset is like breaking a horse. It's a very painful process for both sides - but it has to be done. And eventually it happens. When the horse is broken, it takes on a purposeful mind of its own. But it takes hard work, and a lot of patience. Greeks are a little less patient perhaps than others, so maybe they are more like mules. Mules are mules all their lives, but if Greeks want, they don't have to be mules - they can become horses. It will just take a little longer.
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Hey, Greek teachers, you don't scare me.
I know you are making very little money at the moment (like most of us - we are all in the same boat), and you believe you deserve more (like most of us), and some of you are about to lose their job (like so many of us in the private sector). And striking is the only way you know how to make your demands known in Greece. It used to work really well before, but not so much now, except as a scare tactic. There is strength in numbers, though, and you're the big tough nuts out there in the Greek public sector.
But it's not your fault - that's what you've been brought up to believe, to demand your working rights by not working. So I forgive you in that respect - but you of all people in the Greek public service should be the more creative ones, given all that knowledge of yours in your head; you should know all the answers. Admittedly you can't strike in August, because you can't hold pupils, students and parents to ransom then (schools are still closed for summer holidays). So you're threatening with strike action next month, as soon as they open.
But do you realise that parents are already used to their kids not going to school? Summer lasts a long time in Greece... And you do know that those bloody stupid set textbooks you yourselves complain about all the time are all available online? We don't need to go to school to have them given to us or explained... In my case, I've got to drive 22km to take my kids to school every day. So I guess I'll be saving a pot of money in petrol...
All the above may all sound like a simplistic view to you. But you can see why I'm not worried if the schools are going to stay closed indefinitely, while you have your little revolution.
Changing your mindset is like breaking a horse. It's a very painful process for both sides - but it has to be done. And eventually it happens. When the horse is broken, it takes on a purposeful mind of its own. But it takes hard work, and a lot of patience. Greeks are a little less patient perhaps than others, so maybe they are more like mules. Mules are mules all their lives, but if Greeks want, they don't have to be mules - they can become horses. It will just take a little longer.
So I just want you to remember - you don't scare me.
It's just for this year - it will pass. Eventually.
Έλληνες εκπαιδευτικοί, δεν με τρομάζετε.
Ξέρω ότι βγάζετε πολύ λίγα χρήματα αυτή τη στιγμή (όπως όλους μας - είμαστε όλοι στο ίδιο καράβι), και πιστεύετε ότι σας αξίζει περισσότερο (όπως όλους μας, πάλι), και κάποιοι από εσάς πρόκειται να χάσετε τη δουλειά σας (όπως τόσοι πολλοί από εμάς στον ιδιωτικό τομέα). Και η απεργία είναι ο μόνος τρόπος που ξέρετε πώς να κάνετε γνωστές τις απαιτήσεις σας στην Ελλάδα. Μια φορά κι'έναν καιρό, αυτή η μόδα είχε πολύ πέραση, αλλά όχι τόσο πολύ τώρα, παρά μόνο ως τακτική εκφοβισμού. Υπάρχει δύναμη στους αριθμούς, όμως, και είστε τα μεγάλα σκληρά καρύδια στον ελληνικό δημόσιο τομέα.
Αλλά δεν φτάιτε κι'εσείς μόνο - φτάιει ότι έτσι σας έχουν αναθρέψει να πιστεύετε, να απαιτήτε εργασιακά δικαιώματα με το να μην εργάζεστε. Γι'αυτό τον λόγο, σας συγχωρώ - αλλά απ'όλους τους άνθρωπους σ'αυτό τον σάπιο τομέα όπου ανήκετε, το ελληνικό δημόσιο, εσείς θα πρέπει να είστε οι πιο δημιουργηκοί, δεδομένου ότι κρατάτε τόσες γνώσεις μέσα στα κεφάλια σας. Θα πρέπει να γνωρίζετε όλες τις απαντήσεις.
Βεβαίως δεν μπορείτε να απεργήσετε τον Αύγουστο, επειδή τότε δεν μπορείτε να κρατάτε όμηρους τους μαθητές, τους φοιτητές και τους γονείς (τα σχολεία εξακολουθούν να είναι κλειστά για τις καλοκαιρινές διακοπές). Ωπότε, απειλείται με απρεγίες τον επόμενο μήνα, μόλις ανοίξουν τα σχολεία πάλι.
Βεβαίως δεν μπορείτε να απεργήσετε τον Αύγουστο, επειδή τότε δεν μπορείτε να κρατάτε όμηρους τους μαθητές, τους φοιτητές και τους γονείς (τα σχολεία εξακολουθούν να είναι κλειστά για τις καλοκαιρινές διακοπές). Ωπότε, απειλείται με απρεγίες τον επόμενο μήνα, μόλις ανοίξουν τα σχολεία πάλι.
Αλλά δεν έχετε συνειδητοποιήσει ότι οι γονείς έχουν ήδη συνηθίσει την κατάσταση - ότι δεν πηγαίνουν τα παιδιά τους στο σχολιό. Το καλοκαίρι έχει πολύ μεγάλη διάρκεια στη Ελλαδίτσα μας... Και σίγουρα ξέρετε ότι αυτά τα ηλίθια βιβλία για τα οποία εσείς οι ίδιοι συνέχεια διαμαρτύρεστε είναι όλα διαθέσιμα σε απευθείας σύνδεση (γιου νόου, online). Δεν χρειάζεται να πάμε στο σχολιό για να μας τα δώσετε, ούτε να μας τα εξηγήσετε... Στην περίπτωσή μου επίσης, πρέπει να οδηγώ 22 χιλιόμετρα για να πάω τα παιδιά μου στο σχολείο κάθε μέρα. Έτσι υποθέτω ότι θα κερδίσω πολλά λεφτά μην εξοδεύοντας χρήματα για βενζίνη.
Όλα τα παραπάνω μπορεί να ακούγονται σαν μια απλοϊκή άποψη των πραγμάτων. Αλλά σίγουρα έχετε καταλάβει γιατί εγώ δεν ανησυχώ αν τα σχολεία πρόκειται να παραμείνουν κλειστά επ 'αόριστον, ενώ εσείς κανετε την επανάστασή σας.
Η αλλαγή της νοοτροπίας σας είναι παρόμοια με τον τρόπο που γίνονται τα άλογα πιο υπάκουα. Είναι μια πολύ επώδυνη διαδικασία και για τις δύο πλευρές - αλλά πρέπει να γίνει. Και τελικά γίνεται. Όταν το άλογο 'σπάσει', παίρνει τον δρόμο του με το δικό του νου. Αλλά χρειάζεται σκληρή δουλειά και πολλή υπομονή. Οι Έλληνες έχουν ίσως λιγότερη υπομονή απ' άλλους, οπότε μάλλον μοιάζουν περισσότερο με μουλάρια. Τα μουλάρια παραμένουν μουλάρια όλη τους τη ζωή, αλλά αν θέλουν οι Έλληνες, δεν χρειάζεται να παραμείνουν μουλάρια - μπορούν να γίνουν άλογα. Απλώς θα πάρει περισσότερο χρόνο.
Γι 'αυτό ακριβώς θέλω να θυμάστε - δεν με τρομάζετε.
Αυτή η κατάσταση είναι μόνο για το τρέχον έτος - θα περάσει. Τελικά...
©All Rights Reserved/Organically cooked. No part of this blog may be reproduced and/or copied by any means without prior consent from Maria Verivaki.
I can see that coming to us too... Actually, public workers are always on strike whereas us, the private sector workers are afraid of going on strike, cos we might loose our job... I know people earn less (same here) but some things are not going to happen anymore. I remember the time when teachers had nearly 3 months of holidays... why? Law workers had 2 months of holidays while judicial processes got way behind... why? I know it's being hard on everyone but we have to face the fact that we were big spenders for no reason. All the money we got from the EU was spent building roads to nowhere and fattening the pockets from the governments friends. I know I didn't spend more than I was earning and that some else spent that precious money. But we got to sort this out. I'm not sure strikes are going to solve anything anymore. It's a matter of changing out attitude and being more pro-active. But what do I know...
ReplyDeletethe fear of striking in the private sector is now past in greece - workers know that they have nowhere else to go (it is fear, coupled with reality check)
Deleteand if you remember a time in portugal when teachers had 3 months off for summer, then portugal is doing better than greece, where students are off school from june 15 until september 10 (3 months!), as well as two weeks off at easter, two weeks off at christmas, and the regular public holidays - so the actual time a pupil is in school not including strike time is less than 7-1/2 months (not including weekends)
Theachers here had all of those holidays too, but then always claimed that the short holidays were being used to prepare the new terms and to grade students after all the tests... But really, when I was in school we had soooooo many holidays, specially in summer that by the time I would be back to school I already had studied on my own everything we where supposed to study during the term!!! I think Greece and Portugal and very alike in many, many things!
DeleteThanks, you took the words right out of my mouth. Great post Maria. Greek teachers need to quit whining and pouting and they need to grow up. NO one has more time off than they do- in any profession. They need to do their jobs. Period.
ReplyDeletesounds to me like they have already lost the game - i have had people sharing the post, and no one against my venom
DeleteI think everyone, except for teachers, is tired of this tactic.
ReplyDeleteThey should use what I now call ERT psychology, if they strike fire them and immediately announce that schools and teaching are off limits to them. They will react by going to work and even teaching for free as a reaction ! :-P
ReplyDeleteERT psychology - this is what i was thinking about this morning - i bet they are already thinking that they probably wont really be going to go on strike indefinitely
Delete