Rant: School IT Support

[carlosvr6]

Well things have been bad since i started working as an ICT technician in a secondary school. The usual stuff like teachers printing their own photos and buying cameras and video cameras and then leaving them at home and never remembering to bring them back.
I have been pretty peed off about these things in the past and have made comments, not in a bad way but sarcastically trying to get my point across that they have no morals and ethics and how do they expect the kids to be.

Overtime i have just turned a blind eye and have'nt commented but today i am really really peed off cos i'm having to order a batch of extra laptop chargers because apparently the techers find them to heavy to carry to and fro home everyday so they can have one at home and one at school. I mean the laptops in themselves are only a year oldish and pretty light (so i cant understand how heavy a charger can be to carry from a classroom to a car) and this really bugs me because come near the end of the financial year they will be telling most of the kids here that they have no money for excercise books.

Sorry for the long post but just needed to get this off my chest.

 

[Vonhelmet]

Yeah, it's a rubbish and thankless job. You have some of the hardest users to support (endless stream of new software for the teachers, destructive and malicious students) and you get paid way less than you would in industry for the same job.

That's why I'm jumping ship in a few months and becoming a tax advisor!

 

[carlosvr6]

Yeah, it's a rubbish and thankless job. You have some of the hardest users to support (endless stream of new software for the teachers, destructive and malicious students) and you get paid way less than you would in industry for the same job.

Well i work term-time only so pick up just over £800 a month and thats after my increment in April. Might need to change occupation myself.

 

[benjo plz.]

It's a very stressfull sounding job tbh, I doubt I'd be able to cope with it :\.

this really bugs me because come near the end of the financial year they will be telling most of the kids here that they have no money for excercise books.

Tbh, it's easier not to get involved with things like this, as it makes life a hell of a lot more stressful.

 

[Raumarik]

I don't have any of those problems in my schools (highschool and feeder primaries). Network manager though and there's no way in hell I'd order extra chargers for teachers because they were too heavy, senior management would back me all the way on it too.

I also don't get that many stupid faults reported, the odd problem with someone trying to enter a numerical password without the number lock on but nothing major. I'm very well paid, have a nice server room and brand spanking new servers so I'm pretty damn happy to be honest It can be thankless at times but on the whole I find it extremely rewarding and can see the impact I have on the school.

It sounds like you need to have a chat with your senior management team, raise your concerns about misuse of equipment and funds and stop with the sarcastic comments, come out with it! Sarcastic comments just don't work with teachers!

My main problem at the moment is staff wanting "smart boards", all well and good but they forget that projector lamps need replacing at £150-£200 a shot and they have to pay out of thier departmental budgets. Problem is we need updated clients not smart boards, 20% of the computers in here are still running Windows 95! I've already explained that I can't start spending my own money repairing computers which the school was allocated replacement funds for 5 years ago and used them elsewhere... like smart boards

 

[Manlove is my forte]

If you have control over this buget then be firm and tell them to stop whining. If you don't have a say then there is not much you can do.

IMO it is a bit short sighted for teachers to ask for a second charger, if they want the luxury of one at home then they can buy it, themselfs. The school does not benifit.

 

[afraser2k]

If you have control over this buget then be firm and tell them to stop whining. If you don't have a say then there is not much you can do.

IMO it is a bit short sighted for teachers to ask for a second charger, if they want the luxury of one at home then they can buy it, themselfs. The school does not benifit.

I agree, I'd also stop them from borrowing equipment from the school altogether due to items going missing.

 

[The_KiD]

Tell them that if the laptop chargers are too heavy, then they have to live without using their laptops.

Surely even kids understand that if you dont bring the plug then you cant play.

 

[carlosvr6]

senior management would back me all the way on it too.

The trouble at this place is the senior management. Well not all of them but certainly the deputy head who looks after all the financies. End of the day he has the last say and when teacehrs go moaning to him he lets them have what they want.

His just had a new lightweight laptop himself cos of his athritis which seems to be fine when he goes skiing etc on his holidays

 

[Raumarik]

Thought it sounded like your management team, fortunately ours is pretty good and it's our business support manager who controls the finances and he's my boss. He's also the guy who said to me the morning I started "I know **** all about computers, if it's IT related, your in charge"

Always a good start