Why can't Teacher training be done in summer holidays

[daffodil10]

Why do summer holidays need to be extended by 3 days to cover inset days when teachers have had 6 weeks off. And before I get shot down I realise they may have been in school over the holidays etc. But what is the point in going back to school on a Thursday

Does it matter? This year last day of summer term (here in Scotland) was a Wednesday. Kids had their time off, went back on a Wednesday. Teachers were in the two days before that. Holidays aren't always clear Monday-Friday weeks, especially at Christmas depending on what day it falls.

It really doesn't matter.

Because senior management like to make us sit in a hall and listen to them drone on about rubbish. Then they like to tell us we are all crap and must try harder. Then they like to tell us there is no budget so don't expect anything. After that its lunch and more torture.
You have to have a certain amount of training days a year. We have a certain number of days we work.
The inset days are generally very busy getting things ready and meeting with your team. It's surprisingly hard to get together in the holidays because people are away.

Teachers work most weekends as well or all the ones I know do. And most evenings.

I think we should have them more spread out over the year. Odd long weekends so parents can get cheaper weekends away. Or quieter days at popular attractions.

Why is it that people have absolutely no respect for teachers?

From observing these threads I think it's a mutual thing.

I have huge respect for the work that teachers do, but from MN itndoes come across that many teachers have very little respect for parents, particularly those who work. I know teachers come in for a lot of stick and have pretty grim and worsening conditions. But the way parents (particularly those who are in different jobs) are talked about by some teachers on Mumsnet (and I'm pretty sure in my kid's school based on some of the veiled comments) does chip away at that a little. People are expected to be experts on teachers' employment contracts, on how INSET days work, and if they ask a question they're attacked.

I disagree with the way OP went about her original question but all of us are new or newish parents at school at some point and probably show our ignorance.

Nope!

Winebomb: She will be surprised when he doesn't want to go into the class tomorrow because he is scared

Is that comment meant to be jocular/facetious/roguish,etc? Do you honestly think your child's teacher will be surprised that he doesn't want to go into the classroom.

In my experience, with those starting school, it's a tossup whether there are more parents or children crying. This lasts, for the children, generally all of ten minutes. Parents, sometimes more.

People who complain about teachers are the worst.

It's not exactly a super hard profession to get into, the country needs a lot of teachers, it's open to anyone with some work experience, a 2:1 degree in your subject and good academics - in shortage subjects you might not need any work experience.

Knock yourself out, go train to be a teacher if you're jealous of their fab working conditions.

Mine started back Monday anyway.

Oh I love inset days before starting new year. It gives dc(and parents) extra days to get ready. I find it easier if the term starts on other days, rather than on Mondays.

My very first ODFOD.

For every parent who wants Inset days spread out throughout the year, there's another who wants them tacked on to the holidays.

Schools can't win.

Betsy there is a valid reason for schools to be closed on polling days though. When my school was used, staff were required to be in but to have no contact with any voters using the station. School trips or not it would be virtually impossible to have children anywhere near that building. And how can you be sure that groups attending the zoo that day were from schools being used as polling stations? Not every school across the country is used, just a relative handful. (Additionally, elections don't happen yearly so these closures won't happen all the time. Bit of a non-complaint really.)

JassyRadlett I have to agree with everything you said!

Also, I'm not denying it's a hard job (I know some of what it entails as some family members are teachers). But some people are claiming it's the hardest job in the world which I don't think is correct. My job (care sector) is hard as well but in a different way. I wouldn’t be suited to teaching just as many teachers wouldn't be suited to my job. Doesn't mean we have to fight about who has it the hardest.

Yes people should be more respectful of teachers but I think people shouls be more respectful of others in general, teachers included.

Teachers and schools are not childcare facilities. If you have issues about childcare, should not have had kids.

They are places for teaching and learning. This requires that the teachers maintain the range of professional standards that they need to adhere to.

Furthermore, we seem to thing schools are also social care institutes where schools are the first line to deal with issues parents struggle with. Like actual parenting and everything associated with it.

Perhaps we should just hand over children at the age of 5 and get them back at the age of 16? Seems to be the way we are heading right now anyway.

yes teachers are paid throughout the year but are NOT paid for the holidays

So a newly qualified teacher on £22,000 doing 7.5 hours a day 194 days a year earns more than £15 an hour? even more if you take the word of my primary school teacher friend who says that they are only paid to work from 9-3 making it nearly £19 an hour. (Obviously I understand that many teachers do work outside their "working hours")

Significantly more than the £11.50 an hour I earned as a newly qualified nurse for the NHS though!

What I meant to add was that yes they arent contracted to work through the holidays but you can pretend that their pay isn't subsisded for it...

summerfruit hardly a non complaint when i was talking about days off in the last school year and those were part of it. I didnt say it happens every year did i. I know about the other schools as i was in the play area at the zoo and the staff were saying they had come to the zoo as school was being used for polling so thats how i know.
They have had alot of school closure days over the past school year as the council wants to expand the school not the schools fault but it all adds up to loss of learning time. so im not saying it will be like it every year im saying this year not only have we had the polling days many building work days inset days bank hols and usual holiday it has been quite a disruptive year.

People are expected to be experts on teachers' employment contracts, on how INSET days work, and if they ask a question they're attacked

No. People think they are. Then when teachers come on to clarify what the arrangements are they are on the receiving end of unhelpful comments like this. I don't see any attacking going on.

A teacher, in Scotland, is paid for 195 days work and 40 days of paid leave, which includes bank holidays over term time. We get 190 pupil contact days, 5 inset days, around 5 bank holidays (I think) and then 35 days 'annual leave'.

However, schools are closed for a further 26 days (365 minus 104 weekends minus days above).
That is over 5 working weeks we are employed and not paid for.

Our total paid for holidays amount to 8 working weeks, which is more than most, but I am not working during that additional 5 weeks that I am not paid for (well, no more than I already do with planning, marking and class set up).

We cannot choose days off to suit our family needs; we can rarely see our own children's school productions and activities; we do not get cheap term time holidays; if we want to get married you either take a term time weekend, with no days off before and after, or take a more expensive wedding over the holidays; we also need childcare term time and during inset days.

My pay isn't subsidised for it. I'm contracted to 35 hours per week/7 hours per day, over 195 days, 1365 hours. Plus an additional 40 days paid leave taking it to 1645 hours. We then have an additional 195 hours a year (equating to 27 full working days) in meetings and planning, taking it to 1840 hour per year plus an additional 35 hours cpd leaving us at 1875 hours per year.
My salary, midway through the scale, is £15 per hour before tax.

Instead of a 35 hour week I tend to work a 55 hour week, which actually takes my hourly pay to £11 per hour to work with 30 children. So per child in my care it is roughly 30p per child per hour. Pretty cheap childcare all in all

My DD is a teacher, she worked two days in the holidays on a summer school for new students, she went in on GCSE and A level results day, she went in to prepare her classroom and on a couple of days to catch up with e mails from parents, SLT etc. She rarely has a whole weekend off as she is generally doing marking/prep on Sundays. She is in school till 5 and after she has got home and eaten she is often marking/prepping till 10 or 11.

She deserves long holidays I just wish she could forget school and enjoy them.

@RedForFilth I don't see any teachers on here saying it's the hardest job in the world. Can you provide me with evidence of this and I'll ask for this post to be retracted.

In fact, teachers are saying it's the best job in the world. See my PP on how I've spent my morning so far. And I'm sitting waiting to go into a SW meeting now about one of my wee souls who was accommodated at the weekend. Am definitely not pissing away my day on MN while the kids riot in the classroom before anybody asks.

hesterton - you forgot the need for yearly refreshers on Safeguarding - which is very important.

I also went in for an inset day 3 weeks ago (Scotland) despite being on maternity leave.

I'm being moved school this year, midway through my leave, and they are implementing a new maths programme.

I had a choice, don't go in and not know what to teach your child come January or go in during my maternity leave.

Inset days are no fun, I spent 6 hours in a freezing hall with 1 hour of breaks in total, being spoken at (not to) about how best to teach maths (because the previous 4 or 5 programmes apparently are no good).