To refuse to give up time to help kids catch up?

[PeachyM]

So I’m a teacher. And we’re nearing the end of the school year- finally :) Two kids from the same family but in different years disappear off for a two week family holiday, which hasn’t been authorised. I’m not going to particularly question their parents’ decision because it’s up to them. But they’ve come back having missed two weeks of a core subject and the parents have now requested we give up time to help catch them up. I’ve said no because I already have a shit ton of end of year stuff to finish and I don’t have the time. Parents have accused me of being unreasonable and said that I’m refusing to do my job. Who’s in the wrong here?

SO angry after reading the post where someone suggested that if the OP was going to be around the school during the holidays, the child/ren could come in then and be caught up. FFS! Teachers ARE NOT PAID FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!!

Strange how during the pandemic much was made of missing school damaging mental health, destroying futures etc so it was worth the risk of infecting staff and family members.

These parents chose a holiday which would put their children behind and it is ridiculous that the parents and some posters suggest you could give up part of your lunch etc to help them catch up. There quite a few kids at my school off on holiday for the last few weeks. I won't be doing anything to catch them up either.

My sisters are teachers and teachers do get paid for holidays like the rest of us 🙃
Salaries are just divided between the 12 months of the year.

Not unreasonable to say no at all! It the parents responsibility to catch them up or get the info from other children about what was covered.

I will be taking my children out of school twice a year for a week at a time but I will also ensure that I catch them up and make sure that I know from others what the topics were to do so. We will also do it when we know things are quieter/less likely to do things like coursework assigned.
We don't get half terms the same though where I am for winter or May

No, just no. Now that the parent had started threatening, shouldn't this be passed to Head of Dept, or Leadership Team, rather than OP to deal with?

@Junglegal yes they do get paid every month of the year but as PPs have pointed out that’s only as the salary earnt during the 260 days they work is divided up equally into 12 payments. Teachers are not paid to work during the summer if that is a preferred statement.

My mum used to take us out of school for holidays, before we went we had to ask teachers for work to do while away.

I'm totally with you OP

@Junglegal seen your PP, as OP highlights why should she miss out on her lunch for catch up? Teachers already go above and beyond time wise for students, the parents should be using their evenings and weekends to supplement missed work

My parents did one week half term plus the week after when we were both primary school. As soon as the first hit secondary school, any small bit of term time holiday was off the cards.

How do the parents know that the children are behind?

are you saying the child is saying in class ‘I don’t understand this?’

Even emailing bullet points as a “5 minute job” is another task to add to a long list. In my school you can double that as you have to log in and record on Cpoms ( and SLT read this so you better have sent a perfect email). Even a couple of parents wanting bullet points eats into time you need for other prep.

I still don’t really get why TA’s who don’t get paid in the holidays either get their salaries pro rata, whilst teachers salaries reflect the whole year.

You’ve just contradicted yourself there. Teachers are not paid for the holidays. They are paid for term time but the term time salary has been divided by 12 months so that teachers get an equal amount each month. You have said that in your post (“salaries are just divided between 12 months of the year”) so if you understand that, I don’t know why you’ve then also said that teachers are paid for the holidays. Maybe you’re confusing teachers being paid in the holidays with teachers being paid for the holidays.

And some family's have no other option other than taking the holidays when they are told too, eg, Emergency Services, Armed Forces.

Well it would be a bit odd if a year 10 student was able to miss 2 weeks of school and not miss anything. In fact quite a bit.

It wouldn’t say much for the teaching if the year 10 student hasn’t missed anything in a fortnight

No sorry. I would not help the child (and I say this a a mother of two) if I want to take them out at term time - I’ll have to sort the missed lessons up with tuition or help then myself. Some people are so bloody entitled! You should not have to give up your breaks or school holiday - it’s not some 2 minute job 🙄

How you might address unavoidable absence is going to be different from help you'd offer if the parents choose to withdraw their child for a holiday

Exactly. The parents made a choice. There are consequences.

This

As a parent in that situation, I would hope that the teacher would take two minutes to email me bullet points of the topics covered.

If you think it takes only “two minutes “ for a complex and lengthy email …. Well, your attitude “ as a parent “ is part of the problem.

As a parent in that situation, I would hope that the teacher would take two minutes to email me bullet points of the topics covered.

If you think it takes only “two minutes “ for a complex and lengthy email …. Well, I don’t think

As a parent in that situation, I would hope that the teacher would take two minutes to email me bullet points of the topics covered.

No you should not. Because you see the thing is, as my mama always said, good teachers makes it look simple and easy and straightforward, it's a craft. You have no idea how much sweating got into it...It is never a 2 mn email to sort out your kid.
Then we all moan about the ones staying being livid exhausted, and the other ones leaving.

For those saying a quick two min email, that's all well and good but multiple that two mins for each child that could be off .

It's not just one child it could be 10 off across the school.

Um assuming each pack has to be made up individually to reflect what was missed.

According to the DfE 32,000 teachers left the profession in 2021 (not including retirees) so I imagine quite a few of them are finding out for themselves.

Funny how such a cushy job has such a problem with recruitment and retention.

Schools are one of the most hierarchical places you can work in. I bet you could not do a week there. They actually do pretty well going by the stats.