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?

There’s definitely not consistency amongst teachers. My son had 1 teacher that had a pack of notes and work ready for him on his return, some offered a copy of lesson plans and others gave them when asked.

Maybe if one teacher has offered to help or has been ok with them asking, they’ve now presumed that each teacher will help?

My school policy is to not do anything at all to help kids who have unauthorised absence 'catch up'.

Why should we encourage these parents to take their kids out of school by suggesting that missing classes won't be a problem because we'll make the time up for them? No work packs, no list of topics. It's all on them.

I'd reply asking them when exactly they think you will be eating your lunch and taking the break to which you are legally entitled?

Ask them outright how much they will be paying you for giving up your free time to teach their children material that had already been covered in the lesson they chose not to have them attend?

Also point out that the holiday was not authorised for this very reason, that the Yr 10 child will be missing important content and no one has any time to spare to catch her up.

When worded bluntly, they can't deny that it is their fault and will likely pipe the fuck down.

That has been a MASSIVE ball-ache throughout, hugely increasing an already full workload, but Covid was a special circumstance.
In my school we haven't been asked for Covid work for months now, so no WAY are we going to bust a (further) gut at the end of a terribly onerous year because someone's fucked off on holiday.
And as someone said, back in the days when we did do this, the work was never done anyway.
Teachers' goodwill is gone, sorry, but it is nice to read on this thread the numbers of you agree that it is an unreasonable request.

Can’t you give them a list of the topics missed so that the parents can employ a tutor if they don’t think they can manage it themselves?

Yes do that for each of your 200 students a week. Do you really think a tutor will give a child a couple of lessons to catch up? Core subject 5 hours a week so 10 hours of lessons missed.

If you plan a holiday and know your child will miss school it is down to the parent to solve those issues themselves and it is not for the teacher to suggest a tutor to catch up - parents can manage to book a holiday they can certainly work out how to find a tutor - which they won’t because that costa time effort and money - which apparently the teacher should sort out for free.

Tell the Y10 to buy the relevant CGP book and watch YouTube videos.

I used to be asked upfront to give work so “kids won’t get bored” .

I printed a small sheet saying something like

Dear xxxx I hope you have a lovely time on holiday.

Please keep a daily diary of all the interesting places you visit, remember to write about your experiences, draw pictures, stick in receipts for travel, meals out etc.

Look at the local currency, what pictures are on the bank notes, make rubbing of the coins.

What new foods have you tried? What did you enjoy the most.

Find out some of the history of the country and places you are visiting. Ask someone who lives there about a person who they admire who represents their country.

Learn how to say twenty words in the countries language.

Needless to say over many years I never got a single completed diary back. What most parents really wanted was a wedge of printed worksheets to dole out to shut the kids up on their all inclusive resort based holiday where they had little or no experience about being in another country.

I certainly never gave out work that we would be covering in school, they would not have understood my lesson plans and I would certainly not have wasted my time writing “bullet points” of what I was going to cover. I did make a note in exercise books though “ x was away on a family holiday from 15 June to 1 July.”

They are of course. I’m taking my child out for the last week and a but of school I’m not convinced she is secure in her maths knowledge (primary age) so I have been and found the end of year expectations and we will work on them over the summer.

Aaahhhh! I would be beyond livid!!!

How dare they!

If you were a crappy teacher and they’d attended every lesson and were STILL behind, then they might have a point.

These parents had the sheer stupidity to take their kids out of school for a cheaper two week holiday and actually expect you to be punished for it??

Years ago I actually wanted to be a teacher-the thought of dealing with parents is precisely what turned me off that plan!

You Are Absolutely NOT Being Unreasonable!

I think you can compromise . Send them what was missed ( as in a small list ) and tell them they can help them catch up ? Sim ouro that be acceptable for you ?

Excellent!😂😂

I did spell check my list, and spell country’s correctly.

Personally, I think a good compromise would be not telling them to fuck off.

YANBU surely no sane parents are that unreasonable. CF’s.

They are unreasonable to ask you to teach them catch up sessions, but surely you have bullet points or at least page numbers from your lesson plan you can send to the parent? A 15minute job at the most.

If the parents took unauthorised absence... It is up to them to ensure the kids catch up...

It is madness to expect teachers who are massively over run to do this...

Say if 10 per cent of school take holidays in school time??

How much extra time is it reasonable for teachers to spend??
It is very entitled to assume teachers will facilitate your choice to have a cheap holiday.

They are being very unreasonable. We took our kids out of school for a month in 1994 (pre when it had to be authorised although we did get it authorised anyway). They were age 6 and 8 and we were travelling around Australia and Asia so we paid for a tutor after speaking to their teachers to see what they would be covering in their absence. They kept a travel journal while we were away and the tutor worked with them both before and after the holiday to make sure they did not fall behind. No way should that be the teachers responsibility if they decide to pull them out of school in term time.

They're arseholes obviously

I would hope the the parents are sent a letter explaining that it's not your responsibility to " catch " the children up . The parents should of thought of the impact on there education before taking them on holiday.

This is why parents are fined! They are obviously being unreasonable and well done you for sticking to your guns. I'm also a teacher and no way would I do that. If they were unwell then possibly but not holiday.

Bottom line - they are saying their time (to holiday) is somehow more important than yours.

Nope!

Thankfully my school took a firm hard line stance on this. Reason being - once one teacher does it for one child there is an expectation that all teachers should do this (inviting the floodgates open to complaints). If you do the maths on this time wise it's ludicrous - even if just ONE child goes on holiday in your class per year.

Teachers are overworked and under appreciated. These parents chose to take their children out and miss valuable learning time - they are therefore be adults and deal with the fallout of that by hiring tutors.

If you do that for every child who missed school, that's a lot of extra for you.

I once missed 3 weeks of school due to illness. No one sent work home but I got a telling off for being off for those 3 weeks and no one was going to help me catch one. One teacher did suggest that I could come in and collect work. I was recovering from surgery on my back!

I don't believe in schools dictating when I can and cannot take them on holiday. However, if I ever do take mine out during term time you can be damned sure I would be taking 100% of the responsibility for catching them up with the work and not expecting their teacher to do it. Imagine if you had to do this for every kid in the class on different weeks?! Ridiculously entitled

Would most kids really need a tutor for missing 2 weeks of school? It seems really OTT to suggest it. My son caught up really quickly with a bit of effort and very little input from teachers. It’s only 2 weeks.

Agree with LeighMeLeabhair (sorry, can't do fadas on my phone).

If you dont want to send a sick/covid packet - are there textbooks?

I also think it's worth noting that kids in other countries have been off for the summer since end May/ early June. Teachers ime of those countries tend not to start topics or cover important topics in core subjects right before the end of the spring term as attention tends to flag and the chances are high that the same ground will have to be gone over again at the start of the next academic year.

It's not the children's fault that their parents decided to take a holiday. Punishing them for an entitled attitude without telling them why they're in the doghouse isn't going to teach them anything.