To not go on the residential?

[Youthiswastedontheyoung]

I've just started a new p/t teaching role. Towards the end of the academic year the whole year group go on a residential which is about 3.5 hours away, for a full school week.
I have a just-turned 4 yo and other academic commitments outside of school.
AIBU to say I can't attend the residential?
As an aside, my mum (love her) thought teachers got paid for any additional hours regarding this. She was surprised to learn I'd just be getting my standard pay!

Which teacher has denied that the holidays are a perk?

A good number of teachers on here like to say they they are not paid for holidays @FrippEnos

That is not the same as saying that they are not a perk. And yes teachers are not paid for the holidays.

Does an NQT receive approx £31k for a job that has approx 13 weeks’ leave a year?

The teacher recruitment and retention crisis is bad enough - surely we are all witness to that? My older sons, for example, are often not now being taught by subject specialists.
Let's suppose the 6-week holidays were removed/reduced for a start.
What does the teacher recruitment and retention crisis look like now?

This one grinds my gears, actually.

There is a HUGE difference between being on outside hours and being in charge of a bunch of hormonal teens or pre-teens. If you are travelling for some sort of conference or business meeting, there is a defined start time, a reasonable end-time and if the people you're about to do business with get shit-faced you do not suffer the consequences as a result. You have time to get ready, no-one knocks your door at 2am for the laughs and no one gets lost if you don't ensure they're sleeping rather than roaming town.

Children, teenagers? Check for the use of drugs, alcohol, vapes, sneaking into each other's bedrooms, underage sex, prank knocks, ensure no one leaves to explore. Deal with worried parents and entitled parents. Deal with sickness bugs. I was once on a residential being called at 3am for a child who was busy washing their pyjamas off diarrhoea when I arrived. I was lucky they washed them. Residential and business trips are a whole different ballgame. Because everything is your fault.

@ProCon Show me an ECT who earns that?!!
I have an ECT colleague who is very close to relying on food banks once her rent is paid. She disclosed to me that her springs were poking out of her mattress so I sorted her out with one of ours.

Let’s make it even worse by making truth some of the bollocks people have posted so that Y6 teachers (remembering that more often than not which year group you are in is beyond your control as a class teacher, so could potentially be anybody) have to do SATs AND a compulsory residential and watch what happens to the retention and recruitment crisis then.

@FrippEnos

Teachers are paid an annual salary spread throughout the year though, so whether they are ‘paid’ for holidays is not really relevant.

OP you are not being unreasonable in refusing to go on a school trip and you are fully entitled to do so.

I've refused to organise, or even go on, a residential trip this year as the demands and complaints we got from parents during previous trips were just getting ridiculous. If the management team had met me half-way and given me extra time out of lessons to plan the trip, and time off in lieu for the days spent on the trip, I'd have considered it but they just expected everything done for free. This type of nonsense will only stop when teachers actually refuse to take part in it!

Missing my point massively but ok.

I googled NQT and that came up.
Ok. So does an ECT earn £20k a year and have 13 weeks’ holiday a year?

He does have responsibilities yes. He's a lecturer.

This is the point I am making. But some (teachers) seem slow to understand. The nitpicking about which days are technically paid is just silly.

Say no and explain why? No way would I be leaving my 4 y o for a week. What if you were a single parent.. it’s completely reasonable to say no. And saying no, for good reason or even no reason, is a key skill of adulting. You have a good reason! And if the head is reasonable they will understand.

@Youthiswastedontheyoung

Every new teacher starts on a salary of at least £31650 (more in London).

Jobs that we love. Good pay.

@ProCon Look up take-home pay 😀 * *

Not what we asked. Does he have responsibility for several minors 24/7 for up to 5 days?

Again how is this denying that the holidays are a perk of the job?

You say you are a teacher. But your comprehension is worrying poor. I don’t care about the exact figure. That’s not my point.

I will try again and explain simply for you using letters instead of numbers. I am shocked you have missed my point.

Teacher earns £x in a year.
Teacher has y weeks’ leave in a year.
It does not matter which days are paid and which are unpaid. It’s about the overall salary.

Except that it is when it is not a fact. Putting it forward as a fact is wrong.

I am not talking about perks. I am addressing the tedious comments saying ‘my holidays are not paid!!’

If you don’t understand, I can’t help you any more I am afraid.

And yet you are also nit picking does this also make you "slow to understand"?

I used to work for a charity and we did loads of free over time, hours were long and the work was hard. I think it’s becoming more common these days, sadly.

That aside, you seem to already know the sneer. If you have caring responsibilities then just say you can’t attend. Providing it’s not part of your contract and you didn’t agree to go during your interview or something then of course you’re not being unreasonable.