Page 4 | AIBU to think the teacher sickie story is not newsworthy?

Imdefonotmaddona · 2026-06-06T08:25:33+00:00

A teacher pulled a “ sickie “ to attend a stag do. so he told them he was vomiting but instead went to Portugal for a stag do. but despite lying was not banned from teaching. this has been on on social media and news like BBC. I get he did wrong but am I the only one a bit confused why it’s news worthy 🤣 I feel a little sorry for him. I understand he done wrong but surely this it not the level of misconduct that needs to his face splashed over the news ?

Cherrysoup · Yesterday 21:49

S’tricky. I had to request leave for my godmother’s (great aunt) funeral. Different school, my cousin (also a teacher, but p/t) got married on a Friday, also had to request and got paid leave. My dad died very suddenly while I was leading a foreign trip. There was absolutely no way I could just abandon the trip. I imagine many jobs would have allowed me to leave immediately.

We do get a great holiday allowance, but it is inflexible. I know, boo bloody hoo, but I’ve had a stressful time recently trying to view/buy a house in an area nowhere near me.

I was pissed off some years ago that I had to arrange my horse being pts and was not paid. I think former headteachers would have paid me, given it was very obviously a very shit day for me. It was at his discretion and I just found it upsetting. They didn’t use supply, so it didn’t cost them anything.

Martymcfly24 · Yesterday 21:58

Yanbu. Jesus he did something silly it's not newsworthy, like if a child was put at risk.

I'm in Ireland and if we do a 20 hour online course during the summer we can take 3 paid days during the year.

grumpygrape · Yesterday 22:53

CuppaTandBicky · Yesterday 21:35

I am registered with the health profession council that includes physios, paramedics and many other registered professionals. If you look on the website there are people "struck off" all the time. It's so commonplace and I assume it is similar for teaching professionals, doctors, etc.

None of these make it in to the news
..and some of the reasons they get taken to the hearings are FAR more shocking than this. There would be hundreds of news stories published every single day!!

The info is widely available for anyone to see as every outcome is published online.

It's not newsworthy. And it must be distressing for this man's family who are already going through a lot.

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It's newsworthy because of the Stag Do issue and the trying to cover up with an illegal act.
I'm not saying other things shouldn't be newsworthy.
Yes, I keep saying the length of time was unfortunate but his current medical condition is irrelevant.

FabulousFreshias · Yesterday 22:59

Yetone · Yesterday 16:47

Most teachers can get time off for important occasions. It is just they don’t want to loose pay. I just don’t think a stag do is that important.
He was very silly to let himself be photographed.

This is the problem though, they can’t get time off for important occasions. When I was a teacher I was not allowed to go to my cousins wedding, to my next-door neighbour of over 20 years funeral or to any of my own children’s school events – I offered to take all of these unpaid but was still not allowed. One of the reasons I left the profession!

CuppaTandBicky · Yesterday 23:02

grumpygrape · Yesterday 22:53

It's newsworthy because of the Stag Do issue and the trying to cover up with an illegal act.
I'm not saying other things shouldn't be newsworthy.
Yes, I keep saying the length of time was unfortunate but his current medical condition is irrelevant.

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Why is the stag do of any interest? It's a non story. Again I urge you to go check any online tribunal outcomes for other professional bodies.. there are FAR more interesting cases than this that aren't reported. This kind of thing happens all the time. It's maybe quite interesting/gossip for his immediate colleagues and that's about it...
It's just dredging this up for no good reason and causing stress to a dying man and his family...

Clonakilla · Yesterday 23:04

Noodles1234 · Yesterday 18:28

Just imagine:
youre a magnificent teacher, dealing with educating our young, dealing with all sorts of walks of life, let it be understood all what adults have to endure in life so do children, and very often it is staff at school (support staff and teachers), who they find safe and confide in, often with either horrific or cruelly sad stories. You deal with all of this with aplomb and still deal with the utter bureaucracy of everyday and the nightmare parents who shout and swear on a daily basis.

youre invited to your best friends stag DP and it’s on a blooming school day, you know they won’t allow a mates stag party. You make a decision, one which you try to hide. Wrong, but every other profession do it all the bloody time, just your very big boss make a play on children must attend school, personally you don’t mind parents taking them to Euro Disney for a long weekend as you hear all about it even when they’ve been signed off sick by parents.

you get found out, any other person gets a slapped wrist, you get plastered all over the news. Career of a much loved and needed teacher in tatters. Fair? Hell no.

I hope the kids and parents cheer him on his day back after this.

I’m sorry but every other profession does not get to take leave for a stag do.

Revealing how ignorant you are about the reality of many other roles does not help your cause at all.

I can’t count the number of weddings, hens nights, funerals (including of friends and colleagues who have died from suicide due to the pressure of this job), baby showers, christenings, major birthdays, christmases, Easters, public holidays etc etc etc I’ve missed over 15 years. It’s never occurred to me my profession was the only one making these sacrifices - a moment’s thought or a bit of life experience would immediately tell me that’s unlikely to be so.

Martymcfly24 · Yesterday 23:39

Clonakilla · Yesterday 23:04

I’m sorry but every other profession does not get to take leave for a stag do.

Revealing how ignorant you are about the reality of many other roles does not help your cause at all.

I can’t count the number of weddings, hens nights, funerals (including of friends and colleagues who have died from suicide due to the pressure of this job), baby showers, christenings, major birthdays, christmases, Easters, public holidays etc etc etc I’ve missed over 15 years. It’s never occurred to me my profession was the only one making these sacrifices - a moment’s thought or a bit of life experience would immediately tell me that’s unlikely to be so.

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Can you not book annual leave for these events?