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Original poster

INSET DAYS...

224 replies

poppiesinaline · 20/02/2007 13:42

please tell me why they can't be held during school holidays?

I mean... teachers get enough time off after all...

I don't mind too much.... its quite nice having one off without the other... but for those parents that work, it must be a PITA.

I had this discussion with a friend of mine who is a teacher and she was at my suggestion that she should have to 'go to work for a day or two' during one of her many weeks off.

Discuss...

OP posts:
Tortington · 20/02/2007 14:23

so they cant earn the equiv of a full time wage for 6 weeks? or they would be taxed royally?

Hulababy · 20/02/2007 14:24

Marking is normally only for 2-3 weeks in the summer. Not sure on pay for it.

No idea on other work they may or may not do.

Don't really understand what you mean by the tax bit - not something I ever dealt with.

Olihan · 20/02/2007 14:28

Right I know I was going to steer clear but I've had a couple of valium so I'll stay .

Custy, we are salaried, in that our salary is divided by 12 and we receive it monthly. However, it is only for the 195 days we work. A supply teacher gets the same salary as a normal teacher but the salary is divided by 195 days. So supply teachers get a higher daily rate than a normal teacher but get no money during any of the holidays. Does that make sense?

No idea about the tax situation on a second job, though, was always too knackered in the holidays to think about it!!

percypig · 20/02/2007 14:31

We are paid in the holidays - yearly salary divided by 12, unless you are a substitute teacher. Other work would just be taxed at the same rate till you went over the limit - as I said this isn't likely to affect many people, in which case the amount over the limit would be taxed at the higher rate. I think that's right - I'm a bit clueless about such things! Very few markers would earn more than £2000, most a lot less, so it's really not likely to make a difference.

Tortington · 20/02/2007 14:32

still 195 days is good innit - give it up!

most jobs are shit. thats a given. no one could do everyone elses shit job as we all have different skills

but you gotta admit - a tincey wincey bit - the holidays bit must beat the crap out of regular jobs.

fizzbuzz · 20/02/2007 14:35

Had to post, but am then going, feel my head exploding at this point.

I spend at least 2-3 weeks in summerhols working, 1/2 of each 1/2 term and a week at Easter, just preparing and marking.

This make about 8 weeks hols per year.
Try looking after someone elses teenagers 40 weeks of the year, and see if you need a holiday!

Original poster
poppiesinaline · 20/02/2007 14:37

sneaks back in

One of my teacher friends does marking.. and its certainly for more than 2-3 weeks a year.... much more....

and she certainly gets more than £2000 a year for it too.... much more...

thats how she pays for her 3+ holidays abroad a year....

OP posts:
Hulababy · 20/02/2007 14:37

Obviously custardo, the holidays is one of the benefits a lot of teachers stay in the job for. I know when I was looking to get out of teaching, the holidays was one of the things I was struggling to match. Lucky for me I was able to find something similar on that score.

When people talk about the salary they are not necessarily saying we get a crap wage. They are just saying that when compared to other professionals, with similar level of required qualifications and training, then the teacher's salaries often fall short.

For example I went into teaching and earnt a reasonable amount. However DH, who went through the smae length of uni time as myself and became a solicitor quickly outstripped my salary and is now earnong more than the vast majority of headteachers. My brother graduated a year after me in some form of engineering - salary outstripped mine in a year or two or working. BIL graduated 3 years later, same happened - that is what many teacher sare saying when complaining or commenting on low salaries.

And yes, I know there are other profession as where salaries my not be that high. Just not that many that have to put up with so much negative press as teaching!

Olihan · 20/02/2007 14:38

Oh god, yes, definitely. I wouldn't have been without them when I was teaching. It's the perception that we get paid loads of money, work 9 - 3 and have 13 weeks holiday a year that rankles .

DH is a teacher too and it's great that he gets to see so much of the dcs, I'd rather he taught than did another job that paid more money but gave him 4 weeks holiday.

sassy · 20/02/2007 14:39

The holidays are the ONE perk for teachers.
A FAB perk, but the only one.

Many other jobs, esp those that require such a lot of education to qualify, have lots of lovely perks. Company cars, healthcare, -ffs, even the opportunity to go to the toilet when you want to, instead of hanging on from 8.35 until 1.10pm, as I was expected to when I was pg with no 2.

Not ALL jobs, of course, but many.

hana · 20/02/2007 14:39

holidays are great yes, but no cheap holidays out of term time, no having time off to see your kids assemblies or accompany them on class trips, things like that

teachers are such an easy target I think, maybe because the job looks so transparent and everyone thinks 'oh I could be a teacher, no probs' not that easy -try it for yourself!

there's always a whinge here about what ds or dd's teacher did or didn't do, said or didn't say etc etc. who'd be a teacher? far too many critics out there

Hulababy · 20/02/2007 14:39

poppiesinaline - well, that is very different to what you said before. She isn't going on all those holidays on a teacher's salary then at all! But on additional income. I said 2-3 weeks as that is when the majority of marking is done, although with more modular exams that is ebeginning to increase. The wage fror marking is not nomrall that high unless you move up the scale to team leader, area leader, etc.

mummymagic · 20/02/2007 14:39

I love teaching.

Holidays are great. You need them.

hana · 20/02/2007 14:40

but it is a crap wage when you consider the amount of schooling behind it

Olihan · 20/02/2007 14:41

. It's okay, it's not teacher bashing, it's a good discussion at the moment. (I was bristling too but it's okay!)

Tortington · 20/02/2007 14:41

i too get annoyed at the argument we work hard.

as i said below - i too work hard in a shitty job and i get screamed at all day.

i am in no way suggesting teachers are slovenly, lazy or anything else.

i just cant see why you wont admit that the hols - despite having the marking to do ( presumably at home) and the lesson planning preeration ( at home?) maybe not the childcare issues to the degree that most working parents have?

that being a teacher has some upsides. and as well as being spat at physically and mentally abused and working very hard in a system crippled by beaurocracy that you may come home of an evening and think " wow that child did great today - i did a good thing"

a vocation i think its called?

and that the holdays are good.

if being a teacher is all 'woe is me' crap then why do it?

i dont get why you cant say " yeah the hols are great actually - although i have stuff to do for some of the say i can spend sopme great time at home with the kids and ....."

FluffyMummy123 · 20/02/2007 14:42

Message withdrawn

donnie · 20/02/2007 14:42

I Mark A level papers for Edexcel every year and get paid for it - which is taxed. What is the problem with teachers actually earning money here?.

hana · 20/02/2007 14:42

i for one love the holidays I get as a teacher, never said I didn't

hana · 20/02/2007 14:43

donnie, don't think there is a problem with earnign extra money

Hulababy · 20/02/2007 14:43

But most people here have said that the holidays are good and a massive perk to the job! Just pointing out that they are unpaid and work does have to happen inthem as well.

FluffyMummy123 · 20/02/2007 14:44

Message withdrawn

fizzbuzz · 20/02/2007 14:44

We even have to buy our own tea and coffee.......

hana · 20/02/2007 14:45

alal be teachers?
your mumsnet habit would be serioulsy curtailed as you couldn't post at work!!

FluffyMummy123 · 20/02/2007 14:46

Message withdrawn

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