I am willing to be enlightened:

[RollaCoasta]

My son is in Y13, and last Friday (May 14th), he finished school for good. He is now on 'study' leave until his 3 A level exams in late JUNE.

Can someone tell me what teachers do during these extended study leaves for Y13,12 and 11? (There are two revision days offered for Psychology - my son could do with many more (i.e. regular lessons leading up to the exam))

As a primary teacher, it is the busiest time of year - we are running round like blue arsed flies doing our assessments, marking SATs, moderating, working out new classes, sports days, music concerts, looking at next year's planning, writing 27 full reports (10 subjects).... plus planning the weeks' lessons.

To tell you the truth, I'm feeling a bit miffed .

Please, someone set my mind at rest that you're not all out shopping.

(BTW son is at a much-admired (by some) state grammar.)

round my way the schools have cut back on study leave for Y11s. Parental pressure I think

My son finishes next friday, has one week of half term and then 2 weeks solid of gcse exams. school are running a normal timetable for those who want to come in and each subject runs until that particular exam in sat.

Only joking Straits!

So the more lectures you have, then the more difficult the degree
I think you are confusing, inter alia, teaching and learning.

It also depends on module choices. 50% of my degree depended on my dissertations, which were research based and where I was lucky to get 1 supervision a fortnight.

My other courses were taught fortnightly, yet there were some students who did exactly the same degree as I did getting 5 times the amount of contact that I did because they choice different things.

Anyway, I'm just bitter I suppose because I don't think I got my money's worth and would have liked to see my supervisors more! Luck of the draw really.

Indeed, harpsi. PhDs are a doddle, then. Frakkit, I got about a supervision a month for my masters and PhD!

But I was an undergrad! I didn't want to be doing research. I actually discovered I quite liked it but that's not the point - I really wasn't adequately prepared to be undertaking that much independent research with no guidance. Of course if I ever get around to applying for/get funding for my PhD it'll stand me in good stead but I can't help thinking maybe I'd have done better if I'd had one dissertation with that much supervision and more taught time.

Sorry for the hijack

Fair enough! . I was quite glad not to have too many - you had to actually produce stuff for them...

Jeez - why the hostility? - if you are all working so hard, why not just say what you are doing? I know some have explained but the others who have instead flamed the OP just look like they've got something to hide and made me think the OP has a point!

As a uni teacher, I will just point out that for every one student I see who gets a first without ever getting up before lunchtime, I see about 20 who either fail or get a lower mark than expected because they haven't got the self-discipline to work 4 hours on their own for every hour of teaching. University is supposed to be about adults learning to work independently.

I had relatively few contact hours as a postgrad, but I certainly don't feel bitter about it: the outcome is that I can now work on my own without needing to hold anybody's hand. I don't care how much my tutors did or didn't do, as long as it meant that I can now do the job.