Gove's at it again

[fedup21]

www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/Education/article1355695.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2013_12_21

Things like this always get announced on day 2 of the holidays when people think teachers are doing pish all!

Shocking journalism though; does Sian Griffiths really think teachers 'enjoy short working days'? I am in my classroom from 7.45 until 6pm. That's longer 'working' hours than my 'city boy' husband does (though not the 1.5 hour commute) and I work in the evenings and he doesn't!?

I agree ScottishMummy that Gove is just seeking to wind up teachers . If I were the unions I would ignore him.

I want SMs career seeing as it allows her endless time to play on MN.

Cushy or what .

To be fair again, I have been on here as much as ScottishMummy . It is the holidays .

Phil .

Err hang on you lot are on holiday.so no don't go there with perks and holidays

I'm not a teacher and I'm not on holiday .

That makes two of us

Sorry if I confused you earlier scottishmummy, I was asking who the they're in your post was referring to (being in school until 6pm) your children or teachers. And what I was trying to say is that if I was teaching or childminding until 6pm I would not be able to do all the after school work that I need to do until the children went at 6pm; laminating was just one of the examples of what I need to do. However, despite your sentiments of teachers hours I now realise you want free childcare, but not from teachers (am I correct in this?)

Oh and you and Mignonette might not be on holiday, but you can be on mumsnet during office hours - not possible in teaching.

That's the thing about some jobs, you can waste time mumsnetting on work hours. Not at school - apart from anything else I can't imagine it gets past the filters!

(yes, also on holiday. I am letting Minecraft babysit my children)

How can you be working and spending so much time on here? I might be tempted by another career move.

Although again I suspect that during my PPA I could have a quick mumsnet and nobody would know.

Have quit nursing for a career 'break' (now a freelance writer/MH campaigner and editor)- and nursing is definitely not a job that is conducive to MNing during client time.

Am loving having time to play on MN and not feel guilty for checking on it sitting in my car on a clients driveway after a DV .

I'd never dare claim I was working my fingers to the bone now when I have time to MN. That'd never wash .

DH is a management consultant. I would say that he and I work the same hours, over a year. Two things though - 1) mine are in a pattern of work intensely for 6/7 weeks then less so for the holidays, whilst his are evenly spread, and 2) No one thinks that management consultants should work harder/longer.

Also, he makes about 2/3 more cash than I do.

Gove is a twat. If he does try this, I will resign. Not because I have some sense of entitlement about holidays but because the intensity with which I work for those 6/7 weeks is unsustainable without the holidays, and I would not be able to do my job well without working that intensely. Also, I would never see my own kids. I quite like taking them to choir/drama/gymnastics after school. Other working parents are able to arrange to leave work at certain times/take annual leave for such things - I can't.

We keep hearing teachers threatening to resign - perhaps this is the death knell of the old-style teacher - new recruits will come in and it will just be the new way of working. My life is a lot easier and less stressful in teaching than it ever was in senior management in industry - and would be even with a few more weeks a year or longer hours.

What do you teach MrsYoung?

I love my job - DH teases me that I would still do it even if I had to do it for free (not sure he's right, but I DO love it) but I think that good teachers work their socks off (by choice) I would have to work in a very different way if I had to work for 51 weeks per year and I can't see how that would mean that I could deliver at the same level I do now.

I have come from the private sector and my life is easier overall as a teacher , but so it should be I earn just over 50 % of what I did.

I think lots of teachers do resign .

has anyone clarified how this proposal is of benefit to children?

I am an ex-teacher and excessive workload is one of the reasons why I would never consider going back if I had any other options open to me.

I now have 30 days (pro rata for my part time post) and find those holidays more than enough for my needs, mostly because I can actually rest and relax when I am at home in the evenings and at weekends. I have even done most of an MA using odd days of annual leave for study purposes.

I can think if children this would benefit. Mainly children living in neglectful situations with no positive role models . As a child I would have benefitted from less time at home and more time at school.

I di try - deprived children have nowhere to do their homework, would be far better if they did it at school, and a more level playing field for them.. This point has been ignored - shame for those kids.

Philo x-posted

I was at work today, but I don't mind and actually wanted to go in today. This is in contrast to the 'almost weeping with exhaustion' state I would be in at the end of the average autumn term.

Teachers, enjoy your break - you deserve it!

Why, Mrs Young? Homework is supposed to be independent - do you do your dc's with them? I don't. Is my ds deprived then?

dcs'

Tsk.

would the increased hours be of benefit to all, or even most, children?

seems like a sledgehammer to crack a nut tbh

perhaps those children who are living in poor family circumstances (poor as in harmful) could be sent to board at better public schools instead

I think most parents struggle over the holidays , it was why I left my previous career