Teachers should put on Saturday school, not finish early on a Friday

[noblegiraffe]

The ever-popular Michael Wilshaw is at it again:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6766729/Ex-Ofsted-chief-blasts-heads-cut-lessons-Fridays.html

“Sir Michael is the former head of Mossbourne Academy in east London, which he turned from being one of Britain’s worst-performing schools into one of its best, despite it serving a deprived community. He said the success was partly down to keeping children late after school to help with homework and bringing them in on Saturdays.

He added that while he paid teachers for the extra work, he thought staff in ‘good schools’ would want to put in the added hours regardless of remuneration, because they ‘want to see the children doing well’.”

I’m sure that expectation will do wonders for the recruitment and retention crisis.

Twat.

That’s what happens in the private sector but the private sector treats staff better realising that they are actually people who have families and hobbies and feelings. I would be outraged if my sons school suddenly stopped paying staff for afternoon prep/Saturdays. They already work really hard. As a parent I want to see the people who care for my children happy just as much as they want my children to thrive.

No, staff in good schools see the benefit of children (and them) having some down time. Plus all the county music ensembles, kids dance classes and sporting matches happen then.

What a fucking nobber.

We do Saturday school and it has had zero impact on the students attainment at all. Tbf they all attend well but their results are no better for it.

staff in ‘good schools’ would want to put in the added hours regardless of remuneration, because they ‘want to see the children doing well’

Does this work for other sectors too? Who else should be expected to work an extra morning a week for free (bearing in mind average teachers already do significant unpaid overtime)? I reckon the following:

• doctors, nurses, dentists (for the good of the patients)
• vets (should care about the animals)
• bus drivers / train drivers / airline pilots (should care that passengers need to get to places)
• cleaners (should take pride in the cleanliness of their workplaces)
• hairdressers / beauticians (should want me to look pretty for my night out)

Perhaps Mr Wilshaw should stop pontificating and go back to work in a classroom, regardless of remuneration. If he cared about the children he would do it for free.

What a fucking arse.

There was an interesting quote from an actual private school headteacher further down the artcile who said Wilshaw is talking bollocks!

Here we go : Baranaby Lenon, always sensible:

But Barnaby Lenon, the former head of Harrow School and chief of the Independent Schools Council, disagreed, saying: ‘I don’t believe there is a correlation between time spent in school and results. It’s about effective teaching. The quality of teachers is much more important than time spent in lessons.’

Fuck that. Most other professions would get double time and a day off in lieu but we're expected to do it out of the good of our hearts? Wilshaw can get to fuck.

I met him once.

He has a very limp handshake.

This idea is the limp handshake of ideas.

The point that stood out for me was:

'Some adopted the half-day to boost the morale of overworked staff,

I know not one single state school that has cut Friday lessons for this reason. Ye gods, how loud do we have to shout that there just isn't enough sodding money!!!!

Fuck that, weekends are family time. What a twat.

When did paying people for the work they do become such a foreign concept?

Ffs I love my job but I’m pissed to fuck with all this crap we have slung at us.

I am always amused by the implication that “good” teachers care and will therefore work for free. I cannot think of any other profession where this is the case.

By their logic....
Please can a conscientious cleaner come and clean my house for free every Saturday morning while I’m back at school, surely there must be countless people willing to offer help???
Also, can anyone working in a car factory build me a new car for free as I’m sure there are many passionate mechanics that would just love to provide me with a lush set of wheels just out of the sheer love they have for cars??
And Italian cooks.... please can a pizza/pasta chef come and cook my dinner every night for free (and wash up) just for the the joy of knowing they would be providing me with a belly full of fresh beautiful carbs? Surely they will be falling over themselves!

... no? Oh hold on, different rules for teachers right?

Better to reduce the curriculum and get back to basics

All the extras could be run by parents on a Saturday by letting out the school hall

Kids are needing more and more from schools as parents reduce their contact hours and/or see schools ‘responsibility’ to teach their kids social skills or out of nappies or such like

He seems to be creeping up out of the woodwork again lately. I've met him, and never wish to do so again.

What would improve results would be to allow schools to properly deal with behaviour, so that good teachers can teach 'good' children, who want to learn, whilst providing proper provision with 'good' staff/teachers to do better 'good' for those for whom mainstream classes aren't working because they can't or won't get on with the business of the classroom.

I’d like my teeth checked free on sundays by my dentist. If he really cared about the longevity of my teeth, he’d be willing to put in the hours!

I bet he's well paid. Maybe he should divert some of that back into the system, for the benefit of the children!