Why do teachers have to train when they should be teaching? I ask this because Ben and Mollie had only been back at school for one day when we got a letter home telling us that the school will be closed for two days next week and a further two days in February to facilitate teacher training.
Mollie and Ben have a weeks holiday in February, two weeks at Easter, two months in the Summer and three bank holiday days over the next five months. Then there was the week they had off in October/November and the two week Christmas break. Surely the teachers could fit in their training during these 15 weeks holidays they have?
If the teachers do not want to incur on their holidays how about after school? Ben is in school from 8:45am-1:15pm and Mollie's hours are 8:45am-2:15pm. These are relatively short days so surely the training could be scheduled over some afternoons?
Don't get me wrong, I think the Irish education system is very good and I love the holidays and afternoons spent with my children. I also appreciate the after school hours the teachers put in preparing lessons and marking work but I still think that any training could happen outside school hours. Pay them overtime or just pay them more but train them in your time not ours. I wouldn't dream of taking Mollie out of school to train for tennis or to train her to be a pupil, that I do in our spare time. Ben is already counting down the days until he has four days off school and he has only been back at school for three days!
One more request to the Irish education department, if you are going to shut schools to train teachers could you please do it in the summer months so we can have days out to the beach or park. It's a bit cold to do much at this time of year!!!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Teacher Training Days
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12 comments:
Beccy good points; in England they tend to tack inhouse training onto the hols which seems quite a sensible idea.
PS maybe I can coincide a visit
My husband aske the exact same question!:D
One day in every 3 weeks of school,kids have teachers working day and they hang around at home doing nothing!Then they almost have 3months of summer hoildays!Gosh!!
This is true, sometimes I think the kids are on holiday more than in school..lol
I still don't see why they can't have them in their time not ours Mum. We love you to come over in February, they have lots of days off school.
I know Asha and it's hard to find things to do at this time of year which don't involve spending copious amounts of money.
It can feel like that here Tonya.
but aren't teachers underpaid and overworked?
In all the jobs I've been in we did our training in the evenings and were not paid for our time.
Wow...your kids have a lot of holidays. Mine get 2 months in a summer, a week for Spring Break and 2 weeks at Christmas plus all the long weekends for stats. They also get a Thursday and Friday off for Teacher's Convention, which I hear a lot of teachers don't even attend. When my daughter was in grade 4 her teacher (a fantastic woman) took something like 15 days off for training. A bit excessive!
Barbara when Dillon started the school 10 years ago it prided itself on never shutting for training (one of very few schools) then the Government said they were no longer allowed to train in the sfternoons but had to do it during school hours. My gripe therefore is with the education department,not the teachers who I think for the most part are fantastic.
I agree Emma, lucikly I really enjoy spending time with them, having fun, going to the beach. Dillon is in school until 3.45pm but he gets three months off in the summer!
I agree!!
It's the same in England!
Sally
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