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Teacher Training days........
............What I want to know is what do teachers actually do on the increasing number of 'teacher training days' that tend to pop up each term?
Yes, I know the obvious answer is 'teacher training' but why can't these days be incorporated into the quarter of a years hoilidays teachers get each year?
Working parents have a hard enough job arranging childcare during the aforementioned quarter of a year school holidays without having to arrange more for these days
Yes, I know the obvious answer is 'teacher training' but why can't these days be incorporated into the quarter of a years hoilidays teachers get each year?
Working parents have a hard enough job arranging childcare during the aforementioned quarter of a year school holidays without having to arrange more for these days
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Thanks chattykathy- that answers my question.
So, as I thought, the suggestion that schools are opting to train teachers instead of teaching pupils is incorrect. These training days are not in addition to pupils holidays- they are in effect taking place during time that teachers used to be on holiday.
When hkathy refers to the Tories she is referring to theThatcher government I recall when Kenneth Baker was the Education Secretary (hence the term Baker Days)
So, as I thought, the suggestion that schools are opting to train teachers instead of teaching pupils is incorrect. These training days are not in addition to pupils holidays- they are in effect taking place during time that teachers used to be on holiday.
When hkathy refers to the Tories she is referring to theThatcher government I recall when Kenneth Baker was the Education Secretary (hence the term Baker Days)
I think you have missed the point JoeLuke. We are saying pupils don't have any more holidays now than 10/12/30 years ago, so the pupils still get 6 weeks off. It's the teachers who get fewer holidays because they are doing INSET days during what used to be their holidays.
I'm not off for 6 weeks- I have some INSET days in late July and 2nd/3rdSeptember!
I'm not off for 6 weeks- I have some INSET days in late July and 2nd/3rdSeptember!
joeluke #.What I want to know is what do teachers actually do on the increasing number of 'teacher training days' that tend to pop up each term?##
I don't think your question was answered but I can tell you I found most training days pretty useless but what is more important they were expensive and in my opinion a waste of the taxpayers money. Let me illustrate that point you would think that training days would take place in the school but no, it often took place in an expensive venue elsewhere.
I queried this practice and was told it was allowed for in the school's budget. In other words the moneys there in this financial year so we must spend it or lose it . This procedure is normal in all public services . Before going into teaching I was in business and I was horrified at the waste of money in education and I've no doubt in all public services.
I don't think your question was answered but I can tell you I found most training days pretty useless but what is more important they were expensive and in my opinion a waste of the taxpayers money. Let me illustrate that point you would think that training days would take place in the school but no, it often took place in an expensive venue elsewhere.
I queried this practice and was told it was allowed for in the school's budget. In other words the moneys there in this financial year so we must spend it or lose it . This procedure is normal in all public services . Before going into teaching I was in business and I was horrified at the waste of money in education and I've no doubt in all public services.
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JoeLuke- my point still stands. Whether teachers' INSET days are in tagged onto the start/end of summer (or other ) holidays or scattered around the calendar, the holidays pupils take on those days are taken from the pupils' annual holiday allowance. Pupils have to attend the required number of days per year, regardless of the number of INSET days teachers need to do.
If the main issue is the inconvenience of odd days during term time then I agree - complain to your school and ask them to tag them onto holiday weeks instead.
If the main issue is the inconvenience of odd days during term time then I agree - complain to your school and ask them to tag them onto holiday weeks instead.
docspock Your mate must be a masochist or totally irresponsible. Can you imagine being responsible for 30 kids 24/7 . The only teachers I knew who enjoyed taking a class on holiday were those who had a laid back approach and allowed the kids to do what they liked , with in some cases tragic results.
Modeller is right about the days being specifically used in term-time. I remember one of them was in case the school had to close if it was being used as a polling station. The others were at the discretion of the school. It was quite common to take one of these days early in December, being in the longest term of the year. This gave rise to the myth of a holiday specifically for teachers' Xmas shopping.
joeluke's initial question seems to have been answered.
>" why can't these days be incorporated into the quarter of a year's holidays teachers get each year? "
The answer is that they already are. Some are done at the start/end of school holidays; some may occur in term time meaning the pupils have the day off but this is in lieu of another holiday.
>" why can't these days be incorporated into the quarter of a year's holidays teachers get each year? "
The answer is that they already are. Some are done at the start/end of school holidays; some may occur in term time meaning the pupils have the day off but this is in lieu of another holiday.
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There are five teacher training days a year with some schools opting to turn one Inset day into 2 twilight sessions (where the pupils finish the school day slightly earlier than they would normally). I personally hated training days as I felt a lot of it was useless time wasting but occasionaly there was something worthwhile on offer. A lot of schools now do parents' evenings during the daytime (arguing that parents would take time off work to see the bank manager or their doctor so why not their child's teacher). A lot of teachers take time off with stress and I think if they had shorter holidays the number would be a lot higher.
(2-part post):
I apologise if this has been covered above but I've not yet read through all of the responses.
Your question asks ". .why can't these days be incorporated into the quarter of a years hoilidays (sic) teachers get each year?" The answer is that they have been!!!!
The school year for pupils (in England and Wales) has always been 190 days. Before the introduction of 'INSET' (In-Service Education and Training) days, teachers also had to attend for 190 days per year (although, of course, most would also have been going into school on several days during the holidays, to prepare for the forthcoming term).
When INSET days were introduced they were ADDED to the teachers year, meaning that teachers now have to attend for 195 days per year.
So your question is founded upon two fallacies. Firstly that the number of INSET days is increasing. (It isn't; there have always been 5 INSET days per year, ever since their introduction). Secondly that they've reduced the number of days that pupils attend school. (They haven't; they've just increased the number of days upon which teachers have to attend).
I apologise if this has been covered above but I've not yet read through all of the responses.
Your question asks ". .why can't these days be incorporated into the quarter of a years hoilidays (sic) teachers get each year?" The answer is that they have been!!!!
The school year for pupils (in England and Wales) has always been 190 days. Before the introduction of 'INSET' (In-Service Education and Training) days, teachers also had to attend for 190 days per year (although, of course, most would also have been going into school on several days during the holidays, to prepare for the forthcoming term).
When INSET days were introduced they were ADDED to the teachers year, meaning that teachers now have to attend for 195 days per year.
So your question is founded upon two fallacies. Firstly that the number of INSET days is increasing. (It isn't; there have always been 5 INSET days per year, ever since their introduction). Secondly that they've reduced the number of days that pupils attend school. (They haven't; they've just increased the number of days upon which teachers have to attend).
There are plenty of people within education who would like to see the French system introduced into the UK. That would mean children only attending school on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The French seem to have no problems caring for their children on Wednesdays; it would be interesting to see how English (and Welsh) parents coped with the change ;-)
Chris
PS: During 15 years in teaching I never worked for less than 60 hours per week. 70 or 80 hours was far more common. I was also expected to go on nearly all of the essential training courses for my job during holiday periods,often at my own expense. I wonder how many people in the private sector would accept being told "You've got to cancel your overseas holiday, so that you can attend this vital course. Oh by the way, it's going to cost you £200 plus travelling costs". That happened to me on several occasions.
Chris
PS: During 15 years in teaching I never worked for less than 60 hours per week. 70 or 80 hours was far more common. I was also expected to go on nearly all of the essential training courses for my job during holiday periods,often at my own expense. I wonder how many people in the private sector would accept being told "You've got to cancel your overseas holiday, so that you can attend this vital course. Oh by the way, it's going to cost you £200 plus travelling costs". That happened to me on several occasions.
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