School holidays

[Triggaaar]

It's the law that children must go to school for 190 days a year. I make that 38 weeks, and 14 weeks of holiday. Sorry for being pedantic! [emoji10]

Never apologise.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Our Computng (Yes, Computing and not IT - I am that old) teacher at College used to wear woolly jumpers all the time and with his long hair and beard, he naturally became the Hairy Yak as he looked like the game programmer Jeff Minter. This is what Minter looks like now.

View attachment 76620

How you can pull that look off in summer and not dehydrate, I have no idea.

We have a languages teacher who dresses the same, she doesn't have a beard though.

It's not I.T anymore its gone back to being Computing, or Computer Science from September.

 

[Geestar]

Woooohhooooooo more holidays!!

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[studio150]

Woooohhooooooo more holidays!!

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[Zebedee]

Just the other day I was sitting there saying to a mate " Mate, you know what I reckon kids could really use? A bit more time off school. 16 weeks just doesn't seem enough somehow".

FS

Teachers could do with more time off too.

 

[Geestar]

No...genuinely happy. Suits me fine!

 

[The Clamp]

Teachers could do with more time off too.

Nah. What teachers could do with in the UK is more respect. From the pupils, the parents and the government. I've taught all over the world and almost without exception every country I've been to treats teachers with huge respect except the UK. Most other countries see teachers as the people who are educating the future.
Perhaps we are so comfortable in the UK we don't give a shit about the future.

 

[Steveapps71]

Nah. What teachers could do with in the UK is more respect. From the pupils, the parents and the government. I've taught all over the world and almost without exception every country I've been to treats teachers with huge respect except the UK. Most other countries see teachers as the people who are educating the future.
Perhaps we are so comfortable in the UK we don't give a shit about the future.

Well said & also the T.A.'s that are paid an absolute pittance for a very important job.

 

[beorhthelm]

Nah. What teachers could do with in the UK is more respect. From the pupils, the parents and the government.

and that used to be the case here. when and why did it change? with out trying to make a political point, was it when education started to be used as a tool for social engineering? does that happen elsewhere?

 

[The Clamp]

and that used to be the case here. when and why did it change? with out trying to make a political point, was it when education started to be used as a tool for social engineering? does that happen elsewhere?

That's not an easy question to answer and I don't know definitively but I have a few ideas.

There's a jealousy culture in the UK. A lot of coveting in all walks of life: "he gets loads of holiday, why don't I get that holiday? What a lazy *******"

Plus successive governments have loaded teachers with extra responsibility, low wages, and regulations. Al the while, cutting finding and decrying them as workshy trouble-makers. Throw enough mud for long enough...

I also think a generation of children were left fatherless after WW2, whole estates in the UK left without father figures. A whole generation damaged and not brought up properly. I also think Thatcher knocked the guts out of an entire section of society and that generation of children grew up damaged and disenfranchised, not willing to listen to anyone.

On top of which we have an Inherant suspicion of authority figures in this country.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Nah. What teachers could do with in the UK is more respect. From the pupils, the parents and the government. I've taught all over the world and almost without exception every country I've been to treats teachers with huge respect except the UK. Most other countries see teachers as the people who are educating the future.
Perhaps we are so comfortable in the UK we don't give a shit about the future.

Respect has to be earned. If I get asked one more time for more money for erroneous crap like art materials I'll scream. Then of course there's the ever mounting requests for trip money ..... always at the last minute because it seems beyond a teachers ability to plan 6 months in advance thus allowing us poor parents more time to pay. Finally the ridiculous trend of changing the uniform ( it's happened to both my son and step-daughter in the last year - two different schools ) and of course it has to be branded not Primark generic etc .... yet more money.

When teachers stop thinking a school is a brand then I might provide more respect to them.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Should have reduced the easter holiday to 1 week, got rid of the October and May half term and added 3 weeks to summer. Kids do nothing in the last 2 weeks in July, everything is finished, the classroom is 40c and the rest of Europe and Ireland are off already. Having a bigger summer holiday would help the scramble for tickets on the first weekend. Plus if you staggered the school holidays from area to area like they do in other parts of Europe, it would also help. Taking from other areas and adding a week in shitty October is not going to help many.

 

[The Clamp]

Respect has to be earned. If I get asked one more time for more money for erroneous crap like art materials I'll scream. Then of course there's the ever mounting requests for trip money ..... always at the last minute because it seems beyond a teachers ability to plan 6 months in advance thus allowing us poor parents more time to pay. Finally the ridiculous trend of changing the uniform ( it's happened to both my son and step-daughter in the last year - two different schools ) and of course it has to be branded not Primark generic etc .... yet more money.

When teachers stop thinking a school is a brand then I might provide more respect to them.

All of which has zero to do with the teacher and everything to do with government policy and even more to do with local councils and their budgets.. I think before you decide to respect or disrespect teachers you should at least make some effort to at least sound like you know what it is you think you are talking about, don't you?


Plus the uniform thing? yes that's annoying but it doesn't HAVE to be branded. They won't refuse to teach your child if they wear generic uniform.

 

[Kneon Light]

Respect has to be earned. If I get asked one more time for more money for erroneous crap like art materials I'll scream. Then of course there's the ever mounting requests for trip money ..... always at the last minute because it seems beyond a teachers ability to plan 6 months in advance thus allowing us poor parents more time to pay. Finally the ridiculous trend of changing the uniform ( it's happened to both my son and step-daughter in the last year - two different schools ) and of course it has to be branded not Primark generic etc .... yet more money.

When teachers stop thinking a school is a brand then I might provide more respect to them.

With due respect I think you are getting muddled between "schools" and "teachers". Teachers are very much against the academy branding but it is getting worse and worse (hence industrial action). Everything you have highlighted comes from the management of schools rather than the teachers themselves. Teachers are getting more and more branding crap put on them and yet have to battle through and still try to jump through every hoop going to provide a good education for the students. Academies are the worst thing to happen to education for a long while.

 

[The Clamp]

With due respect I think you are getting muddled between "schools" and "teachers". Teachers are very much against the academy branding but it is getting worse and worse (hence industrial action). Everything you have highlighted comes from the management of schools rather than the teachers themselves. Teachers are getting more and more branding crap put on them and yet have to battle through and still try to jump through every hoop going to provide a good education for the students. Academies are the worst thing to happen to education for a long while.

Quite correct. Absolutely genius username by the way. Love it.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

All of which has zero to do with the teacher and everything to do with government policy and even more to do with local councils and their budgets.. I think before you decide to respect or disrespect teachers you should at least make some effort to at least sound like you know what it is you think you are talking about, don't you?


Plus the uniform thing? yes that's annoying but it doesn't HAVE to be branded. They won't refuse to teach your child if they wear generic uniform.

With due respect I think you are getting muddled between "schools" and "teachers". Teachers are very much against the academy branding but it is getting worse and worse (hence industrial action). Everything you have highlighted comes from the management of schools rather than the teachers themselves. Teachers are getting more and more branding crap put on them and yet have to battle through and still try to jump through every hoop going to provide a good education for the students. Academies are the worst thing to happen to education for a long while.

OK, I might of been a bit harsh BUT it is the Head and the Senior Management Team ( made up of teachers of that school ) that make these decisions - not the council or DfE. It is the teachers that 'plan' the trips ( most of which are anything but educational - Alton Towers anyone ? ). Finally, some schools do try and enforce the 'brand' - Blatchington Mill school sent a very stern letter to parents last year stating that all girls had to wear a branded skirt if they were wearing a skirt ( as opposed to trousers ). Needless to say, the Assistant Head that sent the letter got a stern email back.

 

[Geestar]

Respect has to be earned. If I get asked one more time for more money for erroneous crap like art materials I'll scream. Then of course there's the ever mounting requests for trip money ..... always at the last minute because it seems beyond a teachers ability to plan 6 months in advance thus allowing us poor parents more time to pay. Finally the ridiculous trend of changing the uniform ( it's happened to both my son and step-daughter in the last year - two different schools ) and of course it has to be branded not Primark generic etc .... yet more money.

When teachers stop thinking a school is a brand then I might provide more respect to them.

Are you one of 'those' parents?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Are you one of 'those' parents?

Depends what you mean by 'those' ? I expect my children to be well taught and looked after whilst in the school's / teacher's care.

What I don't expect is to have ever increasing demands for money - I've paid my taxes, it's state education. I also don't expect uniform changes - there is no practical reason to change uniform. Equally I don't expect my step daughter of then 12 to be shown a 15 certificate documentary ( and it did happen ). I also don't expect to be 'sold' a brand - plain black skirts / trousers and an appropriate coloured jumper and polo shirt are more an adequate. I expect teachers to know their subject - some of the crap my son has been taught around IT is utter shite and almost put him off taking it as an option.

I also don't expect to get rude threatening letters from the school about uniform. Finally I expect my children to be educated for the entire 190 days expected - i.e. not watch films etc for the last week of each term.

I don't deny teachers have a hard job ( not as hard as they claim though ) but with random strikes, inconsistent policies and, as has been highlighted on this thread, an inability to take personal responsibility they need to understand that we parents struggle see them as the guardians of virtue they would like to be seen as.

*** Stands back and awaits the usual flaming. And for side info my sister, ex-wife, sister-in-law and cousin are all teachers ***

 

[Geestar]

Depends what you mean by 'those' ? I expect my children to be well taught and looked after whilst in the school's / teacher's care.

What I don't expect is to have ever increasing demands for money - I've paid my taxes, it's state education. I also don't expect uniform changes - there is no practical reason to change uniform. Equally I don't expect my step daughter of then 12 to be shown a 15 certificate documentary ( and it did happen ). I also don't expect to be 'sold' a brand - plain black skirts / trousers and an appropriate coloured jumper and polo shirt are more an adequate. I expect teachers to know their subject - some of the crap my son has been taught around IT is utter shite and almost put him off taking it as an option.

I also don't expect to get rude threatening letters from the school about uniform. Finally I expect my children to be educated for the entire 190 days expected - i.e. not watch films etc for the last week of each term.

I don't deny teachers have a hard job ( not as hard as they claim though ) but with random strikes, inconsistent policies and, as has been highlighted on this thread, an inability to take personal responsibility they need to understand that we parents struggle see them as the guardians of virtue they would like to be seen as.

*** Stands back and awaits the usual flaming. And for side info my sister, ex-wife, sister-in-law and cousin are all teachers ***

Sounds like you are sending your kids to a pretty average school....shame.

No teachers in the family. I was one until just under 2 years ago, but I wouldn't go back. I am now in sales, and not striking/complaining because I got an easier life, less disrespected and being paid more...who'd be a teacher!