[Jay.]

Teachers take a lot of their work home with them, producing presentations, stuff to teach, tests etc. It's far more than a 9-5 job. I know that new teachers usually don't leave the school building until gone 8 because of the amount of work to do.

They also teach a vast amount of children, not just one class. I doubt they don't do any work through week breaks etc. with the amount of essays and tests to mark etc.

I remember my teacher telling me that they are paid for the months that they are there, but the salary is spread out across the year, so that they don't go penny-less over the summer. So they are only being paid during term time, so to speak.

[empire]

teachers are over paid, some of them are lazy, arrogant, argue to much, they like to tell you the truth but don't take it well when you tell them some home truths back, at my school they where paid to much and would treat us like we where not able to learn any thing, and then there was the other ones, that expected us to know what this is in are work, they just throw a book at the table and did not help us very much,

[MB.]

Originally Posted by empire

at my school they where paid to much

Whoever your English teacher was must have been the worst of the lot.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by empire

some of them are lazy, arrogant, argue to much

human beings teas

You get these types of people everywhere.

[MB.]

(oh, and in response to the thread, no)

[Marsh.]

It's like saying stay at home parents get time off whenever the kids go to school. Doesn't really work like that.

[Crimson Dynamo]

I watched the documentary Waterloo Road that was set in Scotland and frankly if that is how they run schools then the whole thing needs shake up

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

I watched the documentary Waterloo Road that was set in Scotland and frankly if that is how they run schools then the whole thing needs shake up

[Pete.]

No, teachers have long days (8-6 plus marking time at home) and still do work like lesson planning during school holidays.

[Tom4784]

It's not an easy job and the pay isn't that great considering, If I was a teacher I wouldn't deal with snot nosed mistakes all day if it weren't for the holidays

[Denver]

I think the children get to many holidays

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by adamski94

I think the children get to many holidays

Aw no, they're just kids, summer holidays as a kid were some of the best times in my life, I want my kids to have fun and those good memories too when they're looking back as adults and getting crappy holidays like everyone else (unless they decide to become a teacher of course lol )

[Denver]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Aw no, they're just kids, summer holidays as a kid were some of the best times in my life, I want my kids to have fun and those good memories too when they're looking back as adults and getting crappy holidays like everyone else (unless they decide to become a teacher of course lol )

I got bored too easily in the holidays and the same goes for my niece and nephews

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by adamski94

I got bored too easily in the holidays and the same goes for my niece and nephews

I never got bored on my holidays

[AnnieK]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I never got bored on my holidays

Yeah me neither...fun times

[Denver]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I never got bored on my holidays

I guess its a generation thing

I got bored halfway through the holidays but as soon as I went back too school I was counting down the next one

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I never got bored on my holidays

Nor me, great times.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I never got bored on my holidays

My 5 year old did get pretty bored last summer to be honest, 7 weeks is a bit too long we that age, I remember it when I was young - the last couple of weeks used to drag so badly .

I wouldn't give less holidays though, I'd take 2 weeks off of the summer and add one at easter and one in October.

As for the thread topic - from what I've heard from most of my teacher friends, working a 70-hour week can be pretty standard, and whilst I know that's also true of many "high powered" careers, the pay given to teachers certainly doesn't reflect those sorts of hours. So if you take those worked hours in lieu, their holidays are probably reasonable.

I get 6 weeks holiday a year but I can bank overtime in this way "officially" and take the hours as holiday rather than take it paid. Two weeks of moderate overtime can bag me an extra week off. All things considered, I probably take 8 full weeks and a couple of 5-day stretches through the year.

Wanting people to work like they're on community service just because they get more holidays than you do sounds like a firm case of the jealous jessies to me .

[JoshBB]

No. They are pushed enough, they deserve more holidays.

[Kizzy]

Why don't they just de professionalise every sector except MPs, bankers and lawyers?

[MTVN]

Nigel gets to spend half his time 'working' in the pub though which isn't a bad deal

[smudgie]

No.
If anything they have to big a workload.
My daughter goes in every holidays for sorting the classroom, planning etc.
Works late most nights and then writes up reports once she gets home.
Even her weekends aren't her own, she managed to get away from schoolwork this weekend, by taking the kids camping for their D of E awards.
For all the hard work, she still finds it very rewarding.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by smudgie

No.
If anything they have to big a workload.
My daughter goes in every holidays for sorting the classroom, planning etc.
Works late most nights and then writes up reports once she gets home.
Even her weekends aren't her own, she managed to get away from schoolwork this weekend, by taking the kids camping for their D of E awards.
For all the hard work, she still finds it very rewarding.

Off topic,you must be pleased at the promotion of James Smudgie,

On topic now, I have great sympathy for teachers, this is where I have no political gripe at all as to one party.
Teachers must get fed up,govt; after govt; comes in and starts dismantling what the previous one did.

There is far too much changing of education procedure and never enough continuity of policy from any of the parties.

This must add massively to Teachers workloads and how I wish some consensus as to education policy was in place and it left alone for a long period with no govt; interference at all.

Teachers must be at times driven crazy with all the new plans and changes being kept being forced on them.
So even if, and I stress if, it appears on paper they get a lot of holidays, then for me they should have them.
It must be a constant nightmare as to a a profession, not only in the working in the classrooms but wondering what on earth politicians will be coming up with next for them to change and learn, as 'experiments' as to children's futures.

[the truth]

TEACHING IS HARD WORK. I do think its too hard to get rid of bad teachers, I do think we need to actively seek to get more male teachers, especially primary, maybe they will bring in positive discrimination male only teacher posts....overall I say let them have their holidays

[lostalex]

they say caring for a child (a housewife or a nanny) in an of itself is a full time job, imagine taking care of 30 children. is that 30 full time jobs? Teachers most definitely deserve their extra holidays.

My sister is a teacher and the horror stories i hear, if it was any other job, if any other profession someone had to deal with what she has to deal with on a daily basis, she could sue for harassment and abuse and all sorts of other things. Teachers put up with more in one week than any other job has to put up with in an entire year.