Teachers and their summer holidays

31-05-2012 5:25pm #1

Why on earth do teachers at both primary and secondary schools get two and three months of summer holidays respectively? And why do they get paid for it? Wouldn't their talents and time, and public money be better spent if they stayed at the schools and helped weaker students who fail exams, etc. Any student who performs poorly in exams, etc. or performs badly in general during the school year should attend summer school to help them progress and the teachers should be there to facilitate this. If no students fail exams couldn't the teachers be sent to Africa as part of Irish educational aid or something similarly productive? It just seems like a huge waste educating these teachers, paying them a salary and then giving them 2/3 months off to do as they please.

token101 · 31-05-2012 5:27pm

Ah but they have their marking...

membersonly · 31-05-2012 5:28pm

You used to remind the teacher to give you and your classmates homework didn't you?

Nothingbetter2d · 31-05-2012 5:28pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Why on earth do teachers at both primary and secondary schools get three and four months of summer holidays respectively? And why do they get paid for it? Wouldn't their talents and time, and public money be better spent if they stayed at the schools and helped weaker students who fail exams, etc. Any student who performs poorly in exams, etc. or performs badly in general during the school year should attend summer school to help them progress and the teachers should be there to facilitate this. If no students fail exams couldn't the teachers be sent to Africa as part of Irish educational aid or something similarly productive? It just seems like a huge waste educating these teachers, paying them a salary and then giving them 3/4 months off to do as they please.

ah leave them alone... they have to listen to your bold braising kids for 9 months of the year 9 to 4, 5 days a week they deserve a bit of time off. and they get 2 - 3 months summer holidays not 4 months summer holidays.

Mr.Crinklewood · 31-05-2012 5:29pm

token101 wrote: »

Ah but they have their marking...

Could teach Paul McShane a thing or two.

DrumSteve · 31-05-2012 5:29pm

Ugh.

It's cos they has to mark tests and ****, innit?

link_2007 · 31-05-2012 5:29pm

token101 wrote: »

Ah but they have their marking...

Don't forget their 'plans'

tayto lover · 31-05-2012 5:31pm

Jealousy ?

looksee · 31-05-2012 5:33pm

Oh bog off. I can say that now, I've just retired...

Battered Mars Bar · 31-05-2012 5:33pm

They get paid per paper they mark for jc & lc? There's nothing else to be done outside of that? Most don't bother marking papers? And take up summer jobs....what are they paid for again??

31-05-2012 5:33pm

tayto lover wrote: »

Jealousy ?

Not a bit jealous. I have huge respect for teachers, especially good ones, they are as important as a good cardiologist in my opinion. I just don't like inefficiencies and waste -especially at taxpayers expense.

IrishAm · 31-05-2012 5:34pm

If you thinks its such a cushy number, become a teacher yourself.

coffee_cake · 31-05-2012 5:35pm

"send them off to africa"

lol

Agricola · 31-05-2012 5:35pm

Bottom line is if every one had the stomach for dealing with kids all day every day, we'd all have gone into teaching. It takes an iron will, masses of self restraint and an all encompassing desire to doss for quarter of the year to get into this profession

Eathrin · 31-05-2012 5:35pm

Teachers aren't paid enough to be working more than 9 months.

31-05-2012 5:37pm

IrishAm wrote: »

If you thinks its such a cushy number, become a teacher yourself.

I never said it was cushy, it certainly isn't at times. Also, I wouldn't choose a career because of its perceived cushy-ness.

arse..biscuits · 31-05-2012 5:38pm

How about we send you to Africa?

SEPT 23 1989 · 31-05-2012 5:39pm

They are some of the best paid in the world

flutterflye · 31-05-2012 5:39pm

I couldn't do their job.
Not for any amount of money.
I've 2 little shitbags children myself, and I can't even handle them half the time, never mind 20/30 of them!

The Big Red Button · 31-05-2012 5:41pm

Any teacher that I know spends a large proportion of the start of their summer holidays clearing up work from the year before, writing reports, cleaning and tidying their classroom, catching up on paperwork, etc.

They also spend most of August working on booklists, preparing work for the coming year, organising classes, etc.

Oh and they also usually spend a week of their summer doing a "course", so that they can get their three days off during the school year. Yes, I know they still get midterms and Christmas holidays, but personally I'd hate to be in a job where I only got three days off of my choosing during the year - and, then, only if I did a course (out of my holiday time) to get those three days!)

I've never envied teachers, it's not an easy job, and certainly not one I'd ever be willing or able to do.

thecornflake · 31-05-2012 5:42pm

I wouldn't mind so much with them having the summer off but when i was in school, teachers used to be missing for a week here and there during the school year when they would be off in Spain on holidays. That is just taking the piss in fairness.

forfuxsake · 31-05-2012 5:43pm

I've done a few jobs in me life and teaching is one of them. It's also the hardest. It's pretty much non-stop for when you are teaching. It's not like the typical job in which you can shuffle papers if you are tired/hungover/depressed. It takes a lot of attention, concentration, effort and energy and you have to be alert the whole time. Every June I have felt that I really couldn't handle another month without imploding. But I looked forward to starting back from mid-august.

tayto lover · 31-05-2012 5:44pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Not a bit jealous. I have huge respect for teachers, especially good ones, they are as important as a good cardiologist in my opinion. I just don't like inefficiencies and waste -especially at taxpayers expense.

Then why was your post not about politicians who have even more holidays, higher wages and loads of expenses ?

Borderfox · 31-05-2012 5:45pm

Cue the old time music..

When I was a nipper the teachers spent the summer working on their left hook just for me :-(

Dont envy their job now

Agricola · 31-05-2012 5:51pm

forfuxsake wrote: »

I've done a few jobs in me life and teaching is one of them. It's also the hardest. It's pretty much non-stop for when you are teaching. It's not like the typical job in which you can shuffle papers if you are tired/hungover/depressed. It takes a lot of attention, concentration, effort and energy and you have to be alert the whole time. Every June I have felt that I really couldn't handle another month without imploding. But I looked forward to starting back from mid-august.

I worked in a call centre for a couple of years. Its also a job that doesnt allow you to shuffle papers and browse the net until you wake up around 10am. It too required attention, effort and energy. Point being there are lots of jobs just as stressful as teaching which dont have the release valve of three months holidays to look forward to every summer, and amazingly people still do them and get by ok. The reason teachers have this privilege is simply because kids can't do 40 hour weeks, 48 weeks a year!
Anyway good luck to them. It is a tough job and wouldnt be for me. But I wouldnt give them a hardship award over over other jobs. It's not coal mining!

Tipp Man · 31-05-2012 5:51pm

Nothingbetter2d wrote: »

ah leave them alone... they have to listen to your bold braising kids for 9 months of the year 9 to 4, 5 days a week they deserve a bit of time off. and they get 2 - 3 months summer holidays not 4 months summer holidays.

Actually they don't have to do that at all

Secondary teachers full time only teach for 22 hours a week for about 35 weeks of the year - way more than "just" the 3 months summer off

Primary teachers teach for only 25 hours a week and for about 40 weeks of the year

Your kind of attitude is the reason that it is one of the cushiest jobs in the world

Caliden · 31-05-2012 5:53pm

IrishAm wrote: »

If you thinks its such a cushy number, become a teacher yourself.

Those who can't do, teach.

Tipp Man · 31-05-2012 5:53pm

Eathrin wrote: »

Teachers aren't paid enough to be working more than 9 months.

No wonder we have a public sector bill that completly lost the run of itself in the last 10-15 years

Ravelleman · 31-05-2012 5:54pm

Cause they have to help their farmer parents with the crops too, just like the kids. That´s why the holidays are 3 months long after all.

flutterflye · 31-05-2012 5:54pm

Caliden wrote: »

Those who can't do, teach.

And those that can't teach, teach gym.

Tipp Man · 31-05-2012 5:55pm

forfuxsake wrote: »

I've done a few jobs in me life and teaching is one of them. It's also the hardest. It's pretty much non-stop for when you are teaching. It's not like the typical job in which you can shuffle papers if you are tired/hungover/depressed. It takes a lot of attention, concentration, effort and energy and you have to be alert the whole time. Every June I have felt that I really couldn't handle another month without imploding. But I looked forward to starting back from mid-august.

I wonder how secondary teachers in England manage at all so when they have "only" 6 weeks summer holidays and a host of paperwork for the school and department that would make an Irish teacher faint if they saw it

Teachers and their summer holidays

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