Primary school closing at noon.

Madeoface

Genuine question. At Xmas, Easter and summer my kids school closes at noon.

I thought the removal of privilege days from civil and public servants was removed years ago? How and why is this practice still permitted? Hard to justify this additional day and a half off tbh so I'd be interested in the rationale.

And before someone says the staff meet or mark papers etc. I watch the staff get into their cars and go home, certainly for Xmas and Easter, while waiting on my kids (staggered classes).

Meanman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058337052/primary-school-closing-at-noon

Just become a teacher and you'll get them as well.

Kimbot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058337052/primary-school-closing-at-noon

Privilege days are long gone from the civil service. How do you know the teachers arent sacrificing leave to take a half day etc?

Baybay

I’m not a teacher, public servant or the parent currently of primary school children but generally coming up to the holidays you mention, both students & staff are putting in the hours. Concerts, plays, presentations, tours, sports days, extra curricular trips for music, quizzes etc usually aren’t confined totally to school hours. Many parents aren’t available anyway to attend those types of things if they’re within the usual working day. I’m afraid I’ve no idea about privilege days. I’m also not really trying to defend but I do think that schools tend to require a certain amount of flexibility from parents, students & teachers. Perhaps I’m wrong.

Madeoface

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121792724#Comment_121792724

No answer so?

Madeoface

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121792776#Comment_121792776

I don't, that's why I asked. But I'd wager they are not....

cmssjone

Why don’t you just ask the school?

Jim_Hodge

Half days count as just that, half days, in the calculation of the 183 day school year.

Princess Calla

As a child I always loved the half day leading into the holidays.

There's a set amount of days that schools have to be open for, so it's not like they are getting a freebie.

Yeah as a parent it would probably be easier to have them in the full day but you are given plenty of notice what days are half days. So plenty of time to arrange childcare or book annual leave and let the kids enjoy their half-day like we did.

Madeoface

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121793530#Comment_121793530

Cheers. Good to know.

byhookorbycrook

Half days at Christmas and the summer are still allowed where they were historically allowed. Mid-terms/Easter holidays never had half days and obviously still don't. Batt O'Keeffe infamously sent inspectors into primary schools on the day of the Christmas holidays. the backlash from parents was enormous.

Interestingly enough, schools are allowed some " assembly time" which wasn't counted as formal teaching time- around 10 minutes a day. This was when the rolla was called in full , stragglers ambled in etc. years ago. The "rolla" these days is done electronically and the 10 minutes has become absorbed into the school day.

Full disclosure- I'm a primary teacher, but BayBay makes some important points as to the extra time put in by school staff (not just teachers,the SNAs and school secretaries are always generous with their time. )

Honesty Policy

As above, it's a goodwill gesture in return for all the outside of teaching hours which teachers clock up. In my school, it's attending evening quizzes, rehearsals for concerts, Carol services, training and attending sports matches after school, attending and helping with St.Patrick Day Parade, attending union meetings, returning with classes late from school tours and trips, writing up paperwork into the wee small hours, correcting tests for hours after school, writing up reports, continued professional development/attending courses/ training after school and at weekends etc etc etc.

Honestly...teaching and schools are more like a lifestyle choice nowadays. It's a lot more than a job that you can switch off from after work. It seems never ending and there's a lot of expected outside of your teaching hours.

It's nice to get 2 'half days' to acknowledge these unpaid and often unseen hours of hard work and dedication. It's relentless.

kippy

A bit of good will goes along way on every side and schools in particular would be a mess without it.

downtheroad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121821474#Comment_121821474

10 minutes a day, how do you manage 😂😂

byhookorbycrook

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121821628#Comment_121821628

In simple maths 183 × 5 = 915 mins which equals 15.25 hours . On top of all the other things mentioned above, I'd say quibbling over 5 hours in the school year is somewhat petty.

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121821587#Comment_121821587

Teachers are more fools to do this without compensation and take all the other crap slung at them in addition .... its only going to increase....let them have their half day I say but toe the line as a collective and say no when it comes to all the additional.

System is getting massive value and in return is increasing workload year on year.....tells you how valued you are....and it's the same in so many workplaces nowadays...no wonder people are so stressed....and very rarely have I seen a suggestion that perhaps proper discipline and consequences for poor behaviour should be a priority (no surprise there as it mirrors our current shambles of a "justice system")

Imo whats been going on for the last decade or so reminds me of some lyrics from fortunate son

And when you ask 'em, "How much should we give?"

Hoo, they only answer, "More, more, more, more"

The problem is like other areas of life you are not really a collective, you've been and are in the process of being further divided and conquered.

Kathnora

Madeoface I'm sure you enjoyed your half days three times per year when you were in primary school yourself?

The day of the holidays is an exciting one for children. They are children and at the end of term they deserve a bit of fun, a little party or to watch a film on the day the school closes. A half day of those kind of activities is enough for both children and teachers alike. If there were no half days I think you would need to structure that day better ....do the Maths, Gaeilge and English in the morning and have the fun in the afternoon. Is that what you would like for your children? If so I say good luck getting them to focus on lessons (primary teacher here) on the last day of term. I'd also say quite loudly "Bah Humbug" to you too. On the other hand perhaps you wouldn't care what your children did at school on that day so long as they didn't get a half day? In that case I think you are looking for a child minding service. Teachers are not child minders, they are educators and schools are not creches, they are places where children are educated. My final word is .... put the children first 😉