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Are others schools making up the snow days?

  • 19-05-2018 12:49pm
    #1
    acequion
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,941 ✭✭✭


    We've been told, with no staff consultation, that we're making up the lost snow days by keeping our LC and JC classes two days longer for tuition and shortening the house exams.

    I'd like to know if other schools are doing something similar or have made up the snow days in other ways?

    And was there an actual requirement on schools to make them up? I know that it's written somewhere in black and white that schools should, but many things are not done that are directed in black and white.


Comments

  • #2
    Benicetomonty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,624 ✭✭✭Benicetomonty


    acequion wrote: »
    We've been told, with no staff consultation, that we're making up the lost snow days by keeping our LC and JC classes two days longer for tuition and shortening the house exams.

    I'd like to know if other schools are doing something similar or have made up the snow days in other ways?

    And was there an actual requirement on schools to make them up? I know that it's written somewhere in black and white that schools should, but many things are not done that are directed in black and white.

    We lost our traditional sports day but that was the extent of it.


  • #3
    Cash_Q
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,920 ✭✭✭Cash_Q


    We are not making them up. The official line from the Dept suggested scaling back things like Sports Days/trips etc but it seems to be at the schools discretion once the curriculum is covered.


  • #4
    r93kaey5p2izun
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,962 ✭✭✭r93kaey5p2izun


    All trips, matches and events since the snow days were cancelled. Sports day was cancelled. Our summer exams were shortened. Third Years will be kept until the last day of term - an extra 2 days.


  • #5
    solerina
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,435 ✭✭✭solerina


    No, everything has continued on as normal.


  • #6
    Icsics
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,057 ✭✭✭Icsics


    No, sports day as normal, nothing cancelled & no mention of it


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  • #7
    acequion
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,941 ✭✭✭acequion


    Thanks for the replies,guys, which are exactly as I thought. Some school managers absolutely have to be the best in the class about following the book and couldn't give a toss about how that might affect staff morale.While others are more sensible.

    It's the same re CP hours and every new crazy initiative which is so hard on teachers. Huge variations in the application,hence even more resentment by those who feel hardest hit.


  • #8
    byhookorbycrook
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 12,508 Mod ✭✭✭✭byhookorbycrook


    No chance here either, Under DES rules, prioritize teaching ahead of tours, sports' days etc.


  • #9
    Icsics
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,057 ✭✭✭Icsics


    acequion wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies,guys, which are exactly as I thought. Some school managers absolutely have to be the best in the class about following the book and couldn't give a toss about how that might affect staff morale.While others are more sensible.

    It's the same re CP hours and every new crazy initiative which is so hard on teachers. Huge variations in the application,hence even more resentment by those who feel hardest hit.

    Our LCerts were texted Friday evening to say they were finished. We’ve have some very disruptive end of yr with LCerts, the longer they’re kept the messier they get! (Unless yours are different to ours!!)


  • #10
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    Icsics wrote: »
    No, sports day as normal, nothing cancelled & no mention of it

    Same here, as much as I complain about some things, our school knows where it's priorities lie. All of our students covered their courses (well, ticked off the chapters anyhow!!) and all of us attended CPD of our own volition, nobody asked us to submit our CPD croke park nonesense hours.


  • #11
    acequion
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,941 ✭✭✭acequion


    evolving_doors wrote: »
    Same here, as much as I complain about some things, our school knows where it's priorities lie. All of our students covered their courses (well, ticked off the chapters anyhow!!) and all of us attended CPD of our own volition, nobody asked us to submit our CPD croke park nonesense hours.

    And we have to account for ours [the discretionary ones] down to the last second.:mad:


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  • #12
    solerina
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,435 ✭✭✭solerina


    acequion wrote: »
    And we have to account for ours [the discretionary ones] down to the last second.:mad:

    We did too and the principal has given us a breakdown as to how he wants us to use the ten next year. I thought he couldn’t do that but he seems to think he can. He intends putting us on committees and using our ten hours for this :mad:


  • #13
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    solerina wrote: »
    We did too and the principal has given us a breakdown as to how he wants us to use the ten next year. I thought he couldn’t do that but he seems to think he can. He intends putting us on committees and using our ten hours for this :mad:

    Maybe the union can step in, esp. if they are done without consultation.
    Sorry I dragged this topic away from snow days.


  • #14
    acequion
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,941 ✭✭✭acequion


    evolving_doors wrote: »
    Maybe the union can step in, esp. if they are done without consultation.
    Sorry I dragged this topic away from snow days.

    Same point though ie the top down dictatorial nature of some school managers.Very demoralising for staff in such schools and definitely that one re CP hours calls for union intervention. For all our complaints about our unions they really are the only protection we have.


  • #15
    solerina
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,435 ✭✭✭solerina


    evolving_doors wrote: »
    Maybe the union can step in, esp. if they are done without consultation.
    Sorry I dragged this topic away from snow days.

    Totally without consultation, if I remember it was 4 hrs, 3 hrs, 3 hrs. The four was given to committees set up by the Principal which he assigns us to. 3 CPD and I cant remember what he allocated to the other 3


  • #16
    acequion
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,941 ✭✭✭acequion


    solerina wrote: »
    Totally without consultation, if I remember it was 4 hrs, 3 hrs, 3 hrs. The four was given to committees set up by the Principal which he assigns us to. 3 CPD and I cant remember what he allocated to the other 3

    He definitely can't just sign ye up to committees like that, it has to be by consultation. And there is reasonable flexibility in delivering those hours.

    So ye absolutely need to get on to the union about that. Don't let him dictate to ye to that extent!


  • #17
    thefasteriwalk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 565 ✭✭✭thefasteriwalk


    acequion wrote: »
    He definitely can't just sign ye up to committees like that, it has to be by consultation. And there is reasonable flexibility in delivering those hours.

    So ye absolutely need to get on to the union about that. Don't let him dictate to ye to that extent!

    I am very confused. Are these hours not at the principal's discretion? We do not get our 10 hours and all Croke Park hours are whole school.


  • #18
    acequion
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,941 ✭✭✭acequion


    thefasteriwalk wrote: »
    I am very confused. Are these hours not at the principal's discretion? We do not get our 10 hours and all Croke Park hours are whole school.

    https://www.asti.ie/news/latest-news/news-article/article/croke-park-hours-10-hours/?no_cache=1

    This link is from the asti website. Now while the hours have to be "approved" by the management, there is reasonable flexibility around those hours and they certainly don't have to be whole school. There also must be consultation with the staff. So I'd also advise union intervention in your case.

    It really is clear that there are wide variations in the application of things like CP hours and snow days. But as long as staff remain silent and compliant, many principals will take the proverbial.:mad:


  • #19
    solerina
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,435 ✭✭✭solerina


    acequion wrote: »
    He definitely can't just sign ye up to committees like that, it has to be by consultation. And there is reasonable flexibility in delivering those hours.

    So ye absolutely need to get on to the union about that. Don't let him dictate to ye to that extent!

    Unfortunately we have a large proportion of the staff who will not / are not in a position to argue about anything so the P tends to run a dictatorship. For instance one teacher had done over 10 hours CPD in the evenings and she was told she could use 4 but not the ten, even though she had attendance cents for all.


  • #20
    TheDriver
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,655 ✭✭✭✭TheDriver


    solerina wrote: »
    Unfortunately we have a large proportion of the staff who will not / are not in a position to argue about anything so the P tends to run a dictatorship. For instance one teacher had done over 10 hours CPD in the evenings and she was told she could use 4 but not the ten, even though she had attendance cents for all.
    Your particular case would depend on what was agreed. I have seen lots of CPD certs from evening stuff that wasn't worth the paper it was written on


  • #21
    solerina
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,435 ✭✭✭solerina


    TheDriver wrote: »
    Your particular case would depend on what was agreed. I have seen lots of CPD certs from evening stuff that wasn't worth the paper it was written on

    Nothing was agreed, the P just issued us with his decision a few weeks ago. The courses were from Ed Centres as far as I am aware.


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