What's the talk of education
Response to Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s comments that teachers should work a 40-hour week
My partner is a primary teacher. The contact time with the kids is about 6 hours a day but there are several more hours planning, correcting, making resources. Most teachers will lol at this suggestion, all it means is that they stay in the school rather than work at home to get the hours on paper. – The Dan Man, thejournal.ie
Teachers may well work "on average" 43 to 46 hours per week but the teachers union conveniently forgot to include the caveat that they only do it for circa 30 weeks of the year! On an annual basis this equates to less than 30 hours per week. It is time for less spin from the unions and more work for teachers – Paul Murphy, thejournal.ie
My son starts school at 9.30am and finishes at 3.00pm which is 5.5 hours a day multiply by 5 is which is 27.5 hours a week and believe me the teachers are gone at 3, well short of a 40 hour week. They get how many months holidays off during the year on full pay its a joke.
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Try being a teacher for one week yourself before you make such a comment. You obviously are not aware of the long hours of planning, collaboration and research so that each child's needs are met. Teachers also attend courses and seminars during those long summer holidays at their own expense to enrich the life of your child. – Laura Fitzmaurice-O'Flaherty, thejournal.ie
I agree some teachers might leave at 3 but that doesn't mean they have stopped working! I am a primary school teacher with young kids myself. School starts at 9.20, most of us are there a good half hour beforehand. School finishes at 3, I never leave before 4 unless family commitments. I pick up my children, spend time with them and once they are in bed at half seven, I sit down to do another 2 hours. This is nearly every night apart from a Friday night. I can't stand this impression that teachers do a 9 to 3 and thats it! – kopbabe, thejournal.ie
If these proposals become a reality teachers will do the prep work and corrections in school time and forget about all the voluntary activities. – Km79, boards.ie
Teachers should heed Enda Kenny's call and cut back their working hours to 40 a week. @APC55
Allowances and cuts for teachers
This is a disproportionate cut of 29 per cent compared to standard civil service workers who lost 10 per cent for new entrants. I hope that existing teachers contact their unions and act to protect new colleagues. – bdoo, boards.ie
It's ridiculous and the way they're implementing it is cowardly. Whats the logic behind removing the incentive to upskill when theyre moaning about the standard of teaching? And they know that those of us who already have our allowances arent going to kick up much of a fuss over it because ultimately, people are selfish. – RealJohn, boards.ie
Three years ago teachers were starting on €39k! Throw in the three months holidays on top of that and any sympathy I had evaporates! – John McSweeney, thejournal.ie
