Training days

Oct 2 2008 by Andrew Baldwin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

ANYONE wonder why teachers seem to have so many training days?

Dave50 does; and he asked for an explanation on the Examiner website forum.

He said: “What are these teachers training for? I thought they had already been trained to become a teacher. What’s it all about?

“When I was at school in the Seventies I don’t recall there being any of these teacher training days. I do know that it causes massive inconvenience for working parents.

“Why don’t they do this ‘training’ during one of their many holidays, after all, they do get enough of them.”

His words struck a chord with other forum users.

Holly said: “Good question. Have you noticed they appear to have most ‘training days’ at primary/junior schools?

So, if you have children to take to other schools you still have to take the youngest with you and then be unable to go to work as a result.

“In the long summer break (over six weeks) they almost always add on an extra day for teacher training. Isn’t six weeks enough?”

Mowdiwarp thought he had the answer.

“Teacher training does have to be constantly updated, especially as this Government keep changing the methods and goalposts,” he said.

Of course, there’s always two sides to a story and 1gemini, whose parents are supply teachers, was willing to put it.

He (or she, we just don’t know) changed the topic slightly to say that what went on in schools was the major problem.

The posting talked of the constant pressure teachers are under and the poor discipline of pupils, which teachers were not allowed to do anything about.

“In fact, the Government pays schools lots of money to keep the most disruptive students in schools.

“If a certain pupil gets suspended for doing something bad he/she will be back in school in a matter of days and the same will happen if he/she is constantly getting suspended,” said 1gemini.