Schools back and already 1/2 day

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dodo

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Children back in school today and guess what half day on Friday for teachers meeting,
Also school we asking for 100Euro voluntary contribution,(they did in 2008)
Now I understand why they do this as we have a terrible government in power and so on.
Now me for one have always given the contribution in full,but now out of work and I am wondering how much I can afford.
I believe the school should give out the envelope that the contribution goes into without the parents name on it.
This way every parent whether they can afford nothing or 20,50 Euro etc can place envelope in a sealed box without feeling under any pressure that the teacher would know that they did not give full contribution .
I have mixed feeling on what I think about what the teacher thinks in relation to this matter,one will my child be treated differently if I gave nothing(people are funny and this includes teacher's ).
Even though it is a voluntary contribution 100E is mentioned on the envelope.
 
This was covered I think in a recent thread about the so-called "voluntary contributions" which parents are expected to make. I would think that contributing what one can afford and think is fair to the school and your child would be the correct thing. It ceases to be a voluntary contribution once it is demanded and reminded about ( as I think happenened in that other thread). I know that schools have received less this year but everyone's income has tightened and They should not discriminate in those cases where the parent simply cannot afford it.
 
I agree that parents who are struggling a bit shouldn't be embarassed into making 'voluntary' contributions that they can't afford. I suppose, though, that the problem with just handing out blank envelopes is that some parents who can afford it won't bother contributing either or will contribute very llittle leaving the burden on a few. In any event, its another sign of our Government's incompetency that people have to make contributions at all. It always annoys me as well when I see people being forced to fund raise for essential equipment in hospitals.

I cannot believe a school is giving themselves a half day on the first week of term. Especially given all the negative publicity public servants have been getting lately.
 
If you want to know why class sizes are big and parents have to fund schools take a look at [broken link removed] OECD report and page 58 in particular.
 
liaconn said:
I agree that parents who are struggling a bit shouldn't be embarassed into making 'voluntary' contributions that they can't afford. I suppose, though, that the problem with just handing out blank envelopes is that some parents who can afford it won't bother contributing either or will contribute very llittle leaving the burden on a few. In any event, its another sign of our Government's incompetency that people have to make contributions at all. It always annoys me as well when I see people being forced to fund raise for essential equipment in hospitals.

I cannot believe a school is giving themselves a half day on the first week of term. Especially given all the negative publicity public servants have been getting lately.
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From reading the post I gather that the teachers involved are not giving themselves a half day , rather they are having a meeting on Friday afternoon - I would imagine that there are a lot of items to be discussed after the first days of term !
 
Could they not have come back a day earlier than the kids for their start of term meeting? It would make more sense to me.
 
liaconn said:
Could they not have come back a day earlier than the kids for their start of term meeting? It would make more sense to me.
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Well now that would just be common sense wouldn't it - doesn't seem to apply unfortunately these days!
 
Probably logistically difficult to arrange as people may be abroad or may have to travel from different parts of the country - they are on holidays after all !
 
If they know that they're going to need a start of term discussion/briefing (which they presumably have every year) should they not factor this in as the first day back for the teachers.
 
But surely then it would be a matter of the children having a half day earlier rather than later in the week.
Personally I would have thought it better to have such a meeting later in the week in order to discuss " teething problems "
 
You misunderstand. I meant that the teachers would get a day less holiday than the children.

I would imagine that the primary purpose of a start of year meeting is to discuss new developments, timetables etc. 'Teething problems' are more likely to arise on an individual basis and can be taken up bi-laterally with the Principal.
 
If you are concerned about the amount of time that the school gives the pupils off to facilitate staff meetings, you should consider complaining to the Dept of Education.

Lots of schools break the Dept rules on this issue and I know of one school where after
a complaint from parents, the school was inspected and the school were told to reduce this

I dont know the exact rules, but the Dept should be able to tell you.
 
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liaconn said:
You misunderstand. I meant that the teachers would get a day less holiday than the children.

I would imagine that the primary purpose of a start of year meeting is to discuss new developments, timetables etc. 'Teething problems' are more likely to arise on an individual basis and can be taken up bi-laterally with the Principal.
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Can't see that happening , teachers are very protective of their holidays as of course they are entitled to be.
 
Giving up TWO HOURs or so of a 2-3 month holiday?? Hardly a major infringement of their rights.
 
Teachers give a lot of extra time to events and meetings outside of their school hours which they really need'nt do and are not paid extra for this. Lets say when a Garda finishes his duty he does'nt go off later that evening and start off again or any other worker either.
 
I'm not running down the work that teachers do or how stressful the job can be (one of my best friends is a teacher). I just think, when they've been off work for 2-3 months (on full pay!),it shouldn't be a big deal for them to come in for a couple of hours a day or two before the school year starts to re-group and discuss any new developments, instead of shutting the school down for an afternoon when the kids have only just gone back.
 
Ash 22 said:
Teachers give a lot of extra time to events and meetings outside of their school hours which they really need'nt do and are not paid extra for this. Lets say when a Garda finishes his duty he does'nt go off later that evening and start off again or any other worker either.
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Gardai don't get four months paid holidays though.
 
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