How often does this type of thing take place?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/64333 /Teacher-s-jolly-to-Marbella-cancelled-

After having to use their school for the training programme instead of going on the Marbella jolly, the headmaster stated :

"The reason we didn't choose to train in the school initially is that we did not believe that it raises aspirations among the staff as much as being able to go to an outside facility."

If they wanted an outside facility, what was wrong with the school playground?

Head teacher Richard Mercer defended the trip, saying it represented good value.

I wonder if he would have thought this if it was his own money he was spending? He should be sacked.

[saxy_jag]

"For what we get council tax is cheap. Try taking a look at public school fees"

But, as with shareholders in a private company, if those who pay for the service don't like it, they vote with their feet and their money. They get their kids educated elsewhere.

What we get for our council tax in the way of state education is not cheap at all - it's a rip off. We pay through the nose for a substandard education for our kids and we can't vote with our money because if we do (ie refuse to pay taxes) then we get prosecuted.

[curiosity]

R1Geezer I suppose you don't use the NHS then if us public sector workers make your blood boil?

[Panic Button]

The fact the school would be closed for two days is irrelevant, as all schools do this.

Kenneth Baker under the last Conservative government brought it in that there are quite a few non-pupil days each year for staff training. My son had one last Friday.

[R1Geezer]

curiosity, yes I use public services, I have also worked in the public sector for about 2 years and the point I'm making is the the general attutude of public sector workers is that the job exists only to provide them with an income and whatever jollies they can get out of it. The actual function of the job is often secondary in their minds.
In my short time in the public sector I was rollucked by the Nalgo rep for not taking enough sick leave! Apparently I can take up to 13 days a year and I hadn't. "If you don't take yours we're all under scrutiniy" was the reasoning. Public sector is full of snout in trough types I'm afraid. No doubt there are a lot of hard working people but they are obscured by the freeloaders in the eyes of the general public.

Coobeastie, you must be a genius at economics, let's see for every pound of tax payers money we spend on a non job, we get errr some of it back, tell you what I'd rather keep the whole pound.

[New Judge]

And Coobeastie should also bear in mind that the money collected in the form of Council Tax is only about one fifth of the sum spent by Local Authorities. The rest comes from general taxation.

State education is by no means cheap. The education budget this year is �82bn. That is about �3,200 for every taxpayer, or more than �11,000 spent on every person between the ages of 5 and 20.

For this sort of outlay the taxpayer is entitled to expect teachers to be in school every day during term time and should not expect them to jet off to the sun to do something that could be achieved in holiday time at the local town hall.