The reason why my daughter's School has a training day next Friday, is because it's Black Friday, and last year, the School had a massive dip in attendance on Black Friday.
Each school has 5 training days and 5 occassional days that the school can choose to use on any day. No matter which day they choose the school will still be closed on those days. If your daughter's school noticed that attendance is usually poor on that day then it makes sense to choose that day to have the training on.
I'd be more concerned about parents who kept their children off for Black Friday. Those 5 days are additional days that don't come off total teaching time - children don't lose any 'learning time'.
Five holiday days that don't have to be on the same date as the rest of the authority, some schools have a random week so that it's cheaper for parents to go away then, some use them for days of likely low attendance such as Eid or Black Friday mentioned by Fired in this case.
Yes, I realise that, and don't have a problem with the School's thinking. What amazes me is that kids are absent for Black Friday. Absolutely nuts. Another crap introduction from the USA. Presumably the kids were out scrapping at the local Supermarket. Apparently the school was also asked why Halloween wasn't a Public Holiday.
Have they always existed or are they a new thing? We probably had them when I was at school but just never noticed maybe?
I don't think we had as many, if any at all. They didn't used to be all that keen on staff development I guess.
You had as many days off but teachers didn't have the training days. Five of the holiday days that kids always got became teacher training days (a fact that a lot of people don't seem to realise when they say 'why don't they have them in the holidays' - we do! As they are not always tacked on to the end of the holidays, or even when they are on the Friday before or Monday after, lots of people don't realise as they are spread out across the year. I'm not sure whether the occasional days have always been able to be chosen on random days or if they used to be a set week same as the rest.
Ahh sorry Fired, I thought you were questioning why the school was closed rather than the ridiculousness of the parents.
US election, Prom, Halloween, Black Friday ......... I'm guessing well have Thanksgiving in my lifetime, to keep the Turkey producers onside. Thank God for soccer. Sent via Royal Mail and typed up by my Tapatalk byatch
No worries. Probably didn't explain myself very well. I've just got visions of the local toe rags queuing up outside Asda waiting to scrap over a TV on sale at £49.99
They used to be called Baker days after the then education secretary Kenneth Baker - that's my first recollection of them
They were introduced in 1988. Five days taken off staff holidays. Part of the Thatcher assault on trade unions. Nowt to do with education.
Schools should stay open. Any brat that doesnt attend their parents get dragged throufh bad parenting courts. That money theyve saved on the telly can pay the fines and costs.