day off for graduation

rose23 · 18-09-2011 7:10pm #1

Hi,

I am a NQT and I completed the PGDE in Galway. I am working in a school in Cork for the year. My graduation is on a Tuesday evening at 7pm.. I am just wondering does anyone know what the procedure is for this..

Am I entitled to days off?? Will I have to get other teachers to cover my classes? Will I be paid?

Any information would be grateful before I go annoying the vice principal with these questions..

gaeilgebeo · 18-09-2011 7:20pm

rose23 wrote: »

Hi,

I am a NQT and I completed the PGDE in Galway. I am working in a school in Cork for the year. My graduation is on a Tuesday evening at 7pm.. I am just wondering does anyone know what the procedure is for this..

Am I entitled to days off?? Will I have to get other teachers to cover my classes? Will I be paid?

Any information would be grateful before I go annoying the vice principal with these questions..

If you get other teachers to cover your classes, you will be paid.

TheDriver · 18-09-2011 7:21pm

depends on your contract/terms. If subbing then you only get paid for your actual work

rose23 · 18-09-2011 7:25pm

Im covering a maternity leave until the 18th of May..

gaeilgebeo · 18-09-2011 9:02pm

rose23 wrote: »

Im covering a maternity leave until the 18th of May..

If that's the case, you can just take it as a day off and the principal will arrange a sub.
If your grad is not on till 7pm, could you work some of the day?

rebel10 · 18-09-2011 9:18pm

gaeilgebeo wrote: »

If that's the case, you can just take it as a day off and the principal will arrange a sub.
If your grad is not on till 7pm, could you work some of the day?

Will the op not have to write to the board for a personal day? In my school it wouldn't be as easy as just asking the principal. In many cases he has made us pay people to cover our classes unless we get a co-worker to cover them for us.

implausible · 18-09-2011 9:47pm

gaeilgebeo wrote: »

If that's the case, you can just take it as a day off and the principal will arrange a sub.

Your school sounds very easygoing Gaeilgebeo. In ours (VEC), you have to move heaven and earth to get a day off. Even if you arrange cover, our principal is quite likely to say 'no' unless it's for a very good reason.

OP, you are not entitled to a day off. However, you should ask around your staff room and other teachers will be able to tell you how it works in your school. A good idea would be to work the morning and see if you can get cover and take the rest of the day off. That way, you aren't looking for a full day off.

rebel10 · 18-09-2011 10:01pm

deemark wrote: »

Your school sounds very easygoing Gaeilgebeo. In ours (VEC), you have to move heaven and earth to get a day off. Even if you arrange cover, our principal is quite likely to say 'no' unless it's for a very good reason.

OP, you are not entitled to a day off. However, you should ask around your staff room and other teachers will be able to tell you how it works in your school. A good idea would be to work the morning and see if you can get cover and take the rest of the day off. That way, you aren't looking for a full day off.

Ditto. Afaik you are entitled to 5 personal days p/a, but in my school it is certainly frowned upon. I had to go to my brothers wedding in Rome on a Friday evening, had organised that my last three classes would be covered to avoid minimal disruption and flew back the Sunday. When I went to the principal a week before to ask for permission he claimed I should have checked with him before I asked any members of staff to cover for me. I can see why he was annoyed but my God there was no way I was missing the wedding for three classes!

gaeilgebeo · 18-09-2011 10:09pm

deemark wrote: »

Your school sounds very easygoing Gaeilgebeo. In ours (VEC), you have to move heaven and earth to get a day off. Even if you arrange cover, our principal is quite likely to say 'no' unless it's for a very good reason.

OP, you are not entitled to a day off. However, you should ask around your staff room and other teachers will be able to tell you how it works in your school. A good idea would be to work the morning and see if you can get cover and take the rest of the day off. That way, you aren't looking for a full day off.

I'm VEC too but the OP is subbing a maternity leave.
It won't cost the VEC anything for her to have the day off.
They will just pay someone else to sub for the day?

Thankfully, it isn't too difficult in my school to get time off when our classes are covered.

gaeilgebeo · 18-09-2011 10:10pm

rebel10 wrote: »

Ditto. Afaik you are entitled to 5 personal days p/a, but in my school it is certainly frowned upon. I had to go to my brothers wedding in Rome on a Friday evening, had organised that my last three classes would be covered to avoid minimal disruption and flew back the Sunday. When I went to the principal a week before to ask for permission he claimed I should have checked with him before I asked any members of staff to cover for me. I can see why he was annoyed but my God there was no way I was missing the wedding for three classes!

You are entitled to a days leave for the wedding of an immediate family member.

rebel10 · 18-09-2011 10:14pm

gaeilgebeo wrote: »

You are entitled to a days leave for the wedding of an immediate family member.

Entitled if the board entitles you it!:p
Ah my principal is a hard case.

implausible · 18-09-2011 10:22pm

gaeilgebeo wrote: »

You are entitled to a days leave for the wedding of an immediate family member.

Where is that written? The only place I can find it is on the TUI site:

Brief/Occasional Absences
Members in C&C Schools are entitled to avail of the facility to take up to 5 separate personal days leave of absence. Applications must be sanctioned by the Board of Management.
Members in VEC Schools may apply under the terms of Memo V7 - "in respect of occasional brief absences owing to reasonable causes". Applications are subject to approval by the VEC.

From Memo V7:

(iv) In exceptional circumstances, a permanent wholetime teacher may be paid salary in respect of occasional brief absences owing to reasonable causes other than those mentioned above (marriage, death of a relative) subject to the approval of the Committee and the sanction of the minister.

(v) In exceptional circumstances, a permanent wholetime teacher may be allowed leave without pay in respect of occasional brief absences owing to reasonable causes, subject to the approval of the Committee and the sanction of the Minister.

I had an awful mission to get going to my then fiancé's sister's wedding abroad a few years ago. The only way I could manage it was to arrive on the Sat (day of the wedding) and be back for work on Wed morning. The principal agreed to put me down as sick, as doing it any other way was too much hassle. Applying to the VEC wouldn't guarantee me the leave.

dambarude · 18-09-2011 10:24pm

I had a secondary teacher who took of for two weeks during term to run the New York marathon! I'm very surprised to hear how difficult it is to get a day or even a few hours off in secondary schools.

implausible · 18-09-2011 10:27pm

dambarude wrote: »

I had a secondary teacher who took of for two weeks during term to run the New York marathon! I'm very surprised to hear how difficult it is to get a day or even a few hours off in secondary schools.

It could have been unpaid leave and things that are good for the school's PR tend to be a lot less problematic. The rules also tend to be tighter in VEC schools, in my opinion.

dambarude · 18-09-2011 10:30pm

deemark wrote: »

It could have been unpaid leave and things that are good for the school's PR tend to be a lot less problematic.

I don't know... it wasn't promoted in any way either within the school or in the usual places (local papers). It seemed to be an entirely personal thing. All I know is that a lot of students weren't particularly happy at the time (I was in Leaving Cert). I'm not begrudging the teacher doing it btw, far from it.

rebel10 · 18-09-2011 10:32pm

deemark wrote: »

It could have been unpaid leave and things that are good for the school's PR tend to be a lot less problematic. The rules also tend to be tighter in VEC schools, in my opinion.

Can't agree with you there, my school is a voluntary school and it ain't no easy feat to get a personal day. They are rarely taken anyway in my school.

RealJohn · 18-09-2011 10:37pm

Reading this thread makes me very happy to be where I am. If I need a personal day, unless a few other teachers are expected to be out too all I usually need to do is ask the principal and arrange work for the classes I'll miss and teachers to cover them. We all cover classes for each other for this sort of thing. It's no big deal.

That said, I'd be surprised to hear that schools bring in subs to cover personal days. We certainly wouldn't. The money isn't there.

gaeilgebeo · 18-09-2011 10:57pm

RealJohn wrote: »

Reading this thread makes me very happy to be where I am. If I need a personal day, unless a few other teachers are expected to be out too all I usually need to do is ask the principal and arrange work for the classes I'll miss and teachers to cover them. We all cover classes for each other for this sort of thing. It's no big deal.

That said, I'd be surprised to hear that schools bring in subs to cover personal days. We certainly wouldn't. The money isn't there.

But they are not covering a personal day.
The OP is a sub and would be unable to sub that day, therefore won't get paid.
The VEC would pay someone else for that days subbing.

gaeilgebeo · 18-09-2011 10:58pm

deemark wrote: »

Where is that written? The only place I can find it is on the TUI site:

From Memo V7:

I had an awful mission to get going to my then fiancé's sister's wedding abroad a few years ago. The only way I could manage it was to arrive on the Sat (day of the wedding) and be back for work on Wed morning. The principal agreed to put me down as sick, as doing it any other way was too much hassle. Applying to the VEC wouldn't guarantee me the leave.

I'm not sure exactly where it is written but I have applied for it before when a sibling was getting married.

rebel10 · 18-09-2011 11:01pm

gaeilgebeo wrote: »

I'm not sure exactly where it is written but I have applied for it before when a sibling was getting married.

Suppose it just depends on the individual principal/BOM

implausible · 19-09-2011 6:49pm

gaeilgebeo wrote: »

But they are not covering a personal day.
The OP is a sub and would be unable to sub that day, therefore won't get paid.
The VEC would pay someone else for that days subbing.

The OP is covering a maternity leave, so is not a casual sub; she has a non-casual contract. Her wage includes holiday pay and she does not have the option to refuse work. She would have to be covered by her colleagues.

I guess this highlights how differently schools approach personal leave. You'd imagine that it would be consistent across the sector.

looksee · 19-09-2011 9:42pm

I know its not relevant to the point of the discussion, but how important is a graduation day anyway? You have the qualification and as a result have a job. Graduation is a lot of sitting around, a fair amount of expense, and about 15 seconds of very diluted glory!

RealJohn · 20-09-2011 10:07am

looksee wrote: »

I know its not relevant to the point of the discussion, but how important is a graduation day anyway? You have the qualification and as a result have a job. Graduation is a lot of sitting around, a fair amount of expense, and about 15 seconds of very diluted glory!

This was my view too. As it happened, my graduation for the dip was in the evening of the same day as my sister's graduation for he degree so I either had to take two personal days (which, as a NQT, I felt was unreasonable) or miss one. I chose my sister's grad because I figured she and my parents wanted me there if I could be and I'd already had my grad the previous year.

At the end of the day, it's just an excuse to go drinking for most people and since when do we need an excuse in this country?

ed3 · 20-09-2011 11:01am

rose23 wrote: »

Hi,

I am a NQT and I completed the PGDE in Galway. I am working in a school in Cork for the year. My graduation is on a Tuesday evening at 7pm.. I am just wondering does anyone know what the procedure is for this..

Am I entitled to days off?? Will I have to get other teachers to cover my classes? Will I be paid?

Any information would be grateful before I go annoying the vice principal with these questions..

Rose23...isnt graduation on the 25th of October for NUIG....isnt that the week of midterm??? problem solved

solerina · 20-09-2011 3:20pm

ed3 wrote: »

Rose23...isnt graduation on the 25th of October for NUIG....isnt that the week of midterm??? problem solved

Nope, midterm doesnt start until Oct 28th as far as I know !!

In my school we just get other teachers to cover our classes if we want a personal day, our principal doesnt even need to be consulted about it if you can manage to cover all your classes , and leave work for them to do he is happy.

rose23 · 22-09-2011 9:10pm

No Ed its the following week that is the midterm..

I know guys Im thinking its too much hassle now to try get one and a half days off for this grad so might just give it a miss..

rose23 · 22-09-2011 9:11pm

oh and just found out today that the 3rd year parent teacher meeting is on the evening of my graduation ... and i have two 3rd year class groups..

RealJohn · 22-09-2011 10:54pm

rose23 wrote: »

oh and just found out today that the 3rd year parent teacher meeting is on the evening of my graduation ... and i have two 3rd year class groups..

Yeah, I'd say that's it done and dusted really. Whatever about personal days in general, I can't see any school allowing you to miss a parent-teacher meeting for your graduation.

day off for graduation

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