Teacher training inset days

I WRITE to you on a subject that has irritated me for some time and after school closures during the recent elections has forced me to write.

And that irritation? The phenomenon that is the 'Teacher Training Inset Days'.

I hope there is someone within education out there who can enlighten myself and countless other parents on this phenomenon.

When it comes to taking my children out of school during term time for a short family holiday I am left to feel like the school bully who has been sent to see the headmaster. I find myself explaining and justifying why I have to holiday during term time. I am treated like a criminal.

The headmaster of my children's school has been understanding of the fact that not all parents can holiday in line with natural school breaks. However I recently had a newsletter from the school which changes all of that, it now appears that pressure is being applied to fine parents who do not adhere to this strict, draconian policy.

Now the question I ask on behalf of every parent I speak to is why the hypocrisy when it comes to Teacher Training days. These days are always held during term time, usually conveniently tagged to a holiday period, five school days per year, why?

Why can't they be held during the holiday breaks? Surely during the best part of 12 weeks close down of schools per year these five days could be taken during these breaks.

And the reason the elections has forced me to write? Some schools closed due to their use as polling stations, therefore parents yet again had to take a day off of their 4 week annual holiday to care for their children. And the teachers? An extra day off!

This wasn't an unexpected last minute election, this has been organised for sometime, why couldn't the education authority arrange for teachers to attend a training day during the school closure or is this too much of a common-sense idea?

Please someone enlighten me, or indeed educate me.

TONY WELLS

Magdalen Way, Worle