Extra Holidays? Or Extra Nuisance?

"It's going to be holidays soon," many people tell me. Well, yes. But do people know what preparation for holidays entails? We don't just close a school anyhow. There are plenty to do before the school closes for the year.

That is why I get quite upset when I find out that school is allowed to close on 16 November, instead of 19 November as stipulated in the academic calendar. Closing 2 days earlier upsets all our year-end plans. We simply cannot do everything that we are supposed to do by 16 November.

On the other hand, choosing not to apply for the holidays will set tongues wagging. Teachers' morale will be affected when they assume that the school do not have their welfare at heart. We are caught in the middle. Close on 16 November and we won't get things done as they are supposed to to be done. Close on 19 November and teachers will start complaining.

As a result, we decided to compromise. We will apply for the holidays, and students' last day at school is 18 November. Teachers, on the other hand, are to return to school on 18 and 19 November. There are meetings to attend and paperwork to complete before the school closes proper.

For us at school, there is a checklist of things to do.
a) All exam papers have to be marked, and marks keyed in by 18 November.
b) All mark sheets be printed and exam results analysed, documented and submitted to the School Head.
c) All students' academic record books are filled, organised and handed in to the Level Head.
d) All students' co-curricular record books are collected, organised and handed in to the Level Head.
e) All students' co-curricular grade are filled and handed in to the Level Head.
f) All students' merit and demerit records are updated and handed in to the Level Head.
g) All students' reading records are in order, summarised and handed in to the Level Head.
h) Classroom inventory records are updated and handed to the Assets Committee
i) School fees records are in order, summarised and handed in to the Level Head
j) Students' personal records are in order, and handed in to the Students' Affairs
k) Prepare exam materials - such as notes and exercises - so that Forms 5 and 6 students have access to them in the duration of their examination.
l) Prepare school leaving certificates, and handed in to the school clerk for safekeeping.
m) Prepare testimonials for the school leavers, and hand in to the school clerk for safekeeping.
n) Prepare certificates for School-based Assessment, and hand in to the school clerk for safekeeping.

Well, those are what an ordinary teacher is expected to do. Those of us in the School Management Committee - senior assistants and departmental heads cum level heads - have to go through all those documents handed in to us.

It really takes a lot of effort and time to get things done, and done properly. I just feel that it is not very fair when holidays are granted to schools, and yet teachers cannot benefit, SIMPLY BECAUSE the announcement comes too sudden and too late.