yes indeed I and my Mrs have enjoyed some excellent holidays courtesy of insurance companies by pretending to be deaf and pretending to have worked in the pit, and pretending to have been injured whilst at work, I am in fact the original great pretender I thank you.

junior school kids maybe not, but what about the older ones who have coursework and exams coming up?

Stop being sensible, you'll get banned

No ones said they would, just feel parents should try to support their schools, in any attempt to improve their childs education. Again I can only speak for Bedford but before the GCSE exams they now take some of their kids on FREE revision weekends, to some place in wales, and old trafford, they try to show them the balance by mixing it up between learning time and play time. Wonder if those who are opposed to this idea from Westleigh would turn down a couple of free weekends?

I don't do one minutes overtime for free, why should teachers?

But isn't this week really 'School time'

Plenty still do mate, and not just sport either.

I would say that Mr Farrimond from Twelves is a teacher/head who goes far beyond giving his spare time to the children of his school and most of his staff do the same.

And can be seen on the terraces at 1st and reserves

More Teachers did seem to do more back then, than they do now but playing devils advocate did they? (this is a genuine question as I actually do feel they did)



But could it not just be that we remember the few teachers who seemed to go the extra mile, and gave us something to do? Making Canoe's for weeks and then being taken to Rivy canoeing in the holidays with Mr Ball from Mary's was superb, but if our teachers did so much out of school, why in the mid-70's did my Mum and Dad and their friends start Higher Folds kids disco, lots of others being run at the similar times, Mad Haggis, Sacred Heart, etc. Wasn't it around this time East and Miners junior sections were formed, if our teachers did spend so much more time, why did parents feel that it was necessary to form these organisations, or with the exception of HF where they originally formed by teachers? (Again a genuine question)



Anyway regardless of anything I've written here, I think your main point is more teachers could help the voluntary organisations, which I have to agree with.

I believe that the schools have posted coursework on t'internet and schools are open for kids taking exams.

If they can open for kids doing exams, they can open for all the kids then. If someone taking an exam it wouldnt be anydifferent with the health and safety issues would it?