Mrs Morgan, shopping

Education authorities have asked schools to rethink their policy of offering teachers a ‘shopping day’ off school in December after it emerged that only 1% of staff in a mid-Ulster school actually visited a real shop, opting for the virtual equivalent on their school iPads in bed. 

The shopping day, which excuses members of staff from normal teaching duties for a full day, has been in operation in many schools since the 1980s. However, with the dawn of Internet shopping, the idea is perceived by the general public as being archaic and pointless with many teachers combining their job with Christmas shopping anyway on a daily basis.

One teacher, who wishes to remain anonymous, revealed:

“Sure half the staff do their Christmas shopping in the classrooms anyway by just telling the pupils to read on another chapter whilst tilting their screens for privacy. There are 55 teachers in my school and I only know of one who actually went to a shop, and that was to get bread and milk. It’s a farce.”

Cookstown butcher Harry Stales fumed:

“Bloody teachers. They’re not content with getting home at 4pm every day, 2 months off in the summer as well as a fortnight here and there. Now they’re allowed to get off to visit Argos. It’s a disgrace and enough to stop me paying my taxes for those wasters. Not one of them could dig a hole.”

The Northern Ireland Education Authority maintain they know nothing about a ‘shopping day’ rule and have advised schools to cease the practice if it actually does exist.