In the Republic, second-level teachers teach for 33 weeks a year. In England it's 38 weeks. In Germany it's 40. So why do our teachers need such long holidays?, writes John Downes

It is an oft-repeated claim that the best thing about teaching is the length of the holidays. For those working nine-to-five, and with a measly four weeks' leave a year, it can be hard not to look with considerable envy at the two- to three-month paid summer holiday that teachers get. Add to this the fact that teachers get three weeks off at Christmas, another two at Easter, as well as mid-term breaks, and they would seem, on paper at least, to have it easy.

Talk to teachers, however, and you hear a different story. The holidays are nice, most agree. But you do not go into teaching for the money.

Current salary scales for teachers range from €27,000 to €51,000 a year, with teachers reaching the top rate after 22 years of service. This after many years of study, and little scope for outside earnings, with the possible exception of after-school grinds.

Teachers also have to spend many hours preparing for classes, correcting classwork, and setting exams. While their official working day might be shorter than most, these other activities frequently take place outside of the normal working day.

Yet teachers here fare reasonably well as regards holidays when compared with some of their OECD counterparts, a 2001 survey revealed. The number of weeks of instruction by a primary teacher here was 37. This compares with 38 in England and Scotland, 40 in Germany, Greece, Australia and the Netherlands and 42 in Denmark.

At 33 weeks a year, Irish second-level teachers fared even better than those at primary level. Their English and Scottish counterparts teach for 38 weeks a year. However, in Germany, Australia and the Netherlands, second-level teachers instruct for 40 weeks a year. In Denmark, this rises to 42 weeks a year.

So why the need for teachers to have such lengthy holidays, particularly at second level?

Teachers here actually teach as many, if not more, hours a year than other OECD countries, says John McGabhann of the teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI). While teachers might get more holidays, the intensity of their working week is greater, he says. It is the Department of Education and Science's decision to hold public examinations in June, he also points out.

Teacher pay levels reflect the fact that they have significant holidays, he says, and do not compare favourably with pay rates for other professional jobs. Were the Department to decide to change the current system, as is its right, teachers would most likely seek significant pay increases to compensate, he warns.

John White of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) also defends the amount of holidays teachers receive. Some 8,000 teachers are involved in either supervision or marking of exams, he says. This can involve them working until as late as the third week in July, albeit for extra pay.

At primary level, where teachers finish up to a month later than their post-primary counterparts, some 2,000 teachers also take part in in-service training.

White also points out that both students and teachers need a break over the summer. "I don't think it's widely enough appreciated in broader society how relentless teaching is," he says. "Teachers categorically do need a break from it to restore their energies."

These are all valid arguments. Yet as the long days of summer approach, the fact still remains that for many, such an enviable chance for extensive down-time is something they will continue only to dream of.