I don't think there are many smoke and mirrors. My other half works from at least 8am to 6pm in school- thats 10 hours a day. Thats 3.5 hours in addition to 'school hours' per day not including the marking and prep at home. I know many secondary school teachers who are in school at 7am photocopying and setting up their classrooms. Its a long day and a long week and generally long terms where they have to be in day on day whereas the rest of us can take a flexi day or annual leave day as and when we like more or less. Whats left to explain. My partner also like other teachers does go in at least one day in the half term and probably two in the longer holidays. Before term starts in September hes been in there two or three days. And thats not within the contracted hours period.

If teachers really were litigious and as scurilous as people make out they wouldn't be so generous with their time and the system would collapse. Again another section of public sector workers seems to be subsidising their employers.