As work routines return to normal after the break for Christmas and the New Year, thousands of school children in the Isle of Man are having an extended holiday.
The Department of Education added an extra day, claiming it needed to build up a 'bank' of teachers' time, which could be used later in the term as classroom 'cover' for staff shortages. .
The department said it made the decision as a result of new teaching contracts, which limit the time teachers can be asked to cover for absent colleagues.
But the National Union of Teachers is unhappy with the plan, and branch secretary Karl Flint is advising its 400 members to report for work as normal if they can (play audio file):
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