WE need a supply teacher urgently for the summer term. Don’t laugh. Good supply teachers are now as difficult to come by as premier league strikers and nearly as expensive. Any time now, schools will start charging transfer fees.
The agency sent us an excellent temporary Canadian, but he had been back in the Old World long enough to appreciate his rarity value. If we wanted him for more than the odd day, we would have to meet his terms. He wanted to be paid for preparation days in advance of taking up the contract. Fair enough. He also wanted Fridays off - long weekends to see the old country. Oh, and the poor dear lived two bus rides away - almost an hour added on to each end of his day. He would clearly need a taxi. We offered him the loan of the chair of governor’s bike, but he didn’t want to know.
We are already overspending on staff. The agency’s charges for our class-size teacher are far more than the government grant to pay her. But we’re desperate and he is very good. We stand firm on the Fridays, concede the taxi and hope no other school gazumps us with a better offer - a chauffer-driven roller perhaps?
