This question might be uncomfortable.

When I posted about the new SNA circular, several SNAs raised concerns about the additional hours.

But what interested me wasn’t simply opposition to the hours themselves.

It was why.

There seemed to be a genuine fear that principals would misuse them.

One teacher commented:
“I can see how principals may now use this to their advantage.”

Another response referred explicitly to previous “abuse of the 72 hours”.

As a principal, I think that’s something we need to listen to.

Because if SNAs believe additional hours will mean being asked to paint classrooms, clean presses, move furniture or do other jobs that have nothing to do with supporting children, the problem isn’t really the number 72.

The problem is trust.

So I’d like to hear about this.

SNAs: have you been asked to use these hours for work that you believed was inappropriate to your role? What were you asked to do?

Principals: how have you used the hours in your school, and have we sometimes got this badly wrong?

No school names or identifying details, obviously. And DMs are very welcome if you’d prefer not to answer publicly.

I’d like to understand where this distrust has come from.