^^^Yes BIB mate I agree in many parts of your post but you got it wrong with the teachers as they get a "student free day" at the opening day of each term as they ALWAYS DO to catchup up on the admin stuff etc.
My missus has spent the past 2 days marking some papers; being a result of poor govt resourcing of education over at least the last 30 years. That is; push as many as you can into the private system and leave the others as a "special needs". And now it's coming home to roost big time!