HOLIDAYS for teachers are inclusive of any public holidays that might fall over a school break. So, no days in lieu for, say, Easter, as in the impending NSW break.

Over the border, the NSW school system sensibly breaks from Thursday, April 2 until Sunday, April 19 – a total of 17 days including Easter and weekends.

Unhelpfully, in the ACT public schools stop for Easter (April 3-6), then return for four days before heading off again on Friday, April 10 until Sunday, April 26. Which make a total of 20 days for the month.

Apart from limiting family Easter breaks and driving parents with kids in transborder schools nuts, the taxpayer gets clobbered another three days in wages when some careful attention to the dates may have avoided it.

Hmmms….

DOUBTLESS to the chagrin of ratepaying furniture shops across the Territory, Chief Minister Andrew Barr found time to “inspect the progress” of IKEA’s building in Majura Park. The store doesn’t open until year’s end.

DEPUTY Chief Minister Simon Corbell’s media announcement was headed: “More than 75 new car spaces for Weston Creek Group Centre”. And that would be right: they’re building 76.

THE McDonalds? CC followed a little Beemer with the personalised numberplate: “EIEIO”.

SOMEONE at ANU Classics got a bit carried away with the tweet: “We are proud to have Audrey Fagan in our student cohort.” Fagan was, of course, the much-loved ACT police chief who committed suicide in 2007. They were really saluting Audrey Dargan, an 86-year-old Latin student.

OUR food reviewer Wendy Johnson loved her visit to Tang Dynasty at Kingston Foreshore, but reported with measured restraint that the byo corkage is “a whopping $18 a bottle”.

LAWYERS for Treasurer Joe Hockey told the Federal Court that if he wins his defamation case against Fairfax Media he should be entitled to around $1 million in damages.

Hockey is suing over a series of articles, posters and tweets published in May and his brief told the court that the “Herald” and “Age” should pay damages at the “high end of the range” while “The Canberra Times” should be entitled to a discount based on its smaller readership.

COUPLE of road safety signs spotted in India recently by the tireless wanderer Greg Cornwell, of Yarralumla: “Beer and petrol don’t mix well. Don’t drink and drive” and “A tree only hits in self-defense. Don’t drink and drive”.

COMMERCIAL snapper Hilary Wardhaugh’s email signature block diligently lists her achievements: ACT Portrait Photographer of the Year 2010 and runner-up 2011 and 2012; multi-year ACT Wedding Photographer of the Year and finishes with this flourish: “Awarded Best Mum in the Whole Wide World by Henry”.