Summer holidays should be longer

There is no point in arguing with someone who can't actually understand what you're saying.

Does anyone know how much annual leave people get in other countries? How do the Irish cover it, for example?

In Ireland and we cover it by camps, panic and a lot of arguments😅 I don’t know anyone who gets 34 days a year, most I know get between 20 and 30. We complain summer holidays are a bit too long and quote Germany!!! I’d love something later in the year when we force kids with colds and flus into school

I feel sorry for the children you teach, given how poor your reading comprehension is.

I think my post was pretty clear.

I think 6 weeks is fine.

But if we were looking at a change, I would decrease not increase. How hard is that to understand?

Oh dear, it is the complete opposite. Irish schools in both sides of the border have longer hols yet their pupils do better academically.
In some Scandinavian countries education doesn’t start until they’re seven years old, some don’t do homework especially at primary school level, yet they’re outperforming ours. Jesus even the average British school kid can barely write intelligibly, can barely grasp their own language yet other countries kids can speak multiple languages.
Before parroting off, start reading up on the various countries education systems and how they do in comparison.

If there was adequate childcare options you’d be on to something. As the situation stands it’s a bad idea. I was left home alone at a very very young age - you’d get in a lot of trouble now- but my mother had no choice. It’s not good for kids mental health to stay inside all day watching tv for weeks on end.

If you want longer holidays go and work in independent sector! Otherwise you've chosen your sector knowing what the holidays are. They've been like that forever.

It's the last day of term today and instead of feeling excited for the summer holidays I'm just feeling completely "meh" and have a "well summer is winding down now" feeling.
It doesn't seem like summer is starting it feels like it's ending.
Our "going away" holidays are usually a week at my parents home and a week at my in-laws home (both fairly ordinary Midlands towns). But I feel sad because all the summer related things have already happened and have been and gone.
Festivals, fetes, carnivals etc - they all seem to happen in June.
School run fetes obviously need to happen during the school term but even small community ones like ones run by churches - they've happened. They're done. They're over.
Nothing much goes on in August.
This isn't really relevant to the thread I know - I am just feeling very deflated today.
It feels our (England anyway) whole attitude to when the holiday's are, when exam season is etc are all wrong and outdated.

I think 6 weeks still leads to learning loss over the summer for the children who don't have good home environments and opens up more of a gap between them and the Tabithas and Hugos of this world. Which, unlike you, I do care about.

But I think kids and teachers do need a proper break too and with the various HAF programmes etc, it is a reasonable balance.

I think increasing it to 8 weeks would not be. I think if we were going to change it, I would be more in favour of decreasing it than increasing it and I think that would be better for more families.

Since you are the one who started this thread, why don't you explain why you think 8 weeks is the right length for all children, not just your own?

Am aware I didn’t specify, it was N Ireland.

Well you’re the one proposing extending the holidays, so surely you should have given a bit of thought to all these questions you’re asking? You sound very uninformed on the realities of what you’re suggesting.

"Most schools have air conditioning now."

What have you that idea. When I left teaching I had a classroom where the windows couldn't even be opened. It was like a greenhouse in warm weather.

This is in reference to someone questioning why teachers should get paid more if holidays get reduced - they will be working more days than they are contracted to, similar to someone on a weekday contract being forced to work Sundays for no extra pay.

I don't necessarily think it should be longer, but I'm very glad I took my child to the beach after school so much in recent heatwaves as I think that might be the peak of our British weather for this year. Last day of school today for my boy and it's not hot anymore.
It seems a shame that the hottest weather could happen before the summer has started but I'm sure if it was adjusted it would be a heatwave as soon as they go back to school instead.

What teacher is suddenly working every Sunday? On average I think if you consider a teacher a professional job, then they work less hours a year than other (less qualified) professionals. Again, not saying this is a good thing, just pointing it out as you've asked. I have family members who are teachers so not basing this on random assumptions.

They aren’t working days though are they, suddenly having to work every sunday example for no additional pay isn’t at all usual. I have been three of those people above, I have never had my days extended without additional pay or my consent over the day suggested after consultation.

Project Managers, Reporting Analysts, Business Analysts, Developers, Travel Consultants, General Managers, Middle Managers, Coordinators etc. Do you want more? You're saying working days, I'm saying working hours. I've often done 60+ hours a week, when technically it's only meant to be 40hours. Everyone I know is in this boat, no matter their job when they are professionals and on salaries. I'm not saying it's a good thing, but it is the norm.

We do everything you’ve listed in October half-term. Its not January weather! It’s my favourite school holiday, packed with walks, days out, halloween trails, there’s tons to do - if it rains, we have a day in or go to the cinema/swimming. I dont know where you live in the UK but our town in the south (tourist town!) is packed in October half-term so theres clearly lots of people within the UK still happy to holiday at that time.

There’s also a big demand for holidays abroad at that time before the Winter. Knocking a week off Summer and having 2 weeks to go away in October would be brilliant for families and school staff.

Says the teacher!!