Will there come a time when school holidays aren't so often or so long?

[QueenOfIce]

Do we really need 6 weeks for summer, 2 weeks in October, 2 weeks in Dec etc etc?

Is it really so knackering to be at school 5 days a week for 6 weeks that a 2 week break is needed?

With the rising cost of childcare I wonder if we'll ever see a reduction in school holidays?

I really hope so, i hate the constant struggle of balancing work, school, kids and childcare

Well school isn't childcare so the two shouldn't be conflated.
Yes I do think that children need regular breaks.

It certainly is so knackering for nursery and reception children, and for those who are introverts. DD 10's been like a hermit for the past 6 weeks.

I don't believe I said that school was childcare, I don't believe children need a 2 week break every 6 weeks.

I think 6 weeks is about right and not too long. Mine have 12 weeks!

I think a month in the summer would be enough. I'm a sahm of school age children...one of the reasons I don't work is because school holidays would be a nightmare to cover. My 2 dc (one with sn) would need to be in holiday clubs for the entire time which would cost me all the potential earnings I would make.

Children need rests from school. Teachers need time without kids in school to do things (spending this week in sorting things out)

I foresee terms changing to being shorter summer and longer May and October half terms though. Those are hellish long half terms and kids are shattered by the time we get to them.

Children need regularly breaks. Otherwise, they are too tired to learn, which is the point of school!

School isn’t childcare. Your issue isn’t with the school but with the lack of provision for all the out of school hours (holidays, befire and after school).
Imo it’s even worse once they are in secondary (and yes whilst children are able to be left at home all day once they are 11+, a lot of them wouod benefit to have access to more structures activities, esp during the summer hols)

I hope not my DD needs those breaks she’s burnt out by the end of each half term. Yes it’s expensive to pay for childcare but I think the children need that rest time.

It's not about it being exhausting (but yes many children do find it very tiring by 6 weeks) but more that it's deemed important for children to actually be children and have chance to learn and explore in a non academic way. They're not adults so why would we expect them to be worked like adults. They've got at least 40 years of that coming up so why not allow them 12 years or so of greater freedom. I know it's hard to juggle child care but the holidays are there for their benefit, not yours.

Well, I really resent how young kids start school here, so I like the school hols and getting my five year old back. I would like more frequent breaks tbh. And flexi schooling.

I would be happier about them being at school if I thought school in the early years was more suited to children and their developmental needs, and was more about creating a love of learning and confidence in abilities, rather than a push for early literacy and numeracy to hit targets.

You’ll need the government to agree to pay teachers for the extra weeks they’ll be teaching, and to change the curriculum (again!) tonfit the longer terms, and change the exam timetables.

Should be pretty straightforward

I suspect if you were a teacher you wouldn't be saying this. Yes, school for six or seven or eight weeks is tiring, yes, teachers and students need a break. Some countries have even longer off!

I loved the school holidays when I was a kid. I wouldn't take them away from my children for anything.

Ours don’t get two weeks in October, just a week.

My children don't get two weeks off every 6 weeks.
They have half term which is a week off after approx 6 weeks then two weeks at the end of that term.

Gosh, I hope not, OP.

I love my long holidays (I get 8 weeks in the summer, 2 October, 3 Christmas, 1 February, 4 Easter, and 1 in May).

I like my double life.

It's only a 2 week break at Christmas and Easter. The others are all a week.

As annoying as it is trying to get holiday childcare (single working parent here) I think my DS needs the break and I like the holiday structure. I wouldn't like 12 weeks off in summer like they do in other countries.

With the rising cost of childcare I wonder if we'll ever see a reduction in school holidays?

You said this though, so you're conflating school with childcare otherwise why would you think the cost of childcare affects school holidays.

2 weeks in October?
I am in England and my kids have the bog standard 1 week in October, 2 weeks at Christmas, 1 week in February, 2 weeks Easter, 1 week May and 6 weeks over the summer.

Exactly the same I had and I am in my 40s.

Are you saying that because more parents work outside the home nowadays that schools should increase their days of having children? Or are you saying there should be more childcare options?

When the holidays shorten that'll be the last nail in my teaching career and I'll be out the door. Lord knows there's little enough to encourage people into the profession.

I apparently am a childminder these days, not an educator.

Also a mother of 3, before someone jumps down my throat

Kerfuffleshuffle - you said it perfectly. Couldn't agree with you more.

I find this question so frustrating. Surely, we want children to actually be children? A quality childhood should include a huge range of things - school should only be a small, albeit important, part.

Also I don't know any schools that have two weeks off every 6 weeks.

Our current session...8 week term, 2 weeks holiday. 9 week term, 2 weeks holiday. 12 week term, 2 weeks holiday. Final 12 week term, 6 weeks holiday 🤔

Where do they get 2 weeks every 6 weeks? Half Term is 1 week...