to be violently opposed to the summer holidays being shortened to three weeks

[emkana]

Don't know if there's been a thread about this yet?

Suggested by Frank Field, adviser to David Cameron, because poorer children don't get the stimulation during the summer holidays and therefore fall behind.

Libby Purves wrote quite rightly in the Times yesterday that that is no good reason to deprive all children of the long summer break (and the teachers!), rather more enrichment should be offered during the holidays for deprived children.

I hate half term, the 6 weeks is good as you get a routine, this never happens in the short ones.
I hope they don't change. the very idea of 2 weeks in october would fill me with dread.

foreverastudent so it only happens cos we have a long summer holiday

Excellent, I been wanting something like this for a long time. 6 weeks is way too long. 4 would be better than three. I really hope this change happens.

The long holidays means that these crimes aren;t detected or prosecuted, yes. After the 'procedure' the girls legs are tied together for several weeks so that the wound heals completely. If they had to go back to school or were absent someone would notice and the parents could be prosecuted, or more likely the risk of prosecution and imprisonment would end the practice.

It's 2000 girls a year, that's 24,000 over the 12 summer holidays of a child's life.

Can't come soon enough for me. All the holidays would be longer apart from the summer one which is long enough for the pupils to get bored and find it hard to go back to school at the end of it. If they could then vary the times of the breaks across the country, there wouldn't be the crazy rush for booking holidays. I don't have childcare issues anymore as DH is teaching now but previously it was a total nightmare - I'd be planning for the summer hols for months.

But saggered holidays would be even more of a nightmare for many people.

Often teachers do not work in the LEA where they teach, so there children go to school in different LEAs - there holidays won't match up, so they can never get away. Sometimes siblings are in different LEAs. Also means going away or visiting family or friends with chidlren outside your own area would be much more difficult.

I think six weeks is too short. I'd say eight is about right.

TBH I can't imagine it ever really changing. It would take so much organising and sorting out, would have to go through so many bodies and be agreed at so many levels. I think it would cost too much and be suc a lengthy process it would be given up on way before it even started. It affects other things such as universities and work start dates, exam bodies too who would need to rearrange their procedures.

The wests told the school they had moved and that was why the children wouldn't be in school agian - no one checked their story. The girls would still be taken and abused and tied legs togehter and htey they would go to another school after this had happened and the authorities would be lied to

I don't get 13 paid weeks of holiday a year, my pay is adjusted to account for my fewer working weeks, a pedantic point but one worth making.

Firstly I don't want to claim to be someone who works harder than everyone else for less pay as that would make me a mug which I am not.

I would, however struggle with less than 4 weeks at the summer. As a senior teacher I am currently expected to be in school for one of those weeks planning for the next year for the whole school. That could, perhaps be minimised if the holidays were to be reduced but not by much. I presently spend another 2 weeks working for school, preparing my classroom, planning schemes of work, updating subject knowledge etc. That leaves me 3 weeks under the current system. This year we had five weeks so it left me two. I would like a fortnight holiday with my family - stone me for being selfish if you wish. I do also need a fortnight when I do not to anything related to school - and even then it does not happen. This year I returned from my holiday with a case full of things for my classroom and had visted places in preparation for a school trip - I am work mad though. As I said I don't want to claim to be the hardest working woman in the world but most of my working days start at half six and don't end until midnight. I have the odd break to acknowledge my child, eat and waste five minutes on here. Those kind of days take their toll. Tonight I have been rebellious and visited friends for supper on a school night. I left the house for 2 hours and spent much of the time planning lessons in my head. I will also now have to work for a few hours before I can go to bed. That cannot be sustained week in and week out indefinitely, luckily it does not need to as our working year is punctuated with breaks.

I can see that summer holidays will go down to 4 weeks, I am sad about that. I love the fact that in the summer I have quality time with my family and can be a full time parent. I acknowledge that many working people do not get that. I can also see that the winter term is very long and perhaps a two week half term and three weeks at Christmas would be good for pupils and family life.

Agreeing with AlouiseG above I don't want a decision about holidays to be made because some families do not care for their children properly. I am becoming a little tired of seeing society arranged to suit the needs of the few who don't parent well. Most of us, no matter how difficult it is, manage to keep our children entertained, safe and happy in the holidays.

Think the school week should be four days, Mon-thurs 9-4, with shorter hols and lots of sports and clubs on a friday...I do enjoy the hols, lots of chance to grow and develo, just wish term time was less of a rat race

so we have to have shorter holidays to stop abuse........
are some people really that daft

I think it will change hula, although different governments have been saying for years they will change the holidays. There is a feeling of change in the air.

As more and more academies happen schools will be given more freedom, they could decide to make the change themselves or ignore the change.

I agree 2shoes, it is making societal changes to appease the lowest denominator. It annoys me no end. By all means, if it benefits families and children change the holidays but not because a few parents abuse their children.

Jiminycricket the term does feel like a rat race, I agree.

That is the most ridiculous reason to adapt summer holidays! It is a cultural abomination, not an English abomination. Let's target the culture it comes from not the English people who abhor it.

Agree with starting the summer hols begining of july, or even earlier, as by mid august the weather is usually crap.

I agree cat64 I have been piss poor, I still cared for and stimulated my child. I just did more free stuff. I can think of lots of children that have come back from the holidays who have said they were bored and their parents earn far more money than I ever will.

Local authorities have always been free to set whatever term dates they please. They are not teachers, so have no vested interest, so what's stopping them?

PS Cameron had ordered this report by Frank Field to be binned.

Possibly because it also contained the recommendation that mums be given 25,000 pounds upfront.

Changing the summer holidays from six weeks to four is hardly going to help children who are in abusive families, or even those who simply have poor parenting skills.
Very simplistic, and again pandering to the lowest commom denominator.

Why punish the rest of us for the sake of the few who don't bother with their kids! It's just an excuse anyway.

I agree curryfreak.

Teachers are not heartless, I do send certain children off on holiday with a lump in my throat because I know that it is going to be grim for them. I have in the past run summer schools during the summer holidays for children who are perceived to be in danger. I don't anymore because I have my own family to care for.

There are certain children that I am always relieved to see back in one piece in September. But it is not up to teachers to fix society, we also have social workers, judges, lawyers, psychiatrists, doctors, nurses, police....I could go on.

they should be moved, have them in June/July

In this part of Scotland, we have a fortnight break in October and only a long weekend in February. It was originally for the tattie hawking

You must live near me, expat