To think that the school year should be reformed so that there are only 6 weeks of holidays instead of 13!

[bollywoodfan]

...Yes I am finding the holidays difficult! They are too long and there are far too many imo. I don't see why children & teachers need so many holidays! They are a nightmare for parents to arrange childcare for, which also costs a lot of money. Most households don't have a sahp and the govt is discouraging this anyway. So it makes sense for there to be the same amount of school holidays as there is annual leave i.e 6 weeks
OK, before the teachers start moaning - the workload for teachers could be more spreadout as there would be a longer period of time in which to fit the curriculum. You could also have weeks where you did other things, like sports or music week, activities etc, so that it is not all book learning all the time.

Benefits: more time to learn, less workload for teachers as slower pace, less childcare issues for parents, less bored children in long holidays
Disadvantages: may need to increase tax as it would cost a bit more to keep school buildings open & staff would have to be paid more. Less time for kids to relax I suppose..although as I said, there could be activity weeks or days which coukd break up the routine

So my plan would be:
2 weeks for summer holidays
1 week christmas
1 week easter
1 week in Nov
1 week in Feb
Who's with me?

we are too stupid to understand how our pay works DadOnIce

Can I just add that being on a term time only contract means that I do not get paid holidays.

This is legal.

Ta.

Farewell.

I can't answer your question but have found out there are 2.2 million sahp's
apparently, 7/10 working parents would prefer to be sah if money was of no object.
50% of sahp's cited "I wanted to look after my own children" as their reason.
32% of wohp's believe their dc would have a better quality of life if they sah.

Source uswitch survey and another indie survey cited on Netmums, I followed a link after googling.

I'm a TA.
Term time +5 days is what I am paid for. There is a ridiculously complex way of sorting out accrued holiday for the time you are actually working,then factor in the number of weeks/hours you are actually in work,then divide by 12 months so that you get paid throughout the year. We do not get paid for the SCHOOL Holidays.Nor are you expected to take any "holiday" during term time.

I believe it is similar for teachers (probably a bit more complicated).

Before we all start teacher bashing! and seeing them as glorified childcare....

Teachers' hefty salaries are driving up taxes, causing recession, and so we have to take the money from elsewhere because of these greedy teachers, their massive salaries are a drain on society, and they only work for what? 9 or 10 months a year!

It's time we put thing in perspective and pay them for what they do - babysit! Surely we can get that for minimum wage?

That's right. Let's give them £6.00 an hour and only for the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, holiday pay, pensions, etc, or any time they spend before or after school. It's only child minding after all....

That would be £39.00 a day (7:45 AM to 3:00 PM with 45 minutes off for lunch and planning, that equals 6 1/2 hours work per day).

We should privatise the schools, and the teachers, we'll pay it. Each parent should pay £39 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. Now how many students do they teach in a day? Maybe 30? So that's £39.00 x 30 = £1,170.00 a day. However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations.

LET'S SEE.... That's £1,170 X 180 days = £210,600 per year. (Hold on, somethings wrong here! My calculator must need new batteries).

What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master's degrees who've been doing it for years? Well, we could pay them a little more (£7.75 an hour), and just to be fair to them, let's round it off to £8.00 an hour. That would be £8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = £280,800 per year. Wait a minute, someone's messing with my calculator -- there's something wrong here!

There sure is:
The average teacher's salary (nationwide figures from Sept 2011) is just over £30,000. So £30,000 divided by 180 days = £166.66 per day divided by 30 students = £5.55 per day divided by 6.5 hours = £0.85 per hour per student.

Which is a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE our kids! WHAT A DEAL!!!!

Heaven forbid we take into account the rights of all workers (holiday pay, pensions, etc) or highly qualified teachers and heads...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/1663878-to-give-up-my-aspiration-to-become-a-primary-school-teacher

op.. Gave up the idea of a Pgce then?

I'd have the same amount of hols but just not in same pattern, just one week at a time two weeks together at most. What's the point of 6 weeks in July/ August, the weather is always shit every summer anyway?

I havent read any posts, but just wanted to say.

Me, Me, Me

Skips off with OP

OMG, OP.

You have given up on the idea of teaching so you now want people to support a ludicrous suggestion such as this.
By the way there are currently 2.2 million sahps who you were so happy to just to overlook. I'm not sure how many have dc of school age though.
I think the above post has it right Me Me Me.

'Well it makes me sad that the needs of children are being overlooked by adults. Surely the way to go is work needs to be more flexible during holiday times? Children are not spare parts, they need time with their parents too.'

I agree with the above. I also would rather HE than have my DC in school longer.

'Who says both parents working full time is right?

I couldn't give a stuff what the government want.Idecide what is best for my children.'

Totally agree with the above (squarepebbles) also.

In addition it is not the majority for both parents of primary age children work full time. Many have SAHP (over 1/3) or a part time working parent. People tend to want to work less and see DC more unless they have no choice. So to stop all children having a long holiday which they and their parents enjoy just for a minority of dual working households seems very unfair. What we should be looking at is better flexible working hours for parents. More paid leave or term time only contracts. Also better holiday care/clubs.

Quite right jellybeans. I didn't have children to have them at school their entire lives. 6 weeks is much too short for holidays and time to spend together doing nothing in particular. You blink and childhood has gone!

I don't agree with the OP's proposals, as previously said, but it's not just families with 2 full-time working parents who can have childcare problems in school holidays.

Families with 1 full-time and 1 part-time working parents are also likely to have childcare problems in school holidays, if to a lesser extent. Especially if they don't live near grandparents / other family members. Going by people I know, it's much commoner to have 1 full-time and 1 part-time working parents than it is to have 2 full-time working parents.

Agree with previous posters who've said that more work flexibility, more / better holiday clubs and so on would be far better than slashing school holidays.

Hey, didn't expect this thread to be still going....
Can I point out that I am not Micheal Gove nor do I work in the education dept - therefore I have not worked out all the ins & outs of what this change would mean.
It was meant as a tongue-in-cheek thread really, but people have taken it very seriously.
On that note, I can't believe some of the rude comments! Some people need to lighten up. Also, I am amazed that people are digging up my previous threads - which by the way I don't need to hide as I could have easily namechanged if I wanted to. Yes I have been thinking about a career in teaching, er but not because of the long holidays! It has no relevence to this thread, which I repeat, was not really serious!!!!!
To all you nasty posters out there piss off and why are you reading this anyway when you should be doing exciting things with your kids who are on holiday....
To all the other posters who responded with some sense and respect - thanks for your time & I really enjoyed the different perspectives x

Teachers working rights aside....

I think the holidays need better planning. The long summer holiday / Easter / Christmas are just too long and the half terms are far too short. My son (ok he has ASD but school are keen to tell me his response is 'normal') struggles in the run and following holidays and one half term was only 5 weeks this year!
Every school year we pretty much write off the Sept-Oct half term as he forgets what he needs to do.

The academy style holidays are much better - longer terms and if they were staggered by county then the travel agents would be screwed too :-)

No matter the holidays i have to pay childcare so not fussed about that - its more the constant winding down to holidays that gets me!

I meant teachers rights aside as in not discussing that as clearly they deserve to work what they are paid for and thus the holiday amount is what it is...

Not that aside as in the dont matter!!! Sorry!!!

Hmm except it didn't really come across that way did it? You did post on AIBU, it was never going to go well really was it?...& yes I'm a teacher.

Your thread was bound to ruffle a few feathers OP. whenever anybody questions teacher holidays there is always a storm. I can't help but think it is a case of the lady doth protest too much...

I think your understanding of genre and what elements are needed in a tongue in cheek thread need more work.
Your OP came across as yet another unoriginal whinge by a parent. No wit or humour in it.

I think your understanding of genre and what elements are needed in a tongue in cheek thread need more work.Your OP came across as yet another unoriginal whinge by a parent. No wit or humour in it.

WSS

It sounded more like a genuine whinge by a parent who, when her whinge receives virtually no support in its 271 replies, suddenly cries, 'it was all a joke-you lot have got no sense of humour!'

Or something...

Relevance.

Hell no.

This year we have switched from Italian state school (most holdiay concentrated in the summer due to hotness) to an online British independant school.

He finishes much later, July sometime, but these breaks he gets, half term weeks and proper almost three ish week hols at Xmas and Esater have made a real difference. He isn't utterly flagging like he used to at Italian school due to a lack of a proper break and "battery" recharge.

We have to juggle our working hours to accomadate the hols, but I am so pleased at the difference they are making. His mates are at the "looking weary and running on fumes" stage. DS on the other hand will go back after this holiday refreshed and having had the chance to do some (not heavey going or overloaded) revision and extension work to make sure any small holes are filled in preperation for the next lot of new material.

I luffs the British school holiday system. Even though I think I will have to get a little air con unit for July or he will melt (or fall asleep during the lesson).

TheNebulousBoojum - Yes!

YABU
Kids need a break as do teachers.