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AIBU?

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Original poster

Why do school s insist on having the 6 week break in August...

338 replies

EezerGoode · 02/08/2017 17:23

Why not have a week of every month? Or just allow each area to set its own holidays..we could all then go on holiday in June or may ,when there actually was nice weather..and it would be cheaper..we all seem to accept it often rains in August..meaning we pay top whack for holidays when it pisses down....so what is stopping headteachers spreading the holidays throughout the year so we can take advantage of decent weather and cheaper prices??!!

OP posts:
LakieLady · 02/08/2017 19:26

Being selfish and child-free, I love the summer holidays. There's hardly any traffic and I can look forward to a couple of weeks away in September when the kids are back at school and all attractions and campsites are peaceful.

hopgarden1 · 02/08/2017 19:29

Harvest. Everyone was needed to bring in the harvest over the summer.

I think it'd be bloody stupid if every school had their own holidays.

paxillin · 02/08/2017 19:30

Teachers need a block of time off from the kids.

Agreed. And kids need a block of time off from the teachers & school. I'm always amazed how much they change over the summer.

Cheekichi · 02/08/2017 19:31

Wow, wish I got anal leave... so jealous!

tireddotcom72 · 02/08/2017 19:44

How about we change it and teachers can take annual leave. I will take 2 weeks off during term time so I can go on holiday with my family as my children now have different holidays to me. I'm sure the school can find supply teachers to cover me

wheelsortyres · 02/08/2017 19:47

Where I am in the states there's 11 weeks summer holiday and no half terms, shorter Easter break.

cantkeepawayforever · 02/08/2017 19:55

The other issue is that quite a lot of county, regional or national level gatherings / courses / coaching in things like dance, music etc (those being the things I know about - I am sure it is true of other activities as well) happen in the 'core summer holidays', that everyone has off regardless of what schools they go to.

If all schools set different holidays, then things like regional or national music courses, high level dance residentials etc simply wouldn't be able to run.

Hobbitfeet32 · 02/08/2017 19:58

I know that teachers can't take annual leave but don't presume that the rest of the working population can always get school holidays off. Don't forget that of everyone hat you work with also wants the holidays then you can't all have the same leave. I get 6 weeks leave per year-that leaves 7 weeks of schools holidays where I have to find alternative childcare or more as generally I can't take all my 6 weeks of leave in school holidays. I think that's the point about teachers being in the same situation as other professions. Easter and Christmas would presumably be pretty consistent thereby allowing most teacher parents to have some time off with their kids.

QuackDuckQuack · 02/08/2017 19:58

Many people probably aren't aware that many teaching parents do have experience of holidays not matching between their DC's school and the one they teach in, often at Easter. They generally suck this up with little fuss and obviously find childcare for their DC when they can't look after them. I don't think that it's this that teachers would object to, but to having very different holidays, so having to find and pay for 6-8 weeks of differing holidays.

If holidays don't match between families then we'd see a rise in term time holidays. I was taken out of school as a child because our holidays didn't match in February. Parents would probably find it easier to come to the decision to take one child out rather than all of them, particularly if odd holidays meant it was hard to find holiday schemes to look after the DC with weird holidays.

WhatInTheWorldIsGoingOn · 02/08/2017 20:22

I feel this happened I know that myself and many of my teaching friends would leave the profession. Many of us are still in it because we have holidays with our children.

WhatInTheWorldIsGoingOn · 02/08/2017 20:23

If

MargaretTwatyer · 02/08/2017 20:28

Back in the 80s August always used to be the hottest month and it was when we had droughts and the hottest weather - weeks of no rain. Weather changes between generations and the holidays don't keep up.

PathOfLeastResitance · 02/08/2017 20:31

Take away the 6 week holiday and that would be another nail in the coffin for me staying in teaching.

pieceofpurplesky · 02/08/2017 20:34

As a pp said if this happened I would quit teaching. The main benefit )in amidst all the crap and missing every event my DS has done at primary) is that I get school holidays with him.

nancy75 · 02/08/2017 20:34

I'd be happy with 5 weeks in summer & 2 in October ( the Winter term is a killer) but all schools in the area would need to do it for it to work for everyone

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 02/08/2017 20:47

Easter is the tricky issue and the late May holiday as they tend to determine the relative lengths of the summer terms. If we could fix Easter as fairly early we could fit more exams in between Easter and May, then maybe have a shorter 6th term with a July/August holiday followed by a two week Oct holiday. This would though mean that we were coinciding with Scotland and most of Europe. At the moment many Europeans return in mid Aug so it is possible to get some cheaper deals in late August/early Sept if they return late in the year.

SkafaceClaw · 02/08/2017 20:50

I must admit I feel like a pants mum during term time. The only thing that keeps me going in Teaching is knowing that I will get the holidays with my dc.

Take that away and the job is certainly not worth the bother and stress. I love my job but the holidays definitely balance the pressures that both students and staff alike face.

RainbowsAndUnicorn · 02/08/2017 20:51

There are seven other weeks of holidays to go away in plus a holiday is a luxury so carries a price.

If schools start staggered holidays then prices will simply be high all year rather than just peak times.

phlebasconsidered · 02/08/2017 21:07

I'm a pretty terrible mum during term time, chucking the kids at the childminder at 7am, basically working flat out during term time and at weekends. It's only the holidays that allow my kids to actually like me and spend any time with me. If I could not get the holidays off with my own kids I would leave teaching. It's pretty much the holidays and my conscience keeping me there.

BertieBotts · 02/08/2017 21:16

They stagger it in Germany where we live and it doesn't seem to cause massive problems for teachers.

theduchessstill · 02/08/2017 21:28

I don't know anything about the German education system, but I'd bet god money it isn't the fucking car crash ours is.

As others have said, if they mess with my holidays then I would be reconsidering my future in the profession. It is not family friendly at all during term time and time spent with the dc during the holidays is the only thing that makes up for it as a parent.

BertieBotts · 02/08/2017 21:47

LOL. Well it's not perfect either if that's what you mean. My teacher friends here though are nowhere near as stressed as the teachers I know in the UK :(

Alexandrite · 02/08/2017 22:58

We can't recruit and retain teachers, so don't fuck about with one of the benefits of being a teacher.
Agree with this.

neverhadanymarblestolose · 02/08/2017 23:20

My daughter's primary school only has 5 weeks off for summer (she only finished last Friday). Instead she gets 2 weeks off for summer half term (last week of May and first week of June). Which is great as holidays are cheaper for that first week of June compared to August.

pieceofpurplesky · 02/08/2017 23:26

Easter is fixed where I work - always the first two weeks of April. Works really well.

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