To think we should do away entirely with school holidays?

[SkaPunkPrincess]

Just musing and wondering why we don't just do away with them entirely?

Run schools like a regular workplace in that they operate 52 weeks of the year, Teachers and students to get 4 weeks allocated holiday allowance per year and parents can use this at their discretion. Staff would be able to be more flexible and they would have more time in the year to teach children at a more realistic pace?

Am I missing why this isn't a genius idea?

I think you’re deliberately being provocative and making a truly idiotic statement

SalveGrumio
Of course instead we could make workplaces more flexible for parents, so that childcare isn't such of an issue.

^THIS^
I agree with the vast majority of posters that the OP’s idea is untenable. It’s difficult enough to keep the class moving forward without random absences from staff or students. In a school where children are self motivated and working to their individualised curriculum at their own pace,with no government regulation, perhaps. I know of no such school.

If only that was the only issue. A lot of the kids(depending on the area) are looking at shouting,screaming,being in the way,neglect,less food,their needs and voices ignored,very little socialisation,being full time carers,days of chores and looking after siblings, dealing with the parents addiction with no(or very little) reprieve

If you've read my earlier post you know that I know that.
But... a lot of those kids are either completely disengaged with school anyway as it's not relevant to them. A lot miss out on education, because they kick off in school as their only safe place to do so, ironically. And those who look after their siblings and grow up in these circumstances... they grow in other ways. Not always desirable ways, but they do and come back more mature. Some (sadly not a whole lot) come back desperate to learn to escape their circumstances.

Neither of those groups miss out much educationally between leaving school in summer and coming back in autumn (because there is less to miss out on - other thread). The only ones where I have noticed a big gap are those who come back to tell me they've played XBox all summer or just been watching telly. Not so much the kids in my current environment.

In a school where children are self motivated and working to their individualised curriculum at their own pace,with no government regulation, perhaps. I know of no such school.

Google Sudbury schools.... v interesting

I have a better idea. How about reducing school hours, and paying parents of school -age children enough of a universal income to not have to work ridiculous hours to make ends meet? Then everyone would have more time to enjoy their personal lives and refresh their energies for both work and school!

As to the school day, of course it should be longer and in line with the demands of modern working life.

I agree this is b***ks

And looking at the problem backwards. Instead of making children fit into a capitalist, adult world where they will all end up with serious mental health problems (seriously, read those links I posted above, particularly the one from the Lancet) we should be looking to alter the economic model that we are currently following and explore alternative ways of living and working that create a better working life balance. And allow more parents to take longer/shared leave, more options for one parent to stay at home, or shared care between part time working families (to cover school holidays and ensure children aren’t in 8-6 wrap around holiday care) and still afford the bills.

The priorities in the West are all arse backwards

YY peach!

I don’t think it would work. Imagine half the class booking the same week off?

However, in the country where my husband was born - their schools didn’t have half term breaks like ours. Instead they would have a whole 12 weeks off during the Summer and have a ‘snow week’ in the Winter. I don’t know if that’s better or worse?! Personally I think I’d go stark raving mad at the end of 3 months with my 3!

Yes peach apart from those without children or grown up children who will be working every hour God sends funding the universal income because enjoying personal time only matters to parents, right?

No.

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Whydid obviously a decent living wage should apply to everyone. Other economically stable and prosperous countries manage to strike better work life balances with shorter working weeks etc without their economies collapsing

@Narkle I thought PP referred to other effects,not just academic...might be wrong. I'm no expert.

Run schools like a regular workplace in that they operate 52 weeks of the year,
This would lead to exhausted, disinterested children who have no time to experience childhood.
Teachers and students to get 4 weeks allocated holiday allowance per year and parents can use this at their discretion.
What happens to my class while I am on holiday?
Staff would be able to be more flexible and they would have more time in the year to teach children at a more realistic pace?
Not IRL. Several weeks would be lost trying to "catch up" chuldren on work missed because of holidays. It is not easy working within the present system with just a few who have taken holidays.
Am I missing why this isn't a genius idea? Yes. You are. You obviously don't teach
and maybe don't have DC yet.

I have not rtft so if this has been said before, sorry!.

YADBU - both from a parent and an educators point of view. Teachers already work 60/70 hour weeks.

Maybe you ought to look at why you dislike your children so much you’re trying to get rid of them.

I’m not sure your exact suggestion is workable but I do think that the school structure merits a rethink. The 6 week holiday period causes massive issues in more deprived areas and for some kids. 6 week holidays aren’t great if school is your safe haven, where you get a meal, have some structure and something to do and you are not scared. Not everyone has a great family set up and the funds to go away. I’m genuinely sympathetic at the resistance to change and I have every respect for hard working teachers and the enormous strain they are under but the 9-3 doesn’t work for most working parents. Our school also does random stuff like shutting at 2 at the end of term (which often screws up childcare completely). Some schools do offer a more holistic solution with wrap around care etc but I think more could be done to make life easier for families.

This would never work as children would miss different curriculum when absent from school, schools/education system is very different than businesses, I think you have too much time on your hands to dream up such a daft idea.

What a boneheadedly stupid idea. Try something for me.

Teach for a living for five years, and learn some sense.

@Strygil bet she wouldn't last a week!!

There's not much support for your idea op. The answer must be to give the rest of us 13 weeks holiday a year like the teachers and kids!

Jesus! You might as well just flog us with whips everyday! Just shows you have never worked in a school or understand how incredibly hard it can be. To do as you suggested would be the worst thing imaginable for both Students (children) & staff. Shame on you!

Teachers have been known to manipulate maternity leave to coincide with long holiday periods so I'm sure that suggestion would not go down well. Imagine having teachers off throughout the year whilst our precious ones are at school, they'd see countless more teachers than currently!

The secondary school my child attended did actually reduce the summer break to 4 weeks. Their winter term started @22 August. They had 2 weeks off in October at 'half' term. I say 'half' because we now seem to have 6 terms instead of 3 so it's not really half term but there you go.
It didn't work. Going back in August was dreadful. Within a few years they went back to standard term times.
My friends child is at a state school that has an 8 week summer break. I and my children are envious of this.

What about when the teachers take their holidays? Who will teach the class? And if kids are all off at different times how would teachers manage that??? They’d end up teaching the same thing multiple times! What a daft idea 😂

@gbtch 13 weeks off? 😂
Nah, 13 weeks to deep clean the class room, do medium term planning, long term planning, IEPs, behaviour support plans, daily plans, make resources, complete barriers to learning, buy resources (with their own money), organise classroom, complete training etc etc etc. The really is endless

I don’t know any teacher who has 13 weeks off.

My son's special school have reduced the school summer holiday by a week and made one of the half term holidays 2 weeks. It works out much better for most of the children. There are very limited suitable activities for these children and they cannot just go and play with friends.