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?

[BeyondThePage]

I think it is a ridiculous idea, but I do see some sort of change having to be on the horizon.

2 parents HAVE to work to have enough for a mortgage nowadays, children HAVE to attend school (unless home schooled) - so yes, it kind of is childcare - no matter how much people protest. The long summer break and the fact that there are so many weeks of holiday in the school year IS a bind for parents who work (doesn't bother me, mine are teens now so are well capable of entertaining themselves).

Life has changed pretty much everywhere - and is changing still - not always for the better, but it is not going to stop. What would be good is a solution, rather than all the hand wringing "it's not childcare", "why have kids if you don't want to spend time with them" etc etc...

Obviously we need something in between the 2 extremes of "it has always been, so we will keep it this way" and "let's get rid of school holidays". Ideally not something that requires women to retreat back to the home/childcare boundary.

[Mammyloveswine]

Looking forward to my payrise!

[insancerre]

They should have a week off after every four

[kittymamma]

I absolutely agree that the holiday weeks need to be redistributed, but the total length of school times is about right - 39 weeks school, 13 weeks holiday. July and August in the UK seem to be consistently wet and miserable, May-June and September tend to be far nicer. Five two week breaks and one three week one would be much better.

Some academies already do this. I have heard of one that took two weeks from the summer and added to Oct half term and Feb half term, so that all the school breaks throughout the year were 2 weeks rather than one with the exception of May (can't move the GCSE exams) which has to be a week. Not sure how that works though as it makes the last half term really long and one of the spring ones really really short.

[theDudesmummy]

Where I grew up there were four school terms not three, so four holiday periods, with the summer one (which was the Christmas holidays) being a bit longer. I think that was better in many ways than the current UK three-term system.

And the nine week summer holidays that are described in some countries! That would be awful in my opinion! ( a little biased here now as DS has special needs and can't go to ordinary holiday provision, when I was bringing up my stepdaughters I wouldn't really have minded as they went to their mother for the summer holidays).

[PhilODox]

insancerre such a good idea! A week off every four weeks feels about right!

[MaisyPops]

But beyond school is not childcare. That's not the point of school. We are not a baby sitting service.

Life has changed and there needs to be more flexibility but that can be done by improving acces to and availability of childcare, not rewriting how schools run because it suits people who work not to have to find holiday cover.

E.g. School buildings could be open and available in holidays for wrap arounds holiday provision, staffed by qualified childcare workers and youth workers, not teachers. There would be a cost and it could be ran where there is a demand.

[ParisUSM]

I think they should do away with the long summer holiday, or at least use the school as a facility during these times. Families with entitlement to free school meals can struggle during the long summer holiday.

this is an interesting article
www.tes.com/news/holiday-hunger-leads-five-week-learning-lag

[BoneyBackJefferson]

BeyondThePage

What would be good is a solution

Feel free to offer one that suits the workers.

rather than all the hand wringing "it's not childcare", "why have kids if you don't want to spend time with them" etc etc.

Firstly actually isn't childcare, you may not like it but its not.

The second I agree with.

[OohMavis]

Let me guess... Expensive childcare bill?

This is gross.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

ParisUSM

or at least use the school as a facility during these times.

Most schools only close for two weeks due to essential maintenance.

By those using the facilities, I assume that you mean external providers?

Most schools are booked out during the school breaks.

[Curtainshopping]

How would you be able to teach in a consistent and coherent way if different children in the class are off different random weeks, including the teacher?

[gluteustothemaximus]

Nooooooooooo! Just noooooooooo!

[marcopront]

Has anyone who thinks this is a good idea, given any suggestions for how the curriculum will be delivered if teachers and students can choose when to attend?

[BoneyBackJefferson]

zzzzz

Bizarrely they have something similar to that in Australia for those in very remote communities.

[TimeToDash]

Because children need more than 4 weeks hols and so do teachers! What a ridiculous idea.

[SkaPunkPrincess]

tink I'm not a troll 😂

why do people automatically assume a poster doesn't have children when they dare to suggest there may be a better way of doing something?

I suppose I am thinking from an ideal world perspective reg funding.

School isn't childcare, but it is compulsory to school your child and if you work full time then you aren't going to home school.

It would give more flexibility of what you could teach? More time for games and play, opportunity to extend learning via play beyond reception.

Bring back art, music and home economics. Cooking and life skills, forest school and growing your own veg ect

Obviously (like in all workplaces) there would be weeks staff/students couldn't take holidays due to busier/more important periods.

I would not be advocating 52 weeks of 'intensive schooling' but my DC love school and being with their friends all day. We would have weekends and 4 weeks holiday.

An all over more relaxed approach would be better for MH issues surely?

Maybe even introducing children taking exams when they are ready to take them and not at some arbitrary target date.

[BeyondThePage]

zzzzz - they have this system in the UK already on some remote islands,

I grew up with having 2 weeks of lessons staying in a halls of residence on "the mainland" followed by 2 weeks of telephone support - the internet has made things MUCH easier for some children.

[Clionba]

arbitrary target date for exams so potentially thousands of different CGSE and A level exams then, because if you don't sit it on the day, you can't sit that exam a week later because you'd know the content.

[BlueSapp]

I don't see why everyone is saying school isn't a form of childcare, Schools are responsible for your child's well-being, making sure they don't get hurt and are supervised at all times, while they are there therefore they are looking after the children while on the premises when the leave the parents or other child care situations takeover.

[KittyVonCatsington]

Oh yes please Op! As a teacher, I would love not to have to pay ‘school holiday’ prices to go on holiday, I would love to take time off when I wanted to (such as for my DD’s first day of school), I would love to finally have a decent pay rise in about 8 years, I would love to say, nope-am clocking off as I’ve done my working day, can’t talk to you as a parent or mark work or plan all of tomorrow’s lessons, as I have run out of time in the working day and I’ll see the kids loads anyway, I’d love not to do Parents Evenings or Open Evenings until 8:30pm as that is far beyond a ‘normal’ working day and I’d love not to set cover work when I am ill or on holiday and I would love to start work at 9pm and not have to get in for work for 7am, so I can supervise the IT rooms so the kids can do their homework before Form Time.


It actually sounds bliss.

[LionAllMessy]

People automatically think you're a troll because your OP is so spectacularly absurd.

Kids do not need to spend that much time in school. And many certainly wouldn't want to.