AIBU to think school should finish now?

[Daisydrum]

This really lovely hot weather seems to happen at the end of June and in July each year. Yet the children still have to go into school when most other countries have finished for the summer. Then have the whole of August off when the end of August is notoriously bad (always around the bank holiday!) and the summer solstice is long gone.
AIBU to think we should move the summer holidays earlier?

Wow Stef What do you do about work??
Here Summer break is 6 weeks (England)

Mine finish tomorrow at 12.30 until the 28th august we get 2 weeks xmas 2 weeks easter 1 week half term in feb and the odd couple of days here in N.ireland mine are exhasuted and so ready for their time off!

In my County (I'm talking 40/50 years ago when holidays were run around the manufacturing industry!) our schools used to close for the first two weeks of July, as did the business in the area. It was a total shutdown and the city centre used to be deserted. We went back to school the Wednesday after August bank holiday so had nearly 8 weeks off. Those were halcyon days (in my memory!!) but I'm sure my mother hated those 8 weeks (SAHM were much more usual in those days).

Nowadays, no industry shuts down in the UK but in the European countries we deal with such as France, Malta, italy, they consider August to be the month when nothing gets done as almost all their business close or at least operate with only minimal staff. (this could just be our industry of course)

I'm in Ireland. The primary schools break up tomorrow until the last week in August.
The secondary schools have been off since the end of May and also go back late August.

I remember being in London in mid July a few years ago and it seemed really odd to see children still going around in school uniform.

I think UK school holidays are too short, but I think our secondary school holidays are too long. Teenagers just end up hanging around bored.

If it helped I wouldn’t mind forgetting about the February half term to add an extra week to Summer

Honestly? As a teacher, 6 weeks and then a break is optimal. We are currently doing 7 which is manageable. I have a few times done 8 in a Catholic school where Easter is late and school policy is to run into Holy Week and I can tell you it is awful. And that’s me as a teacher. Children are also knackered.

If we ‘forget’ February half term, that’s somewhere between 12 and 14 weeks without a break. Do you really think your children’s learning will be as it should be by week 9 onwards?

f you're in Scotland and break up soon, when do they go back? Doesn't it make it a very long term until Christmas?

We break up tomorrow and go back in mid-August, then have 2 weeks off in October, another 2 at Christmas and another 2 at Easter. A total of 12 weeks with the longest term being the current one, which has been 11 weeks (although we've had a long weekend).

I work in a Scottish school. I'm quite happy with our schedule.

'm in Ireland. The primary schools break up tomorrow until the last week in August.
The secondary schools have been off since the end of May and also go back late August.

That's it, I'm moving to Ireland.

Does no one remember 2012?!

In July sports day was cancelled (waterlogged field) and the summer fete. People were bagging last-minute foreig holidays like crazy because the weather was so grim here (and I live down south).

Everyone was saying the Olympics would be a disaster because of the weather. In fact the weather slightly improved in August but it was still darn nippy in that Olympic Stadium.

I agree re weather, in fact while we are at it I would love to move public exams, quite why they are done at what is often the hottest time of year I'm not sure - hay fever, being very hot, bright rooms aren't great and the weather is distracting for them. If we did them in last sept/october the conditions would be nicer and I suspect it would be easier to get them to revise!

My concern with moving the holidays would be the autumn term. We go from early Sep to xmas with a 2 week break for half term and 2bh that is enough - it usually means one 7 week half term and one 6 week, I wouldn't want to stretch that. However perhaps splitting them into 2 one week breaks might help, say send of Sep and mid Nov...

The last 3/4 weeks of term are wasted anyway so little teaching is actually done. Kids are off on trips/field trips, or inter-school sports, or Dofe, etc. For those in school, their usual teachers are absent due to trips/sports/dofe etc, so they get cover/supply teachers instead. Some teachers still having lessons are doing the marking for the GCSE's/A levels instead of giving lessons. So, all in all, no point in them being there.

I'm in Scotland, we only get 1 week off in October.

I'm definitely NOT moving to Ireland!
I'm moving to Scotland.
We break up tomorrow and go back in mid-August, then have 2 weeks off in October, another 2 at Christmas and another 2 at Easter. A total of 12 weeks with the longest term being the current one, which has been 11 weeks (although we've had a long weekend).
Thats sounds about perfect to me. I want that. And no uni fees. Hmmmmmm. .it's becoming more and more appealing!

Dancergirl we finished today and return on the 16th of August. Then we have a long weekend in September and a week off in mid October.

I honestly don't think that a couple of weeks longer at Autumn term is that big a deal. I don't think primary school should be that tiring for kids
Or are we talking about the teachers?

Ours all finish tomorrow (south Scotland)

Ireland here - School broke up today, back on 3rd September. School days are shorter as well. Infants do 8.45 til 13.45 and juniors do 8.45 - 14.45. When we first moved from the UK it was a real shock, but the children are happier and have more time to relax and do hobbies. Lucky that my DH is studying part time and I do shift work so not having to look for childcare to fit round it all.

Ireland here - School broke up today, back on 3rd September. School days are shorter as well. Infants do 8.45 til 13.45 and juniors do 8.45 - 14.45. When we first moved from the UK it was a real shock, but the children are happier and have more time to relax and do hobbies. Lucky that my DH is studying part time and I do shift work so not having to look for childcare to fit round it all.

So time not spent at your desk grinding away at maths/English/French verbs etc is wasted now, is it? How bloody depressing. I like this time of year - my kids do lots more sport, more art, more open ended project type work. And yes, field trips. School puts on drama productions and concerts. All the alternative educational stuff that gets sidelined earler in the year.

absolutely! We should follow other countries and have the full of July and August off. It's a much better system for everybody.

I hope we finally manage to get our holidays changed, the current ones are not good for the kids- and the parents!

YANBU at all.

Schools should be off for all of July and August at the very least. They're children, not mini adults.

No way. DS1 has only just got into his stride for this school year!

I read about kids who had 3 months off in the summer, I can't remember which country but it was all about agricultural reasons but it ended up benefited everybody. My kids would love to have 3 months off, and frankly so would I if they could

Unfortunately actual adults do have to work!

we do, but we have to manage with the kids finishing school at 3 or 3:30pm 5 days a week anyway

We’re in France. Break up in a week. Back in September