To think the school holidays should just be August ?

[yellowbeard]

It's too long. I think a break in routine does kids good, but it's too much all at once. I think in Italy August is considered Holiday month ( not sure about the school holiday length ) but I know a lot of businesses close down for August there. Aibu ?

There is a kind of dip in learning. I've taught the same class two years running a couple of times and there's definitely a bit of a drop in the September. However it doesn't last and they quickly get back to it.

And of course they do a different kind of learning over a summer holiday. Mine have socialised and holidayed and done exercise and talked. Not all learning is school based, obviously.

I also don't think the long school holidays are about setting them up for a pattern in life. They're about giving them a child age appropriate rest, getting a good life balance (which so many adults would also benefit from), opportunity to do different things.

I've worked many places in the past where 2 weeks holiday in a row is frowned on, and normally only approved as one week chunks as work cannot be covered by others.

That's not something to aspire to though. We shouldn't be encouraging the idea that that is acceptable. We've got just over a week left and I'm leaning to 8 weeks being a good length.

I think long school holiday doesn't set up for real life

Why do they need ‘setting up for real life’? They’re children, and as such they have different needs to adults.

if you find appropriate childcare difficult in the summer it is much much harder in winter if you need to work between Christmas and New year Childcare of any kind is almost impossible to find loads of nurseries that open all summer shut for 2 weeks at christmas so do childminders you are really down to friends and family most of whom like above posters don't want to be minding other people kids
if you are in retail the chance of getting more than Christmas day off are very very slim and many other jobs do not close either
some office may close 24th dec to 2nd Jan and some trades like builders but all the christmas entertainment the sales the cinema / pantomime trips involve other people working

the only kids that need "setting up for real life " are those just about to leave School College or University to enter the workplace
many kids are already working 7 days a week revising for exams if they were in a job they would not be allowed to work 7 day weeks
in jobs where you work several consecutive days like on a oil rig you do a shift every day for 2-3 weeks then you are flown off rig for at least 2 weeks before next stint if we don't think adults should work all these hours neither should kids be
kids need the time off, it is what is in the child's best interest not what works best for parents there may be a very small percentage of kids with difficult social backgrounds for whom the holidays are a challenge but most children need a breka after 7-8 weeks at school
personally I think homework over the weekend ie set on Friday for Monday ( no problem with set on Friday for tuesday) should be banned and so should homework over the holidays

Yes I think the school hols should be shorter in the summer.My ds is very bright and keeping him occupied all summer is very hard work

Mine is also very bright. She’s just finished reception and has read Matilda and James and the Giant Peach over the holidays. She’s enjoying reading away from the school reading scheme which she generally finds pretty dull. She’s also played the Doodle Maths app a lot. However she also loves playing with friends (including ones she doesn’t normally see as they go to different schools), exploring places we’ve never been before, playing in the back garden with her sister, learning to ride her bike without stabilisers etc.

TeacupDrama my son finds holidays a challenge because of his asd and learning difficulties. All the leisure pursuits that are available to non disabled children are not available to him.
He doesn't have a difficult social background.

@sleepblueocean sorry to hear that, I know that makes absolutely everything harder for you

uk schools have one of the lowest total number of weeks holiday a year in Europe, only Czech republic and Macedonia have less at 12 weeks
Italy and Russia have the highest at 17-18,

Germany, the Netherlands and Slovakia have the same
France Spain Portugal Scandinavia Poland, Greece Belgium all have 14-16 weeks
only Germany and the Netherlands have 6 weeks in the summer, everywhere else has at least 8 and most hotter countries have at least 10 in the summer
Finalnd has some of the best attainment in Europe the holidays are 14-15 weeks with 10 of them in the summer the school day is shorter even at senior level with a 15 minute break after every 45 minute lesson the average 9 year old is in school for 640 hours compared with 899 in England

Evenly spreading the breaks out more would be great, children get pushed too hard for too long a day without actual play or freedom. Secondary schools particularly push remorselessly. Two weeks for half terms perhaps?

Nope. As one of those ‘lazy teachers’ I need my six weeks