AIBU to say that summer hols are a driver of inequality

[Teaandcrisps]

Myself and OH have had mixed personal fortune over the last 10 years - so from personal experience know the difference.

Summer holidays with no money is shit - especially when the weather is crap. If you can afford it however, it's great fun.

It's not just the obvious things - summer hols, trips, activities, camps, increase in food costs; it's also if you have the kind of job that can give you time off.

Given that food bank have launched the holiday hunger campaign, AIBU to say that summer holidays is an unequal construct and the 6-weeks off needs to go.

But school isn't a play camp, or a child minding venue, it's a place for children to be educated and learning is exhausting. You wouldn't expect as an adult to never have a break from work, so same applies to children.

But there's evidence to show that actually a 6 week break is bad for disadvantaged children, they lose skills. Pps aren't necessarily saying the total holiday needs to be reduced, just not to take it all on one go. I also think an extra week in October would be helpful, it's such a long term, especially for new reception kids who may only just have turned 4.

YABU. As an ex teacher I used all 6 weeks to prep my next years scheme of work. As the exam boards and government keep changing what children need to learn those 6 weeks are very necessary prep time. We have just had 6 weeks off with spending hardly any money. There are plenty of free things to do if you plan ahead.

Not teas the full thread but to remind you it's NINE weeks in Northern Ireland!! A lot of childcare!! And £££

Personally I would overthrow capitalism as the solution though

Oh let's, because the alternatives have been universally successful, haven't they?

I think kids need a break and those who have parents at home eg unemployed actually are better off than those dumped in childcare. It doesn't have to cost any money to have fun but you do need to make an effort, I didn't drive when mine were small so it was picnics in the park and crafts at home. Working poor parents are in the worst position but there are lots of subsidised childcare schemes out there, you just need to be proactive in finding them

Children need the break (not to mention the teachers). School is there for education. It’s not meant to be childcare or a food provider.

Why should everyone else have to go without? There will never be full equality. It’s upto the parents to change things for their children as they are the ones responsible for them.

I used to work in a summer camp for 2 weeks. There was a good range of activities for the kids and it was always full, the kids were queing up o n a morning to get a place! Finding cuts by the government put a stop to that.

I would love to know how the summer holidays are organised in other countries and what kind of systems there are in place. It just seems so piecemeal here.

I work in a team with several working parents. With 6 weeks off in the summer, we are not all fighting for the same week or 2 off, and we can vaguely keep the team going. If we had 2/3/4 people fighting over the same 4 or 5 weeks, our team leader just wouldn’t authorise it.

@HotChocWithCream - noted the set of assumptions that someone has a garden, lives near a nature reserve, can afford the travel and packed lunch.

@Youngandfree - this doesn't make sense at all - why do you think school is free! Free or affordable holiday scemes isnt about peoples lifestyles it's about recognising inequality at early life stages.

I was a full time working single mother for years with next to no parental support (my parents are young and both work full time) and my son’s father lives in the other side of the world.

I did it. As a PP mentioned - get organised and plan ahead. It is doable.

And for all those folks that say we have the shortest holidays-this is irrelevant. The UK summer hols was set to coincide with the harvest so it's a construct that worked for the economy of families.

All countries that have a long holiday have it when the weather is good.

@HotChocWithCream do you actually know anyone living in true poverty? Because I can assure you that the families I work who are single parents working up to two jobs in unsociable hours, dealing with chronic health conditions (mental and physical) and caring for children with significant needs don’t have a lot of extra time and headspace to curate a schedule of wholesome, enriching experiences for their DC in the holidays. Oh, and they don’t have gardens.

Dd was off almost 7 weeks. It is veeeery long. I planned for one paid activity a week. It’s always the push/ pull against teachers and parents needs. Yanbu to think that there needs to be more assistance for low income parents.

@HotChocWithCream
I’m disabled and chronically ill. I have the money. But no it isn’t doable with planning. Very ignorant comment.

I think the answer is free/subsidised summer play schemes, not shorter summer holidays

Why should everything be free? Children are expensive, it’s a known before having them and doesn’t come as a surprise yet so many feel those costs should be paid by others rather than themselves.

Nobody has to have children. It’s a choice.

HotChocWithCream I agree that you don't need to spend loads of money in order to pass the summer holidays but of the list you have given many wouldn't be free at all for many people. My nearest museum is about 30 miles away, would cost about £15 to get to on public transport for an adult, and maybe £7 or £8 for a child. So a free day out at the museum would cost me over £30. It's fine for me, I can afford to do that, but plenty of families at my children's school couldn't.

Walking rescue dogs - would need to drive to the rescue centre. Same with nature walks as there is nowhere local that would be safe to walk. Volunteering in local community sounds good in theory but in reality there is so much red tape that many places don't allow it, and they are particularly reluctant to accept volunteers who are under 16 themselves as it is too much responsibility.

I don't know what the answer is though, just that outside of cities the opportunities for free activities are much more limited.

HotChocWithCream then I can only assume you haven’t been broken by many years of struggling with barely any food and still have the wherewithal to be able to organise all those things. And perhaps bad enough of an education or smarts to get a job which allows you free time with your children. My mum worked 5 part time jobs, she didn’t have a single day off to do any of those things. She was out of the house from 7am-11pm everyday until she became disabled.

Reading back to posters who have criticised me I honestly believe the issue is people’s mentality.

@teaandcrisps my suggestions did not all focus on having your own garden. Some councils have community gardens or children’s gardens that are free to get involved with. If you can’t afford to make a sandwich for your kids lunch then you have serious issues to address in terms of your budgeting.

fedup21 makes a really good point about building works. Our 1970s build has major work done every summer - this year it's asbestos removal!

I would love more time at Christmas - half a week extra before and half after would be ideal.

It's a disgrace that there is no hope of extra funding for play schemes etc from this government. It's the typical story of blaming schools for inequality instead of dealing with its root causes.

Let's be honest. The amount of time off is not going to be reduced due to cost.
Taking a week of the summer holidays is neither here nor there.
Reducing the summer holiday to 2 weeks will not work as this will mean staff do not get a break, it is not long enough to prepare for a new class. Often staff have to move year groups and strip their classroom and prepare a new one. Two weeks is not enough time to do that.
Once again who wants time off in winter?
Nobody.
And to reiterate, support staff are not paid so they most certainly do not want unpaid, inflexible holidays when the weather is crap.

Pps aren't necessarily saying the total holiday needs to be reduced, just not to take it all on one go

But the OP said, And no I dont believe that this could be solved if holidays were simply redistributed, this would not solve the problem or structural inequality at all

People will argue about this indefinitely. Some want holidays moved around, some want them reduced, some want them increased, other can’t agree on how they should be changed-more at October, more at Xmas etc etc. You simply can’t please everyone.

Things won’t change for a long time, I’m pretty sure about that.

@Teaandcrisps meaning the nhs, education is “ free” in the uk!, and many other schemes they have in place! And please don’t go on the “but we pay taxes” line because there are MANY ppl in the uk who take out WAY more than they put in or don’t put in AT ALL!! It’s simple, not everything can be subsidized or free!! End of!

I think people should consider things like school holidays and finances before they have kids. It surely can't have come as a surprise as 6 weeks of holidays has been a thing for decades.

HotChocWithCream I agree with it being a difference in mental attitude. That’s why I said that poverty is not just about having money. It’s about time and emotional investment. Which is not always possible when working all the hours in the day. Deprivation is more than having no money.