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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask the Government to move the school year.

35 replies

Aworldofmyown · 20/03/2020 23:15

Instead of September move it to Jan, solves all the missing education worries.
People have been saying for a long time they should stagger the holidays better, seems like the perfect solution to me.

OP posts:
Namechangedforthisreply7 · 20/03/2020 23:16

I don’t understand?

CanIHaveThat · 20/03/2020 23:18

I had the exact same bought yesterday

Original poster
Aworldofmyown · 20/03/2020 23:27

The school year would start/change in January not September.

OP posts:
Office365 · 20/03/2020 23:28

Why would that work?

BogRollBOGOF · 20/03/2020 23:31

Does that mean you'd move the long holiday to the short, dark, cold days of mid-winter? The holiday is essential for processing qualifications and getting places on new courses as well as children having a thorough break ready for a new school year.

This is a temporary issue. It shall pass.

Moving the school year to the near opposite time of the year would decimate other industries such as tourism.

cabbageking · 20/03/2020 23:36

Wouldn't benefit anyone holiday wise. The L A has the power already to have three terms or perhaps 5 as some do. They can alter the holidays to suit. But the consensus was no one wanted to change.
It would affect this intake for Sept and push it back. Children would start school 4 months later. Some would miss out as they should have started the year before.

Ihateselfishbastards · 20/03/2020 23:40

Absolutely, this is totally at the top of their agenda!

Apirateslifeforme · 20/03/2020 23:42

I'm sorry, but I domt think anyone needs this onto of the stress there already is.

FredericaBimmel · 20/03/2020 23:43

Schools are absolutely beholden to universities. Unless they also move their whole year it just isn't going to happen.

Also, no matter how much the public hate teachers holidays, they’re still enshrined in (some) contracts. It would cost quite a lot to do this at short notice, as you’d have to pay teachers to miss a lot of their holidays.

JuanSheetIsPlenty · 20/03/2020 23:44

No thanks! I don’t want two miserable DC stuck in the house for 9 weeks over winter.

bemoreeverything · 20/03/2020 23:46

No. Are you really suggesting the school year changes indefinitely because of this virus?

sparepantsandtoothbrush · 20/03/2020 23:46

Ok so the school year is January to October? I'm sure that would work well for the travel industry. Idiot

JuanSheetIsPlenty · 20/03/2020 23:53

Oh and can you imagine how sweet smelling the classrooms would be in late August? Yum. 🤮

CrocodileFondue · 20/03/2020 23:54

I agree, that would be awesome!

But only from a selfish point of view because I have an august baby. I can see it would be a nightmare for everyone else.

KisforKoala · 21/03/2020 00:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PippaPegg · 21/03/2020 00:03

They are not missing anything that is going to matter once they are in the workplace or at university.

I really wish people would stop hangwringing over schools closing. The issue is children at risk of domestic abuse and not being fed as no fsm access.

PhilCornwall1 · 21/03/2020 04:58

I think the government may just be a bit busy to give this any headspace at the moment.

Mummyoflittledragon · 21/03/2020 05:41

This would only work for the students if there were 2 blocks of 3 weeks in the summer months. As for teachers, this would be a logistical nightmare especially for primary schools, where they get a different year group every year. Are you seriously suggesting they should do all that prep over Christmas and new year? Perhaps they’d like to celebrate too and parents definitely don’t want their kids for more than 2 1/2 weeks during that period.

Yabvu to suggest a long term “solution” to a short term problem.

SavoyCabbage · 21/03/2020 06:02

Pretty sure that the government is a bit busy with other stuff at the moment without this absolutely massive task.

QueenofLouisiana · 21/03/2020 06:17

In schools we have already started vague discussions about starting the curriculum back at February this year when we get back to teaching in September (vague, because we’ve been a smidge busy for the last few days) . We’ll need to re-cap, re-settle and re-group before we cover new ground. Not all children will have followed the work set, not all parents will have been able to help learn new concepts.

Years 10 and 12 are the ones who will have it toughest in terms of picking up the educational pieces. Year 11 and 13 will have issues with could have/ might have and that will be hard to get their heads round. These, I think, are the four year groups which will need the focus and I wish my secondary colleagues lots of luck.

Everyone else, adjustments can be made and things can move on.

slipperywhensparticus · 21/03/2020 06:28

I suppose if they kept the holidays the same you could just switch the september intake to january and start from there but I dont think it's a priority

5zeds · 21/03/2020 06:34

I agree. Children home through the dank virus months, and in school through the less contagious months.

ChippyMinton · 21/03/2020 06:38

Agree with QueenofLouisiana. I have DC in years 11, 12 and 13 and it's the year 12 who is suffering most.

They have the prospect of losing a whole term of A level teaching, and will be the only sibling who will sit both GCSE and A level exams.

They will have to muster the wherewithal to study while their siblings have licence to do anything they like until September.

Sh05 · 21/03/2020 07:49

To the pp mentioning fsm, our primary have a grab bag system, so kids who get free meals can have someone grab a bag from the school office. Those in isolation will have the meal delivered to their homes.
I understand not all schools will have the resources to do this but I think more than a few have definitely put measures in to somewhat provide for their vulnerable but not key worker's children

bemoreeverything · 21/03/2020 11:18

In our school the academic year actually starts sometime in May.