To not want schools to give up summer holidays

[littleblackdress04]

Just read in papers that it’s been proposed that kids go back to school in July/ August

I think this is a rubbish idea - if it’s going to be that long then just let them have a ‘normal’ summer and go back in September.

Kids have been cooped up because of this- I’d want to take mine to the hills, go camping & let them have some freedom. Then start school in September. This isn’t a holiday for them - it’s a horrible stressful period of being cooped up & not being able to live their normal lives.

While school gives a structure and is important, so are proper periods of holiday.

I’m really against the idea but aibu? Be interested to hear other thoughts. I’ve not been particularly worried about the kids education- they will catch up in time and it will be fine

@Saoirse7 I do remake the extra many teachers have given over the years in terms of time and money. But they are absolutely not alone in this and it doesn't help the current situation.

I can't get away from the fact that as a profession they seem to be insisting on as little disruption as possible at the expense of a whole generation of pupils. Expecting their unions to protect their six week unpaid holiday regardless of what's best for their students.

I'd like them to put the young people at the centre of this and make some enormous sacrifices whilst doing so. Right now they stand out as a profession big prepared to do that.

Realise, not remake. Sorry.

@peoplepleaser1

I can’t work from home, neither can dh, we have been furloughed, it’s no fun being stuck at home, it certainly isn’t a holiday and has been quite stressful, managing on 80%of wages /not knowing when the government furlough money will be paid is hard.

However I still want my kids to have their well deserved summer holidays, to meet friendship, go out and socialise, to relax, to have fun and to make memories. These last few weeks have been stressful for all teenagers not knowingly what is going to happen with university and school exams and how they will be graded. The holidays are a must,

This proposal was probably made by the same people who usually advocate shortening the normal summer holidays to 4 weeks or less. What the government should do is work out some centralised content for each year group from reception to the end of secondary school that is administered via TV / YouTube and work books that are sent through the post so that everybody gets the same opportunity to learn.

happyandsingle

I know a lot of teachers are on a rota so not doing a full weeks work.

Its called working from home. Marking planning etc. So you actually know very little.

Is there another profession or job in the world that people want to police and judge quite so much as teaching?

It's the same people who think that if teachers aren't standing in front of a class, they are doing nothing.

Well teachers aren't standing in front of classes at the moment - and that isn't their fault.

Why do people think teachers just want holidays and an easy life? What is this based on?

I get the feeling that a lot of these comments are not based on what is best for the children at all. It is purely based on jealousy at a totally fabricated and erroneous view that teachers are being allowed to get away with doing nothing on full pay - and that isn't fair. And shouldn't be allowed and they all need to make up for this using their holiday entitlement as some sort of penance for being work-shy.

Why the hate?!

One thing I am really looking forward to when all of this is over is lots of people re-training to become teachers and join us in this cushy number, with a highly unionised workforce, endless holidays, working 9-3 and refusing to do anything to give to society.

We're on over 50% drop-out rate at the moment?

I only teach exam years and yes, continuing to teach year 12 and year 10 remotely and marking assessed work. Working around 8 hours a day at at least. I've learnt a range of new skills since starting to work online. We are going at pretty much the same pace as we would do in school as come September there would be an impossible amount to catch up next year.

Definitely not sitting on my arse doing nothing.

My own children are also being set work and working around 3 hours a day (KS3). If you're school is not setting work, I would get onto them.

@mochojoes
“You fail to see when discussing usual holiday arrangements & potential disruption due to a pandemic the relevance of stating that many people have had to forego the status quo & face the real possibility of dying? ok....“

I have no issue foregoing the status quo in the way of changing my holidays (I have already, I’m working on site over the Easter holidays) but.... 6 weeks work for no pay is beyond that when you consider the Easter break takes that to 8 weeks.

NHS workers are foregoing the status quo in terms of flexibility, but they’re being paid, as I said before, not enough by any stretch of the imagination, but they are being paid.

@Beebie2 if this proposal did happen why are you sure the government won't pay?

i Have the utmost respect for teachers who as well as the children deserve these holidays, being a teacher isn’t a 9-3 job Monday’s to Friday, it takes over your life, one of my best friends is a teacher and is amazing but it’s not an easy job.

Anyone who disrespects teachers who are trying to keep things going for our children should take their children out of schools full time and home school their children and see how much of an “easy” job it is!

@Alkaloise I can’t wait either. We’ll be fully staffed! Whoop!

Peoplepleaser,

Teachers know children and their capabilities better than anyone. I assure you that merging their Summer Holidays into the next academic year would have graver consequences for education as a whole than taking the holidays.

Anyway, you clearly have an agenda, you've ignored every plausible argument put forward so I'm not wasting anymore time on you.

PS. Teachers are still working.

The thing is, many people will already have holidays planned, including teachers and other school staff. I think if the holidays are shortened, parents definitely shouldn't be fined for taking a holiday over the summer.

It's also not true that everyone is on a 'break' right now. Many of us are still working full time, and are looking forward to hopefully being able to have a holiday still in the summer. Especially after such a stressful period.

If anything I think it may be better to make the school days half an hour or so longer for the following year when the children go back (so say finish at 3.45pm instead of 3.15p at our school). That would actually allow a lot of extra catch up time over the course of the school year, and shouldn't massively impact on anyone's travel plans or holiday times, and be a short enough 'extra' time each day that kids / teachers don't get too over-whelmed or tired.

I'd like them to put the young people at the centre of this

Absolutely. My children have been working bloody hard and will continue to do so online, throughout the summer term.

They will need their summer holidays! I’ll be putting their mental health above anything.

Like I said in my friends very large secondary school they have a budget for sat school/masterclasses/revision sessions, a lot of which happens over Easter & summer term. That budget could be used for Summer pay.

My secondary school children are still getting full timetable work to do at home. Their teachers are still very much working as are they. They will eed their holiday.

As for primary school, they aren't closed. I'm going in to work tomorrow, bank holiday Monday, to look after key worker children. Staff at home are planning work for children to do at home, work for the next school year, writing reports etc. and most of them (like everyone else) are doing this while looking after their own children at home.

The last week before schools closed was madness. There were so few staff, due to sef isolation rules, and a much reduced number children. It couldn't funtin like normal school anyway. The staff who were still in there were on thir knees by the end. I can't imagine it would be any better by summer tbh.

MochosJoes

Teachers have already forgone most of their Easter holidays and will likely do the same in May- unpaid might I add. But that doesn't suit your argument so I can see why you haven't acknowledged it. NHS staff have postponed holidays but are still getting paid.

This comes down to how much you are prepared to give, sacrifice and compromise. Some people give much, others little. This thread gives the impression that many teachers are not prepared to give extra, their prerogative of course but does nothing for the reputation of the profession.

I'm not a Teacher, I'm a safeguarding lead in a school and since lockdown started I've been busier and more stressed than I've ever been. Many of my Teacher colleagues are saying the same. DH and I are WFH in shifts while looking after a toddler and attempting to home-school a primary aged DC, starting at the crack of dawn and working until late at night once DC are in bed in order to fulfill our contracted hours. My colleagues and I are all working through the Easter 'break' with no pay and will not get the time back. May half term will most likely be the same. My DC are finding it very difficult to understand the fact that I'm home all the time but not available to them, constantly fielding calls and emails about vulnerable kids who I am largely powerless to help when all the other services that usually support them have shut up shop. I'm sick of thread after thread painting my colleagues and I as selfish and not willing to 'do our bit'. I took a significant pay cut to work in a school, partly because I love the work and find it inherently rewarding but partly because I felt it was worth it to have the time with my DC in the holidays. Selfishly, I have been clinging onto the hope that if the world returns to something approaching normal by then I might just be able to spend some time with my own DC over the summer without constantly being preoccupied with work. But apparently i'm just not a 'giver'.

I think we all need to start "fresh" in September. DC at private school, which I only mention because we tend to get slightly longer holidays than the state schools. DH is working (flat out) at the moment, and has the last three weeks of work booked out - if we can't do what we planned, then we will have a staycation, but enjoy not being locked down.

Keeping the schools open during July and August will impact much, much more than just the children. And being locked down is hardly a walk in the park.

@theluckiest I agree exactly with what you say. Well said.
I'm not sure teacher-bashers realise how long it takes to set up an early years or primary classroom. A couple of weeks at least.
And the point about which year groups pupils would go into is very valid? Do we start new reception intake early ? Or bring back everyone to their existing classes for a few weeks then weeee after a long weekend maybe, suddenly everyone moves up? Including year 6 to 7? Just how??
These suggestions just beggar belief. I think a compromise could be to extend the summer term to the end of July but keep August free.

Also...

People are allowed to think that shortening the summer holidays is a bad idea - for a whole host of reasons. Teachers are allowed to say 'that doesn't work in schools because of...x,y and z' (could list things like planning, transition to new classes, setting up the new school year, wrap around care...etc). It is not as simple as open the schools and education happens.

But suddenly, those reasons and arguments are all about teachers not wanting to give up their holidays. I genuinely don't think that's the case. If there was a proper plan in place and was in the best interests of the children, the families and the economy then of course teachers would 'be flexible' and do their best.

That doesn't mean they are not allowed to have an opinion on the wisdom of the idea.

Expecting their unions to protect their six week unpaid holiday regardless of what's best for their students.

What is your background in education? Just wondering as you know more about what's best for student's learning than teachers with years and years of study and experience.
Children need holidays.

Please excuse phone typing.

*need
*self isolation
*function

Theres been no marking or even checking work at my dds school infact no communication at all hence why I questioned this.Or maybe it's just my dds school that is crap.