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

But the schools are not only about the children. Apart from teachers, there’s a lot of planning and admin work to start a new school year. The whole system would be upside down and half prepared. It’s not just a matter of opening the school gates. Classes need restructuring for the new year, school supplies need to be planned. New form of learning needs to be introduced, there won’t be any school trips, everything takes a lot of time. I imagine that, currently, teachers are getting on with a fair bit of work in preparation for the end of the school year. Admin teams from local councils or private schools have to deal with the usual summer workload. There are repairs going on during the summer holidays, there is a lot the school system has to deal with during that time which can only be done because the children are not there.
You can’t just simply throw a couple of extra school months in.
And there would be an extra expense which the government can ill afford.
Routine is important and school holiday dates are part of that routine. We are on lockdown not on holiday, lots of parents are still working whilst maintaining some sort of learning routine at home.
Where we can keep some things taking place as they did before, we should do just that.

so you want the kids to be on lockdown now, because we have no choice.

Stuck in school at the hottest time of the year when they could make the most of outdoor life!

That's horrible!

I wonder what would happen with my DD, who is due to start reception, if they did this.

Terrible idea.

For one thing the Autumn term is a real killer for both children and teachers , often the longest , with dark mornings and dark evenings, poor weather, poor opportunities for being outside for pe or other lessons, then at the end of it you have to gird your loins and stay on top form for Christmas fun. It's a tough term at the best of times.

Add another six weeks on and you will have teachers ,TAs and children (many of whom will have weakened immune systems post Corona ) dropping like flies.

I really don’t want my DSs to miss their summer holiday, however if they only go back in September how long will it be for? I’m pretty sure that there will be another lockdown after this current one probably before Christmas and they will miss school again (online work set isn’t the same).

DS1 will be starting year 12 in September having already missed the end of Year 11 and his GCSEs. There will be lots of current year 10 and 12s also who will have missed months of vital class work. It might be a good idea to send exam years children back in August so at least they get some face to face actual teaching when they can and before we potentially lockdown again. Obviously teachers would have to be onboard with this and paid for their holidays etc and not forced if they chose not to teach for whatever reasons.

@Serin - no one is proposing cancelling his holidays, just redistributing them. I’d expect there to be a months holiday immediately before school started in July, and probably a week off at the end of August and an extra week for October half term.

Redistribution of holiday is happening elsewhere. This is precisely what is happening at DH’s university. It was compulsory to take last week and next week as holiday. He didn’t get any choice in the matter. It doesn’t matter that he already had that time earmarked for holidays later in the year. He’s also trying to adapt teaching/exams to online content.

And I’m pretty sure that you’ll find people who work for the NHS and supermarkets are having their holidays cancelled at the moment.

BubblyBarbara What awful comments I take it you dont like children

Scotland go back in August anyway.

Teaching is an incredibly difficult and valuable job. But the entitlement to being paid come what May in the current climate is entitled and completely out of step with what most people are currently facing. Hiding behind the unions doesn't make it any less selfish.

Sorry, so frontline workers are having to work extremely hard and are being paid at their normal rate. Some people have been furloughed and are being paid at 80%. Yet more are working from home and have wages as normal.

But teachers should work for free?

I don't see why it can't happen as it's unprecedented times. Plenty of people have lost out on Easter holidays so the holiday argument isn't really valid plus I expect global flying will be one of the last things to return to normal.

People in the NHS are working extra hours, risking their lives & dying to save others. I think some perspective is needed.

I think they will try for July (after all there are 3 weeks in July of term). Our local authority breaks has it down as the 22nd July - now I know our school was down as the 17th but I think it would be easy to get rid of inset days (which it would have been) and ask all schools to go through to 22nd July.

Well that is 3 1/2 weeks if you start on June 29th. Which I think (if the peak has been flattened) allows for a nice amount of time to finish off the year and give them something before giving people the summer holidays

Personally I think this is what they might aim for

(Indeed, I believe some teachers are actually working for free during the holidays etc currently. But can't understand the logic that says furloughed workers get 80%, teachers must work for free )

Can we also remember that children have seen their Easter holidays cancelled, and it's very likely their May holiday will be cancelled too...

Shorter holiday is a good idea. Not no holiday. But you are living in cloud cuckoo if you think the government can’t enact returning to school in August. The past few weeks have demonstrated that no one knows what is round the corner.

They are a left-over from an agricultural past when kids were needed to help with the harvest

Completely untrue-and when you think about when harvest actually is, makes no sense.

Reading some research into this, it actually seems that when schools started for ‘all’ (not just the rich) it was thought by those in charge, that children needed a break from learning, and that fresh air and being outside rather than cooped up in germ-filled classrooms in the hottest months of the year was good for their well-being. The other reason was that richer families tended to take their kids away from schools in the hottest days anyway, so many were not there to learn.

It’s still a myth that’s peddled by some people who like to try to make it fit their chosen narrative though.

mochojoes
no one is taking anything away from NHS workers, but we are talking about children. There's is absolutely no need to cancel their holidays when we are finally out of lockdown and make their lives even more miserable. What would be the point of that and the long term benefit? none.

This is an absolutely batshit idea. Besides, children are doing schoolwork. And what about those whose GCSEs and A levels have been cancelled? So they're going to do what? And teachers who are busily doing stuff online, don't they deserve a holiday? If restrictions are lifted, we need to be free to go out, go walking, go visiting, none of this is a bloody holiday.....

I don't think any decisions can be made until nearer the summer. If there is any chance that people will be able to go on holiday, then the government won't want to disrupt the tourist industry. If it seems certain we won't be able to travel around over July/August, then I suppose they could bring the holidays forward so there would be a break from the expectation of work being set and completed and school could re-start in August. There would need to be a longer break in the middle of the term, assuming there won't be further lockdowns.

My DS is still doing his school work, we work 9-2 we are relatively lucky in that we have a decent garden but many many children are cooped up. People are still hard at work from home. A holiday from work is still required.

If travel in the U.K. is allowed think of all the much needed business people holidaying in the U.K. would bring to those hospitality businesses.

The only reason for kids to go back would be to facilitate ease for working parents, I can’t see any benefits for kids. Maybe re open childminders/holiday clubs for people who need childcare.

Plus I would think teachers are probably having a very stressful time at the moment completely reworking their working practices and resources, quite a few are in schools looking after the kids of key workers surely they deserve a break.

The comments from people saying they want to go back to work because they’ll be fed up of their kids are unbelievable tbh.

Quite honestly if this goes ahead, by November you will have exhausted kids and utterly broken teachers. We are all still working, you know - even in our Easter holidays many of us are looking after keyworker children, planning online lessons for when we go back next week. No competent government (mind you am not sure we are dealing with a competent one) will force teachers to work an entire year with only a locked down break - the profession will be brought to its knees as people desert it in droves.

But you are living in cloud cuckoo if you think the government can’t enact returning to school in August.

they can.. doesn't mean they should. It doesn't mean that parents will send their children either.

I agree, we need to have time to do the normal stuff.

I'm a bit confused about the cries of what about our holidays. You do realise that in order to travel, fly, visit attractions, restaurants etc that others will have to work & not be on holiday?

It’s an amazing idea.

Love this
“ Longfield said schools could bring in play, sports and youth workers to help supervise pupils.”

I’d love to go in, do lovely summer activities, art, gardening, sport

Oh, but..... who is paying? We don’t have any paint at my school🤔 oh and the school field was sold, oh yeah and school staff don’t get paid. Those crappy, lazy teachers could be forced to work for free, but what about the minimum wage staff?

Do you think the government will pay for it? We certainly don’t have budget for play, sports and youth workers. Glue sticks are a struggle!!

@FamilyOfAliens if you read the thread, you’ll see I have linked to it