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

@littleblackdress04, you do realise that we are just flatening the curve at the moment and when we start to mix we will all eventually catch Covid?

Why do you think that you are entitled to be in an area that has limited resources and would be overwhelmed when the virus starts to spread again?

By July we'll just be finding out how it behaves when not contained. They are saying that there'll be a vaccine in September and i think we'll be on reduced movement until then. They won't be able to make the schools being in over Summer work. We've got too much to do with Brexit still looming and now the additional issues that will bring in terms of getting the vaccine.

I am sure ways of paying these staff could be found. Maybe those who are currently being paid a full salary (including my BIL who is a TA, neighbour who is a school dinner lady, and friend an admin assistant and school librarian) but are now sitting at home doing zero work could have their holiday bought forward to now and then work the usual summer holidays.

I don't know what you usually do in your holidays, but I'm guessing it doesn't involve staying at home except for an occasional visit to the supermarket or a short walk close to home.

I don’t have a clue how the government would pay for it.
Teachers are salaried with 39 weeks pay averaged and paid through the year and are still working now.
The teachers would need to paid for their time and for the six weeks that would be an extra three and a half grand for a new teacher, nearly double that for those at the top of UPS, with TLRs or lead practitioners.

How do you think we will pay those wages? Or are you expecting it for free because teachers are all off?

The profession as a whole is being treated as dispensable.

Really, more dispensable than the nurses & doctors who haven't got PPE & are dying? Or the bus drivers who are also dying?

Have a shorter 6 weeks say go back mid August

How can we have a shorter 6 weeks? Either it’s 6 weeks or it’s not?

teachers might have to suck up flexible working for a year or 2 until we are back to normal. Let's face it the rest of the country is

What do you think teachers have been doing for the last 4 weeks, if not working flexibly? Long days, teaching from home, setting work from home, completely reworking schemes of work to be taught online, plus providing childcare for key workers, conducting meetings and annual reviews via conference calls, scrapping the Easter holidays to provide childcare for key workers.

Please don’t tell us to suck it up when we already are.

Our school has a full schedule of remote learning planned for after the Easter break and have already extended the summer term by two weeks. Plus the staff that have been looking after the 40 or so key worker children need a break!

Saoirse7, key workers can't just take holidays when they choose. Retail/delivery/warehousing etc often can't take holidays any later than October. Those in other key worker jobs are supposed to make up Staff winter sickness, so less holidays being granted.

All the people on here saying, we will need our holiday, no camping, need to do normal things in the 6 weeks holiday.... how do we know that we will be able to those things, the virus will still be here killing people , why would you want to?

@PanicAtTheDiscLo - the government has already changed the law to allow them to curtail 2020 holiday entitlement and roll it forward to be taken in 2021/2022. The teachers will get longer holidays in the next 2 years to compensate. Just like nurses and doctors and anyone else working more days than they normally would in 2020.

some people have no concept that not everyone is out in the garden enjoying themselves.

NHS staff are working and not seeing family much,
teachers are working,
some people are cooped up in tiny flats and hardly get out as there is not much anywhere to go out to, and the risk of communal areas to get out.
some people will have been in for 12 weeks.

MochoJoes

NHS staff and Key Workers are rightfully given plaudits on here for the work they do. It's the government treating them poorly, not the general public.

I refer to the treatment of teachers on this forum. Every single thread has been negative.

Not sure how this would work practically but tbh I think teachers might have to suck up flexible working for a year or 2 until we are back to normal. Let's face it the rest of the country is

Fuck off.

WE'RE STILL WORKING! We're still going in to watch other Key Worker Children. We're still setting work from home. We're still reaching out to families. We're still planning. We're still getting ready for next year.

We're not paid to continue our full time schedules through our holidays. And there's no money in school budgets for that anyway. I will be on holiday with my own family in August if we're actually allowed to leave the fucking house at that point.

My eldest is year 6, so would quite like her to get say the last two weeks of this academic year back at school, so first two weeks of July, if medically it is safe to do so and the experts allow it.

But I think it is better and less anxiety provoking to stick to routine and preserve the long holiday.

In our long holiday my kids meets their friends and ride bikes, swim in the lake, go for walks, go in trips all stuff they can't do now.

I'd like my dd to have all that then make the leap to secondary in sept as normal.

Plus what about the teachers !!!!

@ArtieFufkinPolymerRecords no that's not what I do in my holidays. But things are all over the place.

I'm not sure about teaching but in the real world where there is an element of doing as you are asked, being flexible and making compromise it is perfectly legal to tell employees when to take their holiday. You just have to give twice the length of notice as the holiday period in question. The government are also looking to change this too as part of changes to working time regulations to adapt to the current situation.

But god forbid you have to loose out on what suits you whilst so many other people make sacrifices and compromises. Most of us accept we can't have it all at this time.

Entitled much.

@BlackeyedSusan no, quite a few of us are either keyworkers or have partners who have keyworkers and fully understand what’s going on. But we also recognise that those keyworkers need a break with their families and a holiday.

The more I think about it, and seeing other posts on this thread, the more I think that school is possibly going to be closed for a good deal of the winter season.

It's going to be so hard for those whose GCSEs or a levels are next summer.

What does flexible working look like in schools? What happens to my class if I want to take one of my delayed weeks off next year, will all the class need to be on holiday at the same time too. If not, who will be teaching them?

How can the teachers get longer holidays in 2021/22? They don’t have annual leave like most people. They have their holidays at fixed times so how’s that supposed to work?

Peoplepleaser,

If teachers take their holidays now, who will look after the Key worker's children? Does that mean we can stop reworking all of our planners to suit the situation and stop teaching remotely then? Take some time to lie in the garden? Not have to communicate with parents over the phone/via email about progress etc?

You seem to be clued in and have it all planned out. I mean, teaching is just all about turning up isn't it?

I'm not sure about teaching but in the real world

And there was me thinking I taught in the real world! Where have I been working all these decades?!

I've given up my holiday to help staff a holiday hub for children off keyworkers. It's been my hardest challenge. Many of our normal plans cannot happen due to distancing. Even playing games needs replanning.

If it was August, Scotland return in August anyway but as term time staff, a lot would not want to work time that they should be off. My wages are 39 weeks. I won't work for free in the summer holidays. Just now is a necessity to enable keyworkers to work.

A lot of my friends are setting things on online journals as well as having to complete courses etc to justify their pay. School staff are currently off due to the holidays. They don't have to do any work just now. But come the end of the holidays, they will be expected to be online again doing what they have been instructed to do.

We're in a situation that none of us know when it will end or what will happen. Only the governments can fully decide what will happen but I cannot see how they would get round the finding 6 weeks extra pay.

Baffled by everyone who seems to think that pupils and teachers alike have been doing bugger all since the schools closed for virtually all pupils. DS1 is in Y9 at a special school; DS2 is in Y7 in mainstream. Both schools are being absolutely brilliant and my boys had full lessons every day up to the start of the Easter holidays. They were completely exhausted by the time the Easter break started and I dare say the teachers were as well. It’s incredibly hard work doing it all at home rather than in the classroom.

pre booked holidays should be honoured.

For staff too!

However I can't see it happening.it would cause too many issues.

Schools are open. Teaching staff are working, including through the Easter holiday. They are either in work providing childcare or, like many other employees, working from home. They should still be allowed their holidays - many of which they actually aren't paid for!

Not just teachers either. Most TAs are on 39- 42 week contracts . They're already giving unpaid time in lots of cases during this time.

Schools can't open until social distancing is relaxed. With 2m spacing we can fit up to 8 children in a classroom, rather than 30/31.

The article is only the opinion of the Children Commissioner, they are not responsible for education - it wont happen