Do you WANT longer school days and shorter school holidays?

[shadowlily]

YABU- yes I want schools to have longer school days and shorter holidays

YANBU- no I'd rather keep the hours/terms we have.

I keep seeing this is being discussed in the media today, do you think it's likely to happen? Personally I think kids would benefit more from the summer holiday and being able to catch up on the activities they've missed and socialisation with friends. They've been home schooled to keep up with the curriculum (for the most part! I know this might be a contentious statement for some!) but nothing has replaced the play dates, day trips, parties etc. they have missed.

What do you think?

June is the best time of the year

Unless the whole timetable of external exams is changed and GCSEs/A levels moved, England’s summer holidays are not going to be moved to June.

I can sort of see the reasoning behind a slightly shorter summer break, but I don't see much benefit to longer days. Unless perhaps it was just a very small increase AND no homework, so still allowing time for after school activities, sports, time to just chill! We also need to be aware of those with long journeys home, getting home safely in winter etc.

But the summer is not usually that hot in August

That’s not really true in the south east of England where I am. I know it can be starting to cool down a bit in Scotland /NI. June is lovely I agree with the long days but it’s exam time.

No. I homeschooled mine throughout and I’m a teacher myself so they had a fairly decent home education experience. They don’t need to catch up imo, they’re doing fine.

The curriculum itself needs changing. It's not fit for purpose. Rather that than keeping kids longer to match its expectations.

@Findahouse21

I think they should start again with the school arrangements. 6 terms of equal length, seperated by 1-2 weeks of holiday. Work out what teachers are paid now and then change it to reflect that it's a full time job.

Good grief no.

@DdraigGoch

* But the summer is not usually that hot in August. June is the best time of the year.*

I take it you don’t live in SE?

We generally have a pretty cracking summer, interjected with the odd rain today, sometimes as early as late April and sometimes through to early October.
It’s bloody lovely

Nope, keep the usual holidays and hopefully most kids will eventually catch up.
You have to consider the teachers they've been working throughout the pandemic, I know it was stressful for a lot of kids, but the teachers had to plan a lot to try and make sure all their students were able to do virtual learning. The teachers need a break, they have a life outside of school too.

No I bloody don't! My son often isn't home until gone 6 as it is and that's finishing at 3.05. we don't all live in big cities. Then he has homework every single night. He wouldn't cope and his work would end up suffering anyway so would be counter productive. Plus the buses go to every hour and he has to get two home so he may as well ask if he can sleep at school and maybe just come home for Christmas

@steppemum

the whole shape of 6 terms and 1-2 week holidays doesn't factor in that 1-2 weeks in Feb is crap compared to 1-2 weeks in July.

Nor does it factor in that the whole country will then be trying to go on holiday in the 1-2 weeks in July/August as weather is good, and they can't afford to fly long haul in October.

or the fact that most teachers spend first few days of eveyr holiday sorting out etc the stuff from the last term, and the last few days of every holiday preparing for the next.

If we were to change the system, we could go for what The Netherlands does, which is to stagger school holidays, so the North Province has holidays from mid June-mid August and the most Southern has a holiday from mid July to mid sept. They rotate so they take turns in when the holidays are.

First and Last few days??? As a teacher I give myself 2 weeks off in the summer and spent the rest of the weeks preparing! 2 days off over Xmas and Easter, rest of hol preparing.

As a mother and a paediatric Occupational Therapist I absolutely would not want this. This would be damaging for children. Such a shit idea.

Less holidays, equal term time between breaks, most children are bored at home especially during summer holiday, so yes i agree.

We have 4 schools in our area 3 primary 1 secondary so if they was to lengthen the days and cut the holidays they would all have to have the same holidays so that families still get quality time together as non of the schools in my area have the same holidays and as I have a child in primary and 1 in secondary it's not good

Absolutely not. The past year has had them tied to their computers every single day to keep up with their core curriculum subjects. I look forward to to the long summer break where we can all relax but use summer clubs if we need to work. In other countries those summer clubs are free for parents.... I could get behind optional organised time with their friends like that, but not school as usual

Yes for a year . Wouldn't want it forever but I do worry about the time they have missed in education.

The kuds haven't exactly been having a break during lockdown. They've struggled with online learning. My DD in particular has struggled to learn in this strange way and this is her GCSE year. She is having to work really hard for the next few months to catch up. She will be relieved to have a break before starting college next year (and if that means doing maths and English alongside her chosen course, so be it).

DS hasn't minded too much, but he has missed his social life!

Most definitely not longer days! My kids were educated in France. They started at 8 in the morning and finished at 6 in the evening( French bac with English option) They were up every morning at 6a.m to get the bus and never got back before 7 p.m. Time to eat, shower and do homework meant bed at midnight. Yes longer holidays were great, but they needed them. The school year was exhausting.

most children are bored at home especially during summer holiday, so yes i agree. being bored is part of WHY summer holidays need to be long. How are children going to learn any self reliance if they are spoon fed experiences from morning to night.

Hell no!!

My child is in year 10 and the stress of missed lessons, not being able to keep up with online work is taking its toll. Any extra is too much for them to take on. It's not yet clear how GCSE's will be graded for 2022 but they need to be made easier.

YANBU
I have worked SO hard to home-school my kids. They covered more than they do at school and they need a holiday every bit as much as the teachers.
It was pretty tough teaching 2 kids in different school years during the day and doing my entire day's work in the evening and into the night. It would be gutting to find they had to spend more time at school to catch up what they haven't lost, after all that.

We have some of the shortest school holidays in the world as it is.
They do not need to be any shorter.

Nope. I'm a teacher and I'd be interested to know where the extra funding would come from.

No, mine have a 40min bus ride each way on top if the school day and can barely manage dinner a d homework before a sensible bedtime as it is. I love the long summer holidays as a parent and did as a child too.

Yes, the last year has messed up schooling for a couple of year groups but I dont think we need to change everything.

@findahouse21 teaching is already a full time job 🙄.