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?

No.

They are only doing this to distract us all and make us stressed IMO.

Why don't they actually do something to help - like fix a few leaky buildings? Answer: because they don't give a shit.

Fuck off Williamson.

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

This would make sense. Also usually our good weather is in May and June when kids have exams. By the time the summer holidays start, the weather is open turning.

So I would be happy with staggering it like this. Mine are always bored and feral by September and desperate to return to school.

No. I look forward to Gavin realising it would mean re negotiating all teachers contracts and funding for school staff. Where is the money coming from ? Idiot.

Plus teachers who mark exams over the summer are likely to not want to do it in a reduced holiday.

I want to be able to vote-has it been turned off?

No, I don’t want longer school days-my kids already leave the house and come home again when it’s dark for months of the year. If parents were trying to battle workplaces for the same 4 weeks annual leave off every summer, we’d never get a holiday together!

Will we get fined £60 per parent per child per day if we book a holiday in August during the new ‘term term’ as that’s the only way we can actually get a holiday together?

Will Eton be cutting their holidays to 4 weeks in the summer? What about MPs?

oh and I used to work in my classroom until about 5, marking books, putting up displays, preparing stuff, so it would be a real pain to be kicked out for after school club

I’d like shorter summer holidays for sure.

U.K. school summer holidays are some of the shortest in Europe, this nonsense about how long holidays are bad for learning aren’t borne out by the fact that European children do very well in international education league tables. Is it just U.K. children who forget stuff when they’re not in school?

I can’t see it happening

Would there be the staff to make it happen?

I don’t really mind either way

No and no. Children need their breaks away from school. Increasing hours would likely be counterproductive as ch tend to be at their best and most focussed for learning in the mornings, by afternoons they are getting tired and productivity decreases (well primary anyway). This would just become extra funded childcare, not worthwhile education IMo.

This thread is quite refreshing. I was expecting to come and read a lot of teacher bashing

No I don't. My daughter is exhausted already after a day of masking at school. We like our summers to relax and go places (pre-covid) etc.

I absolutely would not like this, as adults I think it's up to us to adjust the curriculum to enable them to catch up and thrive without putting extra pressure on them with longer days and shorter holidays.

@Hollyhead

Longer school day definitely although not all taught - I would take PE out of the school teaching day and have PE for all children 3.30-4.30pm most days a week. Doesn’t all have to be delivered by a qualified teacher - just responsible adults who can get them running around and moving.

I’m a teacher and love this idea. My children go to wraparound care each day, they would prefer a physical exercise club.

Let's take my teenager's typical school day... Leave for school 8am, walk 45 minutes to arrive for 8:45. School ends 3:45 having had only 2 breaks (20 minutes and 30 minutes). Home around 4:30. Then at some point have to fit in an hour or more of homework. How on earth do you make the school day longer? You would have to ditch homework. Homework club runs most days after school for those who want to do that as it is. It's tiring enough. They do not need a longer day.

No, because there are so many DC with families abroad and also teachers - they need the holidays to maintain the relationships (especially at the moment when no-one's been able to get together for ages). This doesn't apply to me personally but every other student and colleague's in this position (London). Next thing would be a request to teach on Teams to DC in Brazil or wherever!

U.K. not sure extra learning hours will deliver a return.

Maybe outside PE could be good.

But I really don’t think it will be paid for so I’m not sure why these ideas are being floated other than the usual slow news day.

I’m not U.K.

My DC have consistently gone back to school in September knowing a lot less than they did before the summer holidays, which is frustrating as the assessments about sets/targets etc seem to get made in September, when my DC have forgotten most of what they know. DC tend to be OK again before Christmas but it is hard to get moved up because that invariably means someone else moving down. This leads to daft situations where one DC has a world-beating progress score. I know I could do home learning over the summer, but I work and they are often in holiday camp etc.

So I would like the summer holidays to be less than the current 6-7 weeks, maybe more like 3-4 weeks (not 1-2 weeks!).

I'm sure that all the future musicians, athletes, gymnasts, dancers, etc or any other children/teenagers who have a passion for an area that requires intensive out of school practice and a time commitment, would see this as the final nail in their career's coffin.

I would quit teaching and go back to my old career if this was to happen.

1. I already work 60 hours a week..There is no time to plan, teach and mark additional lessons. I don't think people realise how long it takes to plan a lesson, get the resources and mark each book!
2. Many children don't take anything in after lunch. That is why we teach English and maths in the morning. So it would be pointless.

I love teaching! Which is why I gladly do a 60 hr week. But I won't put myself out if I don't think it will actually benefit the children.

Having done homeschooling. I am not convinced my child learns anything in an afternoon never mind a longer day.

He has also worked through the pandemic so not all children need to catch up

@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.

Does this mean that you don't currently see teaching as a full time job??? My God, try it and see. We don't go home at 3.15 you know. We don't rock up at 8.45 and just ... teach. Lessons don't just appear by themselves. Did you mean to be this offensive or have I misunderstood you?

@Hollyhead

Longer school day definitely although not all taught - I would take PE out of the school teaching day and have PE for all children 3.30-4.30pm most days a week. Doesn’t all have to be delivered by a qualified teacher - just responsible adults who can get them running around and moving.

Exactly this! It would be so good for kids to have PE every day and a good end to their day.

I have voting turned off but no, I don't.

What is really needed is smaller class sizes, the U.K. tops the European league for number of pupils in classes. Smaller class sizes would be better for both children and teachers. This is where money and effort should go, not faffing around with holidays.