Summer holidays - outdated

[Wednesdayafternoon]

So I was just scrolling through Facebook and I saw some pictures after school club/breakfast club to my sons school put up and it just got me thinking how crazy it is that schools just completely shut down for like 6-7 weeks.
They have all these facilities during term time to support working families because there is obviously a need to for it, but in the holidays... ahh f*ck it!
Obviously o know there's summer schemes but at a massive expense and also different hours and locations.
My sons school isn't offering one so he's attending some random school for 3 days over the summer mainly just so he's socialising!
I'm extremely lucky as my mum is a great help to me during the holidays. And obviously I'm very much looking forward to spending more time with my boys and no school run... hurry!!!
But I just find it crazy that schools close for such a significant period of time.
Obviously I know school isn't childcare but it school itself enables parents to work so it kind of is 🤷🏼‍♀️

This and people ignore it. I wouldn’t expect them to know if they haven’t studied this field before. Harsh facts are:

England has some of the shortest school holidays in the world.

England has some of the highest stakes, pressurised systems of education in the world (which doesn’t result in good global rankings).

England has one of the highest rates of youth mental health conditions in the world.

Pushing our children to work even more for the sake of childcare or to make those lazy teachers work isn’t the answer. Children aren’t never ending vessels you can keep filling with information. They are people and never has children’s mental health services been so under pressure and broken. I guess that’s why teachers are teachers and others who comment aren’t. They’ve studied the impacts of cognitive overload etc at masters level. Maybe those that haven’t shouldn’t suggest to those that have, how to do their jobs.

@Slightlylostalongtheway - Because you get paid the hours you work, teachers get paid for 190 days per year 8.30 - 3.30

so that works out as what? Around £18- 20.- + / hour wages. Grated, not a top wage, but not too bad either if you compare it with other professions.

The roads are so much quieter when everyone is off in the Summer.

@Sarahcoggles

Because if you tell people that they go on and on about teachers being paid for all their holidays when it's not true.

Children definitely need a break from school and pressure.

Now and then people will mention the children who don't have great home life's but not every child has a blast in school. Some kids really dread school, bullying, SEN, or just struggle with the work.

My DH (teacher) doesn't get paid for school holidays other than the statutory minimum as per everyone else. He came to teaching later in life and that's what his contract stipulates. My late father didn't either, hence he had to have a holiday job. It might be different for private school teachers, I don't know.
My DH has 6 training days following end of term, plus other inset days and returns a week before the pupils for meetings and prep.

The cuts in education budgets mean a lot of schools rely on the income over the holidays from renting out space in the school to tide them over the next financial year. If you shortened holidays, you are asking them to lose income and pay more in wages. We can't even afford new exercise books for September, have no pens or glue sticks left and and I have about 5 pieces of paper left. We are usually fully stocked this year but because of covid, our budget has been blown on cover teachers. I don't think some parents realise what dire situation schools are in at the moment.

Not great no...when you consider the training (I have 10 gcses, 4 a levels, 1 BA (hons) and studying an Ma in psychology...my brother left school with 4 gcses and is on more than me as an assistant manager at Aldi. Maybe this attitude is why the kids don't see the value in education and the parents who see us as convenient childcare until they want to scream about something their kids can't do and say it's the teachers fault. Like the ones who can say 3 word sentences when they start nursery, or the ones who can't use a knife and fork, maybe sex ed. Teachers are in loco parentis, educators, social workers, counsellors and everything else but yeah we're lazy, should work more hours, be grateful for what we get and shut up

Yes awful attitude of some parents

Probably because most of those saying they are too long are not looking at it from a "what's best for the children and their health / education" angle but from a "why should I be inconvenienced" one instead.

190 days direct teaching time. Undirected time is unlimited. School residentials, plays, after school clubs, music performances, results day support, meetings, training, admin, parents evenings, marking, planning etc not included in 190 days,

I work in a school and whole heartedly agree 4 weeks is long enough and to take those extra 2 weeks over Xmas and Easter. And I say this knowing I'm lucky I am off in the 6 week holidays with my children and adore that time with them

More fool you / them. I value my one and only life and if my work want me to give them any more of it they can pay for it. That's what should be normal.

A-fucking-men. This country has a really bizarre attitude to work. Overtime shouldn’t be normal! Working through lunch shouldn’t be normal! Being grateful for scraps like the shit “perks” of free bruised fruit in the staff room and statutory holiday allowance shouldn’t be normal!

God no. For example years in primary and secondary pupils cannot afford to have an extra week at Easter. It will just be rolled into another revision camp. Working in a school - not as a teacher in a high stakes year you don’t.

@Thebestwaytoscareatory has a good point. Time management is key and saying no politely.

Many companies will take advantage and you have to learn this quickly other wise it becomes the "norm". There's occasions where it can't be helped but it should not be a regular thing

It worries me for the vulnerable children. The disadvantaged children. The neglected children.

This I agree with.

Generally though, I do think kids need a longer break once a year. Just to process and have a break from all the friendship nonsense, an emotional as well as the physical rest.

PS I’m a full time working parent so do know it’s a struggle

You're right, my daughter's school have cancelled their summer sports club because they couldn't staff it. She's having to use an expensive club in another local school. However it starts much later than her childrens' normal breakfast club and finishes at 3.30. The term time after-school club finishes at 5.45.
But even this is better than when my own children were at school when we had no breakfast or after-school clubs at all.
Our primary school did eventually set up a summer club but it only ran for two weeks. You had to have a pretty decent salary to be able to pay for proper childcare.

@Thebestwaytoscareatory when you opened this thread did you read my OP?
I have literally stayed MULTIPLE times o do not have an issue with childcare. So no I don't have the angle of what inconveniences me most.
I have listed why I think the school holiday schedule set up is outdated SEVERAL times on this thread and it is not to do with any inconvenience to me. I've emphasised a lot with those who struggle so to work, but no this is not about my own inconvenience.

I'm fine. But I know a lot who aren't.

Wouldn't it be amazing to have 6 weeks off school with your children. To get to enjoy them and make precious memories? I would absolutely LOVE that. But I'm reality I can't achieve that fully.
My OP was mainly a reflection on me feeling shocked that we still have this very historic set up of school holidays which doesn't really reflect modern lives. I also find it odd that there are school clubs ie breakfast and after school clubs which advertise their importance to children's learning and supporting work parents enough to get parents to sign up and pay for this service, yet in the holidays it's like all that importance and support they advertise is not necessary.

There are a few schools that run on this term schedule where I live, 6 weeks half term and then 2 weeks break us 4 weeks in summer.
I think people forget that in some countries schools are off for 3 months. Just imagine it!

@Supergirl1958 you're very welcome 👍🏼

@Eeksteek I take your points on board, but I think your view that longer terms will simply mean that everything gets 'spaced out' is very naive. Doubtless, the powers that be will find even more content to cram into an already packed curriculum, resulting in even greater stress, just spread out over a longer time period.

If I were to redesign the school day/year? I wouldn't even know where to start, but I would hazard a guess that a Scandinavian model would be a best bet.

You’ve equally been told many times that our system is outdated in the respect that it has some of the shortest holidays in the world, with poor academic progress in comparison to other western countries which have longer holidays. We also have some of the highest SEMH issues in the world. This has been academically researched in some depth.

Your refusal to even acknowledge this is a clear indication of exactly what your thread is about.

I also find it odd that there are school clubs ie breakfast and after school clubs which advertise their importance to children's learning and supporting work parents enough to get parents to sign up and pay for this service, yet in the holidays it's like all that importance and support they advertise is not necessary.

Our breakfast and after school club weren't set up to support children's learning or to help working parents. They were set up because there's a demand for them and we need the money. Our school is desperate to plug the gaps left by years of cuts so it makes sense to offer these clubs, and if we didn't offer them parents would find another option or even another school.