Summer holidays - outdated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 🤷🏼‍♀️

By the way I’m not expecting paid leave but it’s not possible and certainly not normalised to take unpaid leave to cover school holidays. Hopefully now remote and flexible working has become normalised for many we can also improve the school holiday situation for working parents.

Your comment re "wouldn't it be nice if we all got to enjoy our holidays" was implying only teachers get to enjoy holidays....

i thought the OP meant the summer holidays, very few people can take 4-5 wks in one go.

No my comment wasn't implying that at all my comment purely was... wouldn't it be nice if we all enjoy our holidays! So please don't twist things 👍🏼

Also I know how many days holiday I get is correct based on what I work as I've worked for the company for over ten years but if I need any further advice on that matter I'll get back to you!

Agree with the PP who said rather than looking at this as a "schools should be open longer" why aren't we challenging working hours and expectations? Technology has come on leaps and bounds in recent years thereby making majority of working industries easier and more efficient yet instead of employees reaping the benefits of that we are expected to work harder and longer... Work - Life balance is shite and throwing kids into more schooling so we can work more shouldn't really be the answer. We all deserve the break!

@C8H10N4O2 my employer wouldn't allow me to adapt my salary to have 6 weeks unpaid holiday over the summer and still have a monthly wage unfortunately! If they would then that's be great because I'd love to have the summer off!

Just to add, it’s also crap for kids - the king holidays and being sent off to various clubs where they don’t have their friends and familiar surrounds. Just finger through the weeks. I would be hugely in favour of reducing summer term to one month and keeping everything else the same and allowing more time in the school days for sports etc. Surely it’s better for kids too, not having the long gap over the summer. And hugely beneficial for kids on pupil premium.

*long holidays

Oh my god

*Just to get through the weeks

I don't see why you can't enjoy your holidays?

Re your holidays, you really should be getting 5 week ish equivalent. 3 weeks is too low unless you're miscounting and saying 5 days is a week when you work say 3 days a week normally.

As I said, petition for subsidised holiday childcare, not shorter school holidays.

We have flexible working at my place and I wfh one day a week. I don't work in a job where I could watch my children whilst working unfortunately and many don't. Imagine speaking to your bank or your home insurance or your solicitor whilst they are working but watching their kids. It's impossible!
The only other option would be for me to work during the night whilst they are asleep which would be very unhealthy.

Like I said this isn't really an issue for me this year, but remote work isn't the answer for everyone.

**couldn't watch my children

The only other option would be for me to work during the night whilst they are asleep which would be very unhealthy.

Literally what I do during term time 😂.

We need longer statutory vacation and shorter school summer holidays.
the mismatch at the moment is huge.

14 weeks (state school)
versus average of 5 weeks vacation

A nine Week shortfall which is a bloody nightmare to cover

Jalepenojello · Today 22:56
MrsSkylerWhite · Today 22:36
Sorry, completely disagree. Summer holidays were precious and valuable to our family.

we only know one teacher but she really, really needs that recharge, too.”

Curious, how precious and valuable were they if working full time with restricted AL?”

very fair point. I didn’t work but dad did, mad hours, hundreds of miles away so the kids hardly saw him during term time. So, Summer holidays were precious because he took all but one week of his annual leave then and we were all together for a month. Add in the other two weeks visiting respective grandparents and they were special.

Yes but it's paid pro rata therefore they're only getting paid for the days they work just like everyone else.

Agree that the summer holidays are a precious and special time of the year. In fact I’m annoyed they seem to be getting shorter but that’s probably my age. I think the pupils really need a long break from the daily grind, the children have many enough years ahead of them for that.

Confused why you replied to me comment as I haven't once mentioned remote working? My comment on technology was not in relation to working remotely, I mean work is being done more efficiently because of technology.... For example stock takes on computers, that used to be manual. Industries are working more efficiently than ever and instead of giving employees breaks because of that, they just increase targets and want people to work more. Work - Life balance is appalling and needs looking at, to benefit all members of the family!

I also don’t understand why people are proposong to petition for childcare but not school.
Why?
It would be much better for kids to be in school. For a few more weeks a year.

But who looks after them?
The lazy hazy long summer days are a thing of the past when parents have to work and children need to be sent somewhere. It’s just outdated now.

That was in response to onemorerose but Quote didn’t work

The problem isn’t that school staff get too long on holiday, it’s that no one else gets the same. I work in a school and love getting the holidays. I’d love it if everyone else got the sa,e holiday entitlement too. That would be even better.

Ahem, do you mean the time that they do not get paid for?

Would you like to work an extra six weeks a year without being paid for it?

A few posters saying the holidays won't be cut because teachers don't want to lose their holidays. Pay me my full rate for the days you want me to work and i'll think about it! I already do exam Easter holiday lessons for free, while paying for my own kids daycare.
Aside from that, there was a thread about a teacher (and a pupil) getting punched, where some of the posters thought that even pregnant teachers should be stepping into fights.
Please tell me who wants to work during their holidays and have their unborn child beaten into the deal?
Honest days work for an honest days pay?

I agree with the poster who said this is topsy turvy..

I see very little concern about what's best for the actual child in these post's just what's" convenient" for the busy working parents.

I can't believe anyone would think a child should have less time to relax at homes.

What kind of societydo we want? We need more human flexible employers. Not flexible all round school!!

Yep we get the same six week holiday entitlement as everyone else but our pay is spread thinner to accommodate the longer school holidays.