Move school terms to allow spring/autumn holidays?

[MrsRobinsonsHandprints]

Sky news have just had a report about the fires in Greece where two commentators, who were in the travel industry, argued that British school holidays need to be changed/broken up so that people could holiday in the spring and autumn when the climate was more temperate, and that travel in the summer months should be scaled back. They touched on the fact that school summer holidays were set due to farming and that Greece needed tourism.

Interested on your thoughts on this exact issue, changing holiday dates.

Whilst there are no thread police this is a forum to talk about ideas/flights of fancy. Yes we all know that some people think holidays are the devil, that think berating people is the answer to climate change, but actually talking about other things is also OK, so please froth elsewhere.

I don't think school holidays should change purely to allow people to holiday at other times. I do think they should change though.

I'd make summer 4 weeks, and October and May 2 weeks.

I think there are many people who can't, won't or don't travel abroad for the summer holidays and so appreciate the time off during the summer time in the UK.

Before or after the current usual half term sate?

We have a 2 week holiday in the spring (Easter), a week in late Spring (May half term) and a holiday in early autumn ( 1 week - or sometimes 2 depending on where you live - October half term). That’s 4 (or 5) weeks available already if people want to holiday in places like Greece.
We don’t really need to change anything.

I don't want my summer holidays to be a more temporate climate. I love the sun.I love 30c weather hence I go to the Med in the summer.

Have you been to soft play on a rainy autumn day in a school holiday?
Thousand mile stare...

Do you think many of them would prefer a shorter break in the summer anyway? What with childcare issues/costs.

have you thought about the huge overhaul that the education / exam system would have to undergo to incorporate this..uni entrance, timing of courses, mocks, course content. Not really what we need right now and somewhat more important than the "right" to catch some rays or prop up the tourism industry. I'm not saying the general principle is bad, but the practical implications of it are enormous.

There are at least 2 weeks at Easter, one week end of May and one or two weeks in October already. Plenty of time to go on holiday! Controversial but perhaps people jetting off on holiday is not helping with climate change and we shouldn’t be encouraged 🤷‍♀️

I wouldn’t want 2 weeks in October. The weather in the UK is turning cold at that time of the year. Tourist attractions will have shut for the season.

No, thankfully.

Maybe I should note that I have no skin in this game. I was just interested by the debate.

I do think that breaking up holidays throughout the year would make more sense in many ways. As it is, we're thinking about changing the way we holiday and do a longer holiday in April, partly due to cost, partly due to climate. But the cost advantage would soon disappear if everyone did that.

There has been talk of changing school terms for ages. Perhaps less time in the summer and more at half terms would be a suggestion. Sometimes, the autumn or summer half terms are very long and an extra break would help.

This would be ideal!

Appreciate that. But should we still be dictated by a system that was designed in the 1800's?

We've already got two weeks in October where I am. Last summer holidays was four weeks and two days. I haven't calculated this one but we don't break up until tomorrow.

Having two weeks off in May would be a disaster for GCSE and A level students who can't or won't work on their own.

As for climate change. I don't have kids so I've done by bit more than anyone else.
So yes il be flying away on as many holidays as I want thanks.

In terms of both the med and UK, it'd be better to have the long holiday start like the US does, in late May or June, and go back in the August rain. Split the year into two, not three, and keep Easter as a double- long weekend.

I think a four term year would be better. Children forget so much over the six and a bit week summer holiday.

I am aware that Scotland has a different system and I think some areas in the midlands do too.

October is often quite nice, I think.

Most attractions remain open until the end of October half term in my experience? Halloween events and all that.

I think the practical reality of changing it is huge and shouldn't be shrugged off, regardless of when or why it originated.

No I don't think that, I don't see how it would make much difference in that respect and I think the children need and benefit from the longer break.

Schools are boiling in summer so no I don’t think it would be good for the kids to be in school for more of it. Also as pointed out those who don’t/can’t go abroad would rather time off when the weather is a bit better. It’s also more cost effective to have 30 kids in a heated classroom than 30 kids in individual heated homes (or freezing without heating)

If we we’re going to have an extra week anywhere I would prefer it at Christmas. Last Christmas some schools didn’t finish the term until the 23rd December so families couldn’t do many of the Pre-christmas events and activities that exist. Then you have actual Christmas and New Year which for many families is full on and just as you are starting to relax and have a rest and a break the schools go back on like 3rd January when Christmas actually doesn’t finish until 6th January (12 days of christmas remember).

My eldest goes to a school with 2 weeks off most holidays and just 4 weeks in the summer, it's our first summer doing this, I'm worried it's not going to feel like a proper break, 4 weeks seems much shorter some how, not as much time to get bored! We are very much looking forward to cheaper holidays in spring and autumn when others are on holiday though!