To think 4 weeks summer is ok

[comeonlabour]

So as the title suggests, if the plans do go ahead to make summer hols 4 weeks I for one am not against it. I always think 6 weeks is way too long so 4 is more manageable

Also we will have longer half terms of 2 weeks in some cases instead of 1 so all good

Anyone else feel the same/agree with me

I think the real motivation is saving 2 weeks heating costs

I agree. Six weeks is an age to have off. When I was a kid we just spent the summer with a babysitter watching videos while my parents worked. It's too much time for parents to cover with annual leave.

This argument is trotted out every single year. Believe it when you see it. I don't care, youngest is in year 9.

Also the "we should do away with clock changing" thing, ironically you could set your clock by it.

Most parents do not read to their kids throughout the summer hols regardless of background unless it's a bedtime story which should happen anyway.
Summer holidays are for fun and relaxing.

Does one exclude the other? We spent a fair amount of time over the last summer inside and reading as a family - we all had different books, but we all sat on the sofa reading a number of times.

Many children don't need reading to after Y3 or so, once they are fully versed in phonics and basic comprehension; it's then just a matter of finding the right kind of books.

Instilling a love of reading is mostly down to parents, though, as is making time to visit libraries or spending the money to buy the books. I guess being stuck inside more often due to miserable weather in February and October could create more opportunities for that, at least.

Definitely not. Our holidays already fly by and I'd rather have the time off when we have more daylight (Scotland so can't actually assume just because it's July that the weather will be nice 😅). I work in a school and staff and kids all need the break

I teach and I love the 6 weeks. I can see a situation where all schools will be having different holidays so my own kids will be off at different times to me which would kill off the main benefit of teaching for me and be a logistical nightmare.

Some people find reading fun and relaxing!

Please no!

I think school summer holidays should be longer so definitely wouldn’t like to see them only be 4 weeks.

That includes 8 bank holidays (in England/Wales) so the actual time you have to take as leave of your choice is lower.

So sad. Children are just being squeezed through the education exam machine😞

I get some like the routine and some need the childcare but honestly we have record numbers of students with mental health issues.

The government don’t seem to care very much about school costs-that much is clear.

It will interesting to read the Nuffield report to see the reasons behind the research.

This will just push the cost of heating (plus entertainment costs in the rain) for those two weeks onto parents.

I get some like the routine and some need the childcare

Thought this might make things much worse. Having two weeks off in February and October is going to make it much harder for parents to source childcare than with a 6 week block. The summer clubs are often predominantly staffed by university students who have the summer off.

But you would still need the same amount of childcare but it would be in February and October so mostly outdoor summer sports camps which tend to be staffed partly by uni students wouldn’t be available. So there would be less childcare available and it would be more expensive.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1CAzwewVjZ0&pp=ygUdbG9uZyBob3Qgc3VtbWVyIHN0eWxlIGNvdW5jaWw%3D

kids need six weeks

I don't agree with four weeks, keep six weeks but start the holidays at the end of June.

Just do everything Finland does with education. No exams, more holidays, no pressure, start formal schooling later, teachers teach what they want and get better educational outcomes.

But surely it would be better to implement something in the holidays for these children.

As an American, I’m used to about three months’ summer vacation, so the idea of cutting a six-week break to four weeks sounds borderline barbaric.

DS's independent school has just consulted on breaking up later before Christmas and adding the extra week to the summer so he would break up about the 7th July and have eight weeks off. He loves the idea.

So we seem to be going in the opposite direction.

Definitely 4. The system is based on a archaic time when often families had one parent at home, or siblings looked after each other or friends/relatives helped out. Now most kids are stuck in childcare anyway.

I do think something should be done about holiday prices tho. It's unfair to insist we can only go away at set times but then companies charge significantly more for those times.

Everyone trying to fit holidays and getting time off work into the same 4 weeks will be very difficult. Holidays other times of year are not as easy due to the weather not being as good

I wouldn’t want to shorten the holidays. I work full time, but never have an issue covering it. She loves the long holidays, I wouldn’t want it cut down.

Can you imagine the price hikes for summer holidays if they are condensed to 4 weeks? Which 4 weeks do you choose? August is always the crappest montyh weather wise. No thanks to shortening the holidays from me!