Summer holidays should be longer

[noblegiraffe]

Our kids have the shortest summer holidays in Europe, Italy have 13 weeks, even Ireland has 9.

They're under pressure so much at school they need more time to just be kids. Classrooms are so hot in the last few weeks of term that it's impossible to learn effectively anyway.

I think we should add at least an extra two weeks to the summer holidays, so break up near the start of July. This would bring us more into line with private schools too.

And with longer holidays it might help recruit and retain teachers, and reduce competition for summer annual leave slots for working parents. It could even reduce the cost of holidays as 'peak season' would be longer.

Given that quadratic equations are part of the higher tier maths GCSE paper - which is usually sat in mid June… learning how to do it on hot weather seems sensible!

Council run subsidies childcare is only available to parents in receipt of Universal Credit and only run between 10:00 - 15:00.

People are generally paid monthly, so £250 per child a week for a holiday club would be £1000 for the month per child. If you have three children that would be £3000 a month in childcare. More than the average salary before tax, NI and Pension contributions!

If parents are working and using wrap around care, this fee for holiday clubs is entirely additional to the fees they usually pay!

Wrap around care costs less than £100 per week per child or £400 per month.

That’s an additional £600 per child each month of holidays.

Ah, maybe I shouldn't bother teaching at all during cold weather then as it won't replicate exam conditions!

There are arguments for not having exams when it is really hot and hay-fevery too.

My son doesn't go to primary anymore but no there are no other after school clubs aside from the drama club. The school had said they don't have the demand to justify the cost. My son who is now in year 7 is going to the local holiday club twice a week which is £15 for 3 hours!!

3 hours for a holiday club isn’t sufficient for parents that work full time - so it would need to be 9 hours a day - so a minimum cost of £45 per day on an hourly rate of £5 per hour.

As someone who works term-time, 6/7 weeks is long enough!

Learning and working in warm weather and having exams in hot weather with hay fever is just how it is!

I actually sat exams on every milestone birthday- 16, 18, 21 & 30 as May through to June is exam season for schools, sixth form and Universities! Unless you completely redesign all of the education system it’s unavoidable!

BTW - I don’t think it’s a good idea to extend school holidays!

If anything I think the summer holidays should be shortened and school holidays should be more equitably distributed over the school year and staggered by local authorities.

It balances. You can save the £3 per day you save from having half an hour less per day wrap around due to the longer school day. That gives you £15 per week, then keep saving and it reaches £150 per term. Then by the time you have the 2 extra weeks of holiday in the summer, you have £450 per child saved up. All from paying £3 less wrap-around every school day.

I don't really care which your school chooses to do. I prefer one way - and luckily my school does that. Different people will prefer different solutions.

But half an hour a day less paid wrap-around does balance the extra 2 weeks of holiday camp. Exactly as the extra half-hour per day of teaching balances the extra 2 weeks of holiday.

Perhaps they ought to redesign it. Sitting the most important exams in the height of summer seems pretty stupid to me.

I don't think it's that unusual. My daughters state school offers paid wrap around care 7.45 -6pm, as do all schools around us. 85% of the costs of this can be claimed back by those on UC. We get about 25% discount by paying via childcare vouchers.

I actually believe all children should experience a holiday. I live in an area where many people have not been on holiday, ever. They pay taxes too.

Many children have the opportunity for a holiday with school, others go with guides / scouts.

In Finland we have subsidised summer camps for children who wouldn't be able to afford to go otherwise, and subsidised family holidays for families who wouldn't be able to afford a holiday, or for families with certain struggles (health issues, social issues). There's even subsidised holidays for low-income adults though those include lectures and group discussions and fitness tests so probably aimed at getting those people into a better condition to work. Oo and there's ones for the elderly, which must be really great for those that are more isolated usually. These are all run by private organisations though, not the government (though they probably get some grants from the government, as many organisations doing social good do)

Yes this! Last few weeks of term are unbearable hot!

We don’t need more school holidays but I do have a proposal

30 hours a week equals full time working 🙌🏻 3 day weekends all all! I’m tired too.

I've worked term-time my whole career, partner is a teacher, and we have a 5 year old. It's only now I have mum friends that I see the reality of having to source childcare when you have a non-school job.
I really dont know how people do it! Especially without family helping out. The expense and the juggle of it all really seems like a nightmare. We feel so lucky to always have the time together.
So no, I don't think adding more time is the solution. Actually, if we kept the whole 13 weeks off, I think it should be better spread out. Add an extra week to October half term and an extra week in May/June, and shorten the summer to 4 weeks.
That doesn't help non-education job professionals though. Agree with other PPs that the system needs an overhaul there, as it feels like working parents are always losing out or penalised!

Really? You mean our unpaid holidays? You mean the unpaid holidays where I will still end up working through most of it so we're ready to have a successful start in September? After regularly working 60-70 hours a week during term time?

Frustrating isn't it when people assume teachers are just putting their feet up during their unpaid holidays!

Of course not the county lines gangs would have a field day, and imagine how addicted to phones and gaming the kids would become as parents have to work.

So many parents stating that they can't wait for their kids to be out of their hair, and back at school again. The thought of longer holidays appals so many of you. I always wonder why so many people have kids they so obviously don't want to be around. I can understand the problem when it's work related, but not otherwise. "But they get bored!". So entertain them! Do things with them! I'm old and my children are now adults with children of their own, but when they were small I would stand at the school gates listening to the other mothers exclaiming how terrible it was that they were about to break up for a holiday or how wonderful it was that they were back in school now, (usually, said right in front of said children!). Meanwhile I was grieving that lost time with them. I hated that they had to go to school. Luckily, due to my husband's job, we had to make the decision to home educate them and so we did. And it was the best time. Unless it's due to 'necessary' work commitments, enjoy your children! You chose to have them!

Everything costs though. We didn’t have much money while I was growing up so after our UK holiday that was pretty much it. No money for cinema/theme parks - there weren’t holiday clubs and such back then and again, they cost. DF back at work so no car (only had 1).

Today has just opened up with a massive downpour (not unusual in this area) so no parks/playing in garden.

I agree op,the school system is draconian,the autumn term is nearly 8 weeks long!

“Necessary work commitments”. You mean like having to work?

So you home educated for your selfish reasons rather than seeing if school was good for them? Some children struggle with holidays as they thrive with the routine.

Selfish? There is nothing more boring than school.

Yeah but at least let the children figure that out for themselves first if they feel that way about school.