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.

But Italy is the extreme, and I didn’t say that we should have 13 weeks in my OP but 8. A modest increase that would remove us from the bottom of the table (where we also are on child mental health and engagement with school).

There should be hoilday camps across the UK in every region accessible to all kids and parents. Currently in my region if you get FSM you can get free hoilday clubs but if your childs disabled they refuse to take them. I also think it should be free to every child not just those on FSM.
The hoilday club system needs looking into properly.

Saying that teachers enjoy the 6 week break (which I very much do, 🍹 😎 ) isn’t the same as ‘the holidays are for the teachers’. They’re for the kids.

Long summer holidays are essential in my view for rest, holidays as a family, just time together. I am not in favour of adding more weeks to the other depressing weather half-terms of the year!

Summer holidays should be shorter so kids forget less

other holidays should be longer so they don’t get so exhausted / October should be 2 weeks and I think a late ( August) and early summer ( may ) holidays of 2 or 3 weeks

easter should be bank holidays only so that term lengths can be more consistent / avoid very long tiring terms

holiday dates should be more staggered around the country so as to reduce the pressure on holiday bookings - Scotland benefits from cheaper holidays at the start of their summer break because England is later

edit - longer holidays won’t mean most kids spend more time with family.

be interesting to rub this thread at the last week of the school holidays

I think it is already hard for families where both parents work to cover the summer - and this is most families now. I am in my mid 50s and When I was a child my Mum didn’t work - and neither did any of my friends’ mums - but I have always worked and the summer was a huge juggle when mine were young. Holiday clubs are costly.
People are also retiring later and so
less available to help with childcare. Two extra weeks would be a massive struggle for most.
Local authorities also have to make arrangements which include provision of food for those in greatest need in the summer holiday - hard to see how they can afford extra weeks of that sadly.

What fab about being stuck at home because the weather is crap and many places like amusement parks are closed (because they can't run rides in crappy weather)?
I remember from ages 9 upwards being given homework or projects to do over the half terms to "stop us getting bored". I remember thinking if they don't want us to be bored we may as well be in school.

Not with the cost of trying to sort childcare to cover it!
We are 1K already for 4 weeks over the summer for 1 child and both DH and I have flexible jobs.

Scotland holidays are different but it doesn't make a difference to the price of holidays unless you drive to England to fly. We have found that on average its £1500 cheaper for a family of 4 to a 3/4* hotel in Greece/Turkey etc if scottish holidays but not English ones for the same holiday, hotel and week. That's why I don't swallow holiday companies line of of its not us!

Scottish summer holidays are between 6-7 bur they don't get May half term or February half term in my area (they get 1-3 days depending) but get 2 weeks in Oct.

There’s no issue with taking holidays during term time at many private schools, so I doubt it would affect them much anyway.

I didn't need to see your update to know you're a teacher..

I love my teacher friends but they really have no idea how hard the school holidays can be for families who don't have someone off for them.

We are fortunate that we can afford childcare and there is plenty of it in our area but that's very much not the case for everyone

Send them to private school? The PS hols are insane, my DD has 7 weeks over summer, which I think is insane.

Ok Norway and the Netherlands then, just up from us in your graph.

They both have 2 weeks more over the summer but only one week at Easter, and no half term in summer (they do have week long breaks in October and Feb). So works out the same.

A graph of just summer holiday lengths doesn’t give the information you need.

Living rurally, there is not much to do for kids if the weather Is rubbish. We don't have all these summer camps, activity clubs etc you get in larger places. Def think they should stagger the holidays in different areas though. So more people can afford a holiday.

Given that school holidays exist, and for good reason, perhaps we should improve children’s services so that children are safe and fed when they aren’t in school rather than making this the responsibility of schools and then worrying about these kids over the holidays.

It's the wrong way round that kids' time is better spent at school than with families or that schools teach them how to behave well and parents don't.

The default should be home life, and needing to go to school at times (190 days) for education. For too many, the impression is that school is the default and time off is a hassle to contend with their kids.

The mental health of our kids can not be attributed just to the holidays though !

Exams / testing , square pegs in round holes has far more influence !

20 days annual leave plus bank holidays is all Irish get- Some companies might offer more say like 25 days. Its 8 weeks for primary school and 12 weeks for secondary school ( age 12 upwards). My sister ahs done a spreadsheet to cover the two months. Combination of paid childcare, she working a compressed week, both parents taking annual leave ( separately) and camps. Don't get her started on the camps only operation 10am to 2pm. The kids are also coming up to me for a few days. Only week three at mo and she counting down the days till the go back

Well considering since Brexit farmers can't get seasonal workers to pick the harvest - perhaps we should get the kids helping out again. Some would prefer that to school 😁

God no! I’m a full time working single mother and I struggle over the summer. I’m self employed so don’t earn if I don’t work and have to fork out for holiday clubs every week so I can continue earning!

That's because you are not a teacher. We could have 10 weeks with two weeks designated as prep time for teachers (beginning and end of hols). That would fit with most of the rest of Europe and also extend holiday times thus reducing holiday prices.

💡 people are always complaining about lack of work experience opportunities!

I DISAGREE!!! I grew up in one of those countries. We had 12 weeks of summer holidays, it was long and it got boring pretty quickly. I couldn’t wait to go back to school every summer holiday and see my classmates.

20 days average here although decent companies 25 days. Ours is in fact 10 weeks (depending on the school). Have to muddle through with a mix of camps/annual leave/grandparents until kids old enough to stay by themselves...14 +

I was reading the other day that mothers in Italy were protesting about the long holidays as they can't cope.

Interesting that you have specified mothers. Perhaps that is part of the problem.