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Original poster

Extended School holidays leaked document (Scotland )

414 replies

Peppafrig · 27/11/2020 16:12

What’s everyone’s feelings on the leaked document suggesting school holidays could be extended till the 11th January ? I think it makes sense to keep them shut for the week. Allowing everyone to not mix again for two weeks after the Christmas bubbles end . Seems like it could save a further even longer lockdown later on in January.

OP posts:
Coasterfan · 27/11/2020 16:47

Ridiculous idea, children have missed enough education. All for the sake of one bloody day. If they are home that week they will just carry on mixing, no different to in school just with more education lost.

papaelf · 27/11/2020 16:47

Something needs to happen to mitigate for families mixing over Xmas.

Or maybe not mixing would be a better way forward. Covid is still going to exist. What part of mixing lots of people could be a good idea?

PaddyF0dder · 27/11/2020 16:48

@papaelf

It’s a comparatively small measure that might limit virus spread a bit.

I’m not naive. People mixing at Christmas is going to FUCK us. And I’m not looking forward to a prolonged Xmas break. I’ve got a bunch young kids. The spring lockdown was torture for us.

However, a few extra days off might prevent wider spread a few weeks later. Might prevent harder lockdown and greater harm.

papaelf · 27/11/2020 16:49

This one week missed at the beginning of term might save lots more weeks missed later, as bubbles burst all over the place, teachers become ill and students are onto their third or fourth lot of isolation.

I understand the point but it shouldn't be necessary in the first place.

Is a planned week better than lots of unplanned?

Maybe instead of a planned week off they should have had a better 'plan' to avoid people being exposed over Christmas. Like not giving the green light to mixing households.

Dissimilitude · 27/11/2020 16:52

I think a three and a half week Christmas break is pretty outrageous, especially after the abandonment of months of in-school teaching after the initial lockdown, piss-poor online learning provision by many schools, a week's late start to term, and (from what I hear), not much of an improvement in online learning facilities in the 6-odd-months they've had to prep them.

It's a system set up for teachers, not children.

BecomeStronger · 27/11/2020 16:52

Our head (England) is very much in favour of an early finish on 11 Dec, she feels it's her duty to give staff and students the best chance of a family Christmas. I'm struggling with it TBH, I think it's our duty to keep things going as much as possible, approx 30% of our students are isolating atm and will only just be back when we close, if we do finish early.

In theory it's not "closure" it's moving to remote learning but we're not getting a lot of engagement.

Personally, I think if anything, coming back later makes more sense, if we close that first week it might give us a better chance of staying open thereafter. However, I'm very worried about the impact on students. 2 weeks is 5% of their annual schooling and they've already missed so much.

mrsknottschicken · 27/11/2020 16:54

I’m in England, but I’d be really annoyed if my child had to miss another week of school just because the government had decided to allow people to mix at Christmas in the middle of a pandemic.

JauntyMcGinty · 27/11/2020 16:54

If we are to assume there is going to be a bump in cases caused by Christmas mixing (there will be) then a few extra days I think is sensible. Everyone I know is breaking the rules at Christmas (we're not, for various boring reasons) and it will be a general free for all in my view. The mistake governments across the uk made is giving people the green light to give social distancing a break over Christmas, and now the they have to find ways to mitigate the impact

papaelf · 27/11/2020 16:54

Our head (England) is very much in favour of an early finish on 11 Dec, she feels it's her duty to give staff and students the best chance of a family Christmas.

It's not though. Is it? It's her 'duty' to give those kids an education. I suspect she is considering her own family Christmas. Her job is to run the school not people social lives.

GoldenOmber · 27/11/2020 16:55

@Musicaltheatremum

But they will have to open for essential workers so there will be a number of kids in school. If not I'm going to be running my GP practice by myself as my 5 other colleagues have young school aged children and all their spouses are hospital doctors...that and giving the covid vaccine too. That will be fun
The leaked paper the Daily Record had said the plans were for schools not even taking keyworker children, and that it was unclear whether childcare in general would be permitted to stay open. So that'll be interesting to see Hmm
BecomeStronger · 27/11/2020 16:57

@mrsknottschicken

I’m in England, but I’d be really annoyed if my child had to miss another week of school just because the government had decided to allow people to mix at Christmas in the middle of a pandemic.
That's going to happen whether schools officially close the first week back or not . If they open and have cases, it's two weeks missed, not one.
lunar1 · 27/11/2020 16:58

I'm thinking of keeping mine home till then to be honest. We won't be mixing over Christmas. It will give infected people chance to show symptoms. All the classes at school now have the provision of joining from home.

BecomeStronger · 27/11/2020 17:01

@papaelf

Our head (England) is very much in favour of an early finish on 11 Dec, she feels it's her duty to give staff and students the best chance of a family Christmas.

It's not though. Is it? It's her 'duty' to give those kids an education. I suspect she is considering her own family Christmas. Her job is to run the school not people social lives.

I agree and I've tried to have that conversation with her. She was actually very emotional about it. It's hard to imagine the impact dealing with this crisis for the last 9 months has had on headteachers. The DfE support has been practically non existent, advice changes practically daily, they've had opposition to whatever they try to do from both staff and parents, it's really taking it's toll.

She would argue she'd still be giving those kids an education remotely.

starrynight19 · 27/11/2020 17:04

Is a planned week better than lots of unplanned?

This

Nicknacky · 27/11/2020 17:04

I’m so angry about this. Education is shown not to mater a jot, we have already been told that the schools are closing a day earlier and in a selfish level, thankfully I’m not working that day so it’s not a massive problem.

But up to a week after Christmas? God knows what I will do with my youngest.

Invisimamma · 27/11/2020 17:07

I'm in Scotland and my children are due to finish up on 23rd Dec. If they do finish early on 18th and don't go back til 11th that's an extra 6 days of childcare I need to find. It's stressing me out because with more notice I could've taken leave but my Xmas leave is now already in. Grandparents can't help as vulnerable. Their dad works in a hospital so his shifts are set now. Our usual holiday club won't be open this Xmas. Argh!

Smelliethenelephant · 27/11/2020 17:10

@papaelf climb down off your high horse, it's called pragmatism. Families have already been given permission to mix at Christmas. A week's planned remote learning at the start of January reduces the chance of further unplanned disruptions in schools throughoutJanuaryand February. .Teens that i know are.not really mixing outside school, where could they go?
.

FrustratoPotato · 27/11/2020 17:11

I don't think one week extra over Christmas during what has been the most stressful year in living memory is going to harm children's life chances. Some of you are going a bit OTT.
I'm not mixing with anyone over the holidays and I can foresee my poor DS getting bored and driving us nuts but I still think teachers need a proper holiday and we could all use a break from the relentlessness of it all. I'm probably speaking from a position of privilege though since both DH and I wfh and don't need to find childcare for the extra days.

papaelf · 27/11/2020 17:12

[quote Smelliethenelephant]@papaelf climb down off your high horse, it's called pragmatism. Families have already been given permission to mix at Christmas. A week's planned remote learning at the start of January reduces the chance of further unplanned disruptions in schools throughoutJanuaryand February. .Teens that i know are.not really mixing outside school, where could they go?
.[/quote]

I'm not on a high horse? I have an opinion on the education of my children and that is as valid as everybody else's.

WhatWouldYouDoWhatWouldJesusDo · 27/11/2020 17:13

Happening in England too.......I have inside info >

BecomeStronger · 27/11/2020 17:14

@FrustratoPotato

I don't think one week extra over Christmas during what has been the most stressful year in living memory is going to harm children's life chances. Some of you are going a bit OTT. I'm not mixing with anyone over the holidays and I can foresee my poor DS getting bored and driving us nuts but I still think teachers need a proper holiday and we could all use a break from the relentlessness of it all. I'm probably speaking from a position of privilege though since both DH and I wfh and don't need to find childcare for the extra days.
It won't be a holiday. Delivering the remote curriculum is no less stressful than being in school
IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 27/11/2020 17:15

I hope we follow this in England and that’s it made clear it’s to stop the spread after Christmas so no mixing. Otherwise it’s not fair on those that stick to their own household only and are then put at risk by those who mixed or went further and broke the rules.

Musicaltheatremum · 27/11/2020 17:16

@GoldenOmber might as well just drown myself in gin then 😂😂.

My colleagues don't have any family bubbles for childcare. Just me and 7500 patients...save me now!

fluffyugg · 27/11/2020 17:16

Quite right whoever said adults don't know how to behave in a pandemic.

Also, how's this going to affect the teacher's holiday allocation? I wouldn't want to lose a week in the Summer! If they're going to do it I'd prefer online learning for the week

Bonsai49 · 27/11/2020 17:16

Trouble is if people have an extra week of holiday they’re just going to be out doing things with their kids that risk picking up the virus anyway