Gove says lengthen school days and shorten long summer holiday

[juneau]

Here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-22202694

I think it's a great idea and I'm sure working parents will welcome it. I also think it's bollocks that teachers need the six week summer break to recharge their batteries. Do they work harder or longer hours than other workers who only get four or five weeks a year then?

Having just endured a bored DS1 over the Easter holidays I think any break of more than two weeks is actually pretty dull for kids and I'm sure poorer kids really suffer from lack of stimulation and/or money to do stuff.

Love it Hester!

Brilliant Hester.
Here's the link if anyone wants it.

Yes, teachers often do work longer hours than other professions. Not many employees in other professions take the work home. I regularly work until very late in the evening during weekdays and spend most of my 'holidays' marking, assessing and planning for the next term/half-term.

This is a good description of a typical working day of a teacher:

community.tes.co.uk/forums/t/657918.aspx?PageIndex=8

Six week summer holidays could be cut slightly, however in continental Europe they are a lot longer- in many countries as long as two months (July and August).

Will Eton et al be shortening their long summer holidays to improve their results? Erm, thought not.

This could end up with a dangerous two-tier system where rich children get lovely long summer holidays in the sun yet the scummy underclasses (aka us!) are institutionalised and in school all the time to try to prevent their feckless parents from having any input into their lives! Do we think that these state educated children will fill the House of Commons in the future...

howshouldibehave

Will Eton et al be shortening their long summer holidays to improve their results? Erm, thought not.

Is Eton part of a system where 1/4 of 11 year olds are functionally illiterate? Does it churn out A-level students where university lecturers are forced to run remedial catch-up courses?

This could end up with a dangerous two-tier system where rich children get lovely long summer holidays in the sun yet the scummy underclasses (aka us!) are institutionalised and in school all the time to try to prevent their feckless parents from having any input into their lives! Do we think that these state educated children will fill the House of Commons in the future...

Given the roaring success of the existing system in getting bright children from poor backgrounds in to the HoC, one wonders why you persist in defending it.

Eton (and other schools) have a lot of boarders.

This usually means they work longer days and even weekends anyway. Hence the longer holidays to let the kids spend time with their family.

You can also add on to that, Eton (and other schols) are 'businesses'. If they are attracting customers with their current practices and grades I doubt they'll change unless it will raise their profit margins.

Just incase you were about to launch in to some unthought out rant.

So we need to alter the holidays to benefit poorer children. This seems contrary to the government's insistence on creating more poor children. Bedroom tax anyone? Changes to WTC and CTC? Planned changes to the CSA?
Far more children will be living in poverty in a year's time than are now.

Hester, social stories training should help him. Does the HoC have a SENCO?

Iggi, I wouldn't say 'poorer' children.

We could try a rather outlandish approach and allow schools or LEAs to set their own holidays, etc.

I would favour an early start, early knock off with optional extra curricular ativittes in the afternoon (such as sports, band, homework clubs etc). Helpers would have to be found to run them.

As an aside, why do people insist on calling it 'bedroom tax'? It isn't a tax. It is a perfectly fair system of moving people out of housing too large for their needs (not wants admittedly) and thus freeing up housing for those who can fill it.

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no noooooooooooooooooooo!

Lazaruss, in case you hadn't noticed, LAs are being emasculated at every turn by Michael Gove and his cronies. What makes you think he would allow them any say at all in the setting of school holidays?

Lazaruss, are you SURE you're doing a PGCE? Your basic knowledge is woefully lacking, as is your understanding of how things work. If all "LEA"s (a term which was out of use well before Gove decimated them with his academies and free schools) were allowed to set their own holidays, it would cause all sorts of problems, not least for those with DCs in different schools or those teachers who work in a different area from where their DCs are educated.

Not to mention the exam timetable, that relies on fixed spring/summer holidays!

It is a perfectly fair system of moving people out of housing too large for their needs (not wants admittedly) and thus freeing up housing for those who can fill it.
Ok, how fair is this (true) example which I heard today? Middle-aged woman with Down Syndrome, in a council house with her parents. But her parents died last year. She's lucky, lived there all her life so local community take her to shops, pop in for a chat etc. She now needs to move to a one-bed flat. There aren't any in that small town. So she will be uprooted from friends, habits and familiar surroundings.
The media never seem to focus on people like that though, do they.

I would have thought he would give them the freedom to provide after school activities on a par with public schools but of course no funding

Lazarus are you not aware of the fiasco that was Nottingham City Council's attempt to go to a five term year?

It was scrapped (after lots of wasted time and money).

But private schools are not going to give up their holidays!
Those who pay for education are then in a wonderful position-they can go on holiday while the state schools are still at work, get the cheaper airfares and have quiet resorts-win/win for them. Back to the days when the wealthy could go abroad and not have to mix with the hoi polloi!

Eviltwin, that was sort of what I implying.

*Iggi101 Sat 20-Apr-13 16:04:56

Ok, how fair is this (true) example which I heard today? Middle-aged woman with Down Syndrome, in a council house with her parents. But her parents died last year. She's lucky, lived there all her life so local community take her to shops, pop in for a chat etc. She now needs to move to a one-bed flat. There aren't any in that small town. So she will be uprooted from friends, habits and familiar surroundings.
The media never seem to focus on people like that though, do they.

If it were true you could argue it was unfair.

Fortunately it isn't true, or at worst it is someone not in possession of the facts.

Down's Syndrome is classed as a disability. Therefore the Welfare Reform Act (2012)'s own disability clauses will kick in and should these not fully meet her requirements it is possible for her needs to be taken in to account under the Personal Independence Payment. It doesn't mean she may not move, as much sa the neighbours are to be lauded, what if this support fizzles out? She could be better in a supported environment.

In short, if her parents were in a 2bedroom house (does this tale specify?), the WRA will allow for her to have a spare bedroom, in case she needs live in support. If she was in a 3 bed, yes the 'bedroom tax' will kick in, but the PIP will (if it would be prudent to do so) then be set at a level that takes the extra charge in to account and negate it. (ie the charge will be in place, but covered by part of the PIP).

The PIP is relatively unknown. Mainly due to the hysteria around moving long entrenched tenants out of housing that are now to big for them, (but they regard them as their own) which other families could sorely need.

Think older couple, whose kids have grown up in 3 or 4 bed v younger couple with 2 or 3 kids in a 2 bed.

The PIP is quite loose for good reason. If it were determined this ladies life was better as she was it can take in to account such costs.

Now then about the media... why do you reckon they don't 'focus' on people like the middle aged Down's Syndrome lady in her parents house with lots of local support?

exotic,

The kids get longer holidays because many are boarders, thus they already work longer days and also over weekends (possibly).

Longer hols allow the kids family time which they don't get through the term time.

Also private schools are businesses. If kids stop coming, they will change their ways.

I've worked in state and private btw.

This isn't a class issue or what ever else you think to make it. You (and others) are comparing apples with oranges.

How much homework do they get? And do they do it?

What is a decent lunch break btw? My surrounding state schools get an hour, which I consider more than sufficient.

I know why they get longer holidays - it doesn't alter the fact that longer state school terms work in their favour- cheap prices, empty beaches.