Petition to change summer school holidays

[Kellykt]

Please read and see the sense of the petition.

https://www.change.org/p/reduce-summer-holidays-for-schools/sfs/copy/1386960292?recruiter=1386960292&recruited_by_id=4678b200-876f-11f0-a60a-cdc055e4640a&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=petition_dashboard_share_modal&utm_medium=copylink

Exactly. It's less safe for kids to play out during darker evenings than in summer, and summer is the time when the greatest number of people are likely to be comfortable using parks and other free outdoor spaces. OP has clearly given no thought to those on the lowest incomes.

NO!!!!! Already way too short!!!! We should start them earlier!!!

When I think back on childhood the summer holidays were a highlight so it a no in my opinion

Hahahahaha - no.

How depressing, totally tired of hearing about how people want less time with their children

I think shortening the summer holiday would be another anti-child move in a world that accommodates their needs less and less.

The petition is pointless anyway because holidays are not set by the government (in England at least). It’s up to individual LEAs and academies.

No way!

I like the sound of that

Agreed!

children in Southern Ireland get 3 months off in the summer

This is not about the kids is it?

I don’t agree. I think longer summer holidays are better for kids… it gives them a proper chance to decompress from the very heavy expectations and restrictions of our education system. I know my DS really is a much happier child during the summer holidays.

Not in Glasgow. I think the two weeks at October is mostly rural areas. We are in Glasgow and we had 7.5 weeks this summer and will have 1 week in October. Friends who live in Dumfriesshire and Argyll have quite different holidays. .

My kids are grown up but I wouldn't have wanted shorter summer holiday for them.
As a big family it was their time to do their own thing and together in pairs, small groups or everyone together. We some times when under each others feet but it generally worked well.
Everyone was chilled and ready to start again come early september.

Sorry but I disagree totally!! We use that 6 week holidays to take a really good quality break as a family and the kids have chance to reset. Yes I’m still working most of it but I have always loved the holidays. Managing the expectations of going back to school and not allowing it to become a huge drama have been my friend over the 4 children I’ve had….Nope. I want the 6 week hols to stay. In fact I wish they were longer! :-)

What is “Southern Ireland”? School holidays are the same throughout Ireland.

This is the problem. I work part time due to ds needs which we cover between our annual leave, adult dctaking leave and grandparents. I’ve tried the odd summer camp but they are few and far between and even send ones are rarely set up to suit kids with significant needs

No way. I love spending all that time with my kids. Also you’d get far fewer people staying in teaching. I’m an ex teacher and I know that my teacher friends who are parents say that they stay in the job for the big holidays in the summer.
Like someone else has said, I’m from NI and the big summer holiday didn’t do our education any harm as NI girls have got the highest GCSE results every year since GCSEs began, so big summer holidays definitely don’t cause a drop in learning.

That’s what NI people call the republic. NI is British so the holidays are not the same.

I think the summer holidays should be made longer, 6 weeks is very short and most other countries have more than that!

I think (and I suspect you know) they are trying to make a distinction between the Republic of Ireland (or Ireland or down south etc etc) and Northern Ireland.

I’ve come to love summer holidays with DD - it’s very very difficult however because she just doesn’t sleep. But I’m the tiny minority - thankfully- of parents with a child with profound disabilities for whom there is neither respite overnight (which I’d almost do ANYTHING for) nor clubs that can cater for her.
I still wouldn’t want national changes!

She would do better with 4 weeks summer holidays and 4 weeks Easter holidays but I’m not going to agree that every other child would… because I don’t think they would!

I lived for summer holidays as a 1980s child in Ireland. I’d never want to see children forced back to school earlier. Life is regimented enough

OP, I for one would be interested to hear why to you think the dates should change the holidays.

No I love the long summer holiday !