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

Yeah, I'm not signing this.
Where I work we are able to split our leave so all colleagues get 2 continuous weeks off in the summer. This could never work with shorter holidays plus the local holiday clubs work around the private school calendar. We'd be left without childcare for the weeks they could not cover.

I think 6 weeks is probably stressful for parents who WFH or don't work but most other workers would not support this change.

I strongly disagree.

There’s more to life for children than school. I’ve actually always wondered why the government haven’t trialled longer holidays given that many countries who have better outcomes for children than we do have longer holidays.

My kids are back on Monday and I’m dreading it - I love spending time with them in the holidays and will genuinely miss them. Is that to say it’s been perfect with no moments of disagreements or times when I’ve needed 10 mins to decompress? Of course not, but on the whole I feel lucky that I’ve got to spend so much time with them; doing things that we’d struggle to fit in term time and making memories.

Sorry I disagree.

Ridiculous claims, all BS

Personally I think four weeks summer, three weeks at Xmas and a floating week for parents to use flexibly (out side of exam periods /transitions etc) would benefit children and parents.

My children are older but I would have signed a petition for longer school holidays. Not all schools suit all children, children need time to just be, without the pressure of school.

Does anyone actually work?? We have no help from family. We shell out a fortune on camps but the last two weeks are a nightmare as the camps stop. We can’t afford more than a 10 day UK holiday. I’ve been late to work on numerous days as the camps start so late. The kids were ready to go back to school on Aug 27, were getting bored and listless, & missed friends. I think the holidays are 10-14 days too long. Life is different now to the 70s and 80s, two parents have to work to pay bills etc.

And what would happen when staff took their floating week? What about TA' that are one to ones, would they be expected to take theirs when the child they support has their week?

Sorry but I also disagree. My children need the longer break to reset after the year. I'd prefer longer holidays to be honest with 2 week at oct and 2 week in may (yes I am a working parent so know how difficult that would be)

Hasn't the same information you stated about shorter holidays been used to pedal for longer holidays - happier, healthier children etc.

DC grown up now but when he needed to be in clubs etc. I just organised it early. I also booked a summer fortnight away on hols around a year in advance. I understand not everyone can afford this. As a child, my mum had a job that was flexible, we took a weeks holiday away and there were local sports and drama clubs. I was never bored, if it was raining we'd get the Monopoly out and before we knew it was time to clear off the dining room table to get dinner.

As regards summer break being in someways disrupting and kids having to learn again how to be in school. This seems a thing people say that simply makes no sense to me 🤷‍♀️

Same, it's been bliss I won't be signing

We quite clearly are not going to cut the total school holiday period, though, and even this petition doesn't suggest that. It's about redistribution, which would be harmful enough to school recruitment in itself. Actually reducing the number of holidays overall would be apocalyptic!

I also doubt any change would improve the clearly insufficient childcare options either. Summer is usually the time when there are most available- I had a choice of twice as many childcare club providers in summer than in eg February or at Christmas. This is because it's usually easier to recruit for longer blocs rather than a week or two here and there.

Well, that went well. Didn't it.

Absolutely not. The UK has one of the shortest school holiday periods in the world. I feel sorry for my pupils cooped up the class in July while their peers in France, Italy etc are out playing.

No thanks.

Teachers and TA’s don’t get 13 weeks annual leave. They get standard annual leave as set by their LA . For teachers the rest of the time is used for planing/training etc and for TAs the surplus weeks are unpaid. But yes in this case scenario TA’s would work an extra week paid and teachers would do an additional week of class time. They would still get their annual leave.

What would the equal distribution be? It says nothing about the actual logistics and distribution.

Nope, I love the 6 weeks with my child

Teachers would also have to be paid to work and extra week and it would also take them well over their directed time hours. It would mean mass contract renegotiations for not only teachers and TA's but all other school based staff who would lose out on a week away from school as cleaners, kitchen staff or receptionist couldn't take a floating week during term time either.

No thanks

Totally disagree, the 6 weeks flies past, it's already hard enough at work divvying up the school holidays amongst all the parents that want time off then. I don't want to go on holiday in October or at Christmas.

Some people really don't want to look after their own children!
Hard disagree!

The name of the country is "The Republic of Ireland" (long form) or "Ireland" (short form, and the official name of the country in English). Southern Ireland means Munster and Leinster.

7 signatures, clearly a matter of burning importance to the nation.

I miss the laugh reaction.