Gove telling schools to stagger holidays - mismatch with teaching parents

[zummurzet]

Had a consultation letter home from my children's primary school (an academy) about suggested changes to their school holiday pattern, now that the government are encouraging this.

Obviously I was aware of the idea, but until now it hadn't occurred to me what a nightmare this could mean for me and my family. The school are suggesting changing the date of the October half term, the February half term, and cutting Easter break to one week, then having a later 2 week Whitsun break once SATS are over, followed by a short second half of the Summer term, mainly concentrating on transition into the next year group.

I can see the sense of this in terms of making learning time more effective (especially getting rid of the short, packed first half of the Summer term) and I can see that for many people the idea is a good one, in terms of being able to book cheaper holidays, out of the traditional high cost periods, so imagine that it'll be popular. But as a full time teacher in a different school in the same LEA, it's suddenly occurred to me that I may well be facing a lot of my holidays not matching with my kids, which is honestly a nightmare scenario, and may well be the nail in the coffin of my teaching career. I love teaching and have never done anything else, but realistically one of major advantages is that I have the holidays off with my children. And I'd have thought that would be the same for the many thousands of teachers who are parents. My situation is complicated by having a DH in a job where he often has to take block leave that matches traditional school holidays, so he won't be able to help with childcare and we'd be looking at the two of us on holiday, but not the kids, then the kids on holiday but not us. Arghh.

Has anyone else faced this situation yet? What are your schools thinking of doing?

The summer holiday is very short as it is. Many other countries have much longer and don't seem to suffer. It would be better to extend the summer and maybe cut down some of the holidays when it's cold, dark and wet and you can't do much. That way childcare costs would remain the same, just differently distributed. and have holidays synchronised for the reasons so well discussed already. Children need time out to relax and unwind, they are not mini adults.

Pay does come into it because one of the drivers for changing school holidays is to enable families on lower incomes to be able to afford foreign holidays. This will hopefully make society more equal, rather than just penalizing poorer families for the befit of the 'rich' middle class.

In any locality I find it hard to believe that during a six week school holiday a primary and secondary school wouldn't have an over lap, if parents wanted it. And if they dont then dont send your children to that school. More parental choice.

What if they only had a two week overlap but the patents couldn't both get time off work then?

We both earn reasonably good incomes but can oy afford to go abroad every five years or so-it's a real luxury and one that I appreciate bit can live without. It's ridiculous to give that as a reason for messing with the education system.

Giving less well off families the chance for cheaper holidays by allowing schools to vary holidays dates does not affect a child's education and in fact might improve it.

rollonthesummer - If, on the very rare chance, a two earner family cant arrange a holiday abroad, then they can do the same as everyone else who currently cant afford or cant arrange it, teachers aren't a special case.

*jjesleeping what do you do for a living? Then we can pontificate on that too with no real understanding.

I worked in the City as a trader for 15 years before teaching and now do many more hours. Those of you who think it's a piece of p* go and volunteer in a school for a few weeks and get back to me. I get 4 weeks holiday a year (because I refuse to do any work those weeks), but for the rest of my UNPAID time I'm not in school I work. I love how my lessons plan themselves, how endless report data magically appears and parents evenings are done, all within 8.30-3pm. I love my job and won't leave but, as my dear old mum says, don't diss it til you've done it. Right, off to the garden for some sun - oh and 63 essays to mark, 145 reports to write and a staff meeting on the next batch of OFSTED requirements to sort out. Anyone care to join me ?

I just dont get why teachers think they are a 'special' case. Surely a school with the right to choose when holidays are will attract teachers that like those dates. If a teacher doesn't like the dates they can move job just like everyone else in work does.

Do you understand the issues of recruiting teachers of core subjects in a secondary school? I am currently the ONLY maths teacher in my department from September, we can not recruit ANYONE. If my holidays are changed from those of my own children I leave. Yes, I want to spend time with my own children not those who tell me to Fuck Off and then take 2 hours of my time dealing with it.

Whoops sorry, of course there will be 20 applicants from Drama, 15 for Music and 75 for PE! Maybe get some of those to teach your DC Maths, English and Science