A fiery debate has broken out over suggestions that school summer holidays should be cut to just four weeks.
The Nuffield Foundation will next month release a report calling for a radical overhaul of the school calendar as it claims the current structure has been “stuck in place since Victorian times” and highlights how longer half-term breaks could also prove beneficial.
The report will suggest reducing summer holidays from six weeks to just four and extending half-term breaks in November and February from one week to a fortnight.
Parents on Mumsnet have come down on both sides of the debate, with some arguing that the cost and availability of childcare through the summer period is difficult to deal with and so having a cut to school summer holidays would be beneficial.
Others said that no one wants to have an extra week of holiday in February and November when the weather is normally cold and miserable.
One Mumsnet user wrote: “Who on earth wants extra weeks in November and February, especially families who can’t afford to go abroad?
“The last two weeks have been so b****y wet and miserable here in the UK; I can’t imagine if a February holiday was my best hope of a break.
“I do think that the autumn term is long and could do with a longer holiday, but February, really?”
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Children could see their summer holidays cut
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Another said: “I think it’s a s**t idea. The problem is poverty in the community which means schools are having to shore up children as social services, not that school holidays are too long in the summer. Pretty much every other country manages with long summer holidays.”
A third wrote: “It’s going to make finding childcare more difficult and expensive. Lots of summer childcare is based on summer sports camps who ideally need to use outdoor space.”
However, parents supporting the plans said: “My main question though is would it be better for the kids? Going back to school in September is very jarring for my son, it takes him a while to transition back into it. A shorter holiday might help with that.”
Another wrote: “I think it’s a good idea and should be looked into more. There are loads of studies that show that the long summer holiday has a negative effect on children’s learning.”
A third penned: “So much better as four weeks, the kids get bored by the second week and it drags for them. Not all of us can afford fancy summer clubs!”
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Source Agencies
