A think tank has called for the traditional school year to have five eight week terms, with a month off in the summer and two weeks between the rest of the terms. Are radical changes needed in education?
The Institute for Public Policy Research says studies suggest pupils' reading and maths abilities regress because the current summer break is too long
It believes that more evenly spaced holidays would benefit teachers, children and parents.
Are such changes necessary? Is the summer break too long for parents and children? Should parents be responsible for maintaining their children's education during the holidays?
The feeling of having 6 weeks holiday stretching infront of you is such a wonderful feeling, My parents wern't around the whole of them at all but I can't remember being overly bored. I used to go back to school ready to go, I feel you need the break- from the ever mounting tests put on us, and upped standards.
Many of the people who agree summer holidays should be shorter- when asked say their summer holidays were fun and really good. So why take them away from the young?
Switzerland have longer holidays than we do in England, their children start later (age 7) yet by 16 are more advanced acidemically than here. so how are summer holidays to blame for us lacking educationally?
Personally i like the idea of shorter holidays. Kids around here get bored after the first couple of weeks and thats when we start having trouble. I think 4 weeks is still a long holiday.
Reading and maths skills regress? Do children not read anymore? Or do anything involving numbers? Middle-class children have more access to activities, yes, maybe, but all I needed when I was younger was an imagination and/or a football that cost 99p.
The summer holidays can be a problem for working parents when they have to find childcare, but no matter how long the holidays are that will still be a problem. Very long holidays get boring very quickly, for example I am off from May 1st and won't go back to uni until late September. That's almost five months!
Short holidays will mean less time for the 'holiday season' and more chance of parents taking their children out of school during term-time to go on holiday. Short holidays also make it seem a bit much. The problem with education in the UK is nothing to do with the length of the holidays, but with the teaching and the curriculum.
I think this is a better idea than what happens now to be honest as it means yes you've got 2 weeks less off the summer but more at other holidays meaning things are more spread out. From my experience a lot of kidsget bored in the summer after the first couple of weeks anyway so you may as well reduce it.
I wouldn't hold your breath for it happening. It's been mentioned at least once a year from when I was in about year 5 which is 11 years ago and it's not happened yet!
I used to get really excited for the holidays only for me to be totally bored within 3 weeks. Sure holidays take up a chunk of time, but it's obvious that more and more parents who feel the economic strain are going to book holidays during off-peak periods, children will get easily bored with consoles and probably a few loose friends.
Simply put I think it's a good idea.
"The problem with education in the UK is nothing to do with the length of the holidays, but with the teaching and the curriculum."
I agree. Completely.
Curriculum is especially bad.
I chose A-Level History thinking I'll be doing BRITISH history, instead I got - Nazism, Fascism, Communism, Vietnam & Korean wars, Wall Street Crash oh and the tudors. The most well known and frankly boring part of British history. BORING!
Teach them Magna Carta, Roses war, IRA+GFA, Thatcher & Blair.
That's important, and worth teaching, not the same old crap they learnt in the first year!
Speaking from an ex primary school teacher's point of view, the extended time in the Summer is important to help unwind, then have a bit of a rest before preparing everything for the new school year.
I was at school myself too many years ago to have much perspective from the other angle.
Katie I agree with teachers needing the time to unwind. My mum and her partner are both primary teachers and they probably only give themselves 2 weeks total rest to unwind during the summer holidays. The rest of the time is spent getting on top of all the DIY and gardening the house needs doing and them planning lessons/ completing paperwork for the rest of the school year.
And when I was a child, I loved the 6 weeks holiday, it was idyllic, I was always looking forward to going back to school at the end, but I think that's a good thing as it meant that I appreciated the learning once it started again.
Modern history is what is most relevent to current living
So, Communism, Nazism, Fascism, Tudors & Vietnam & Korean wars are more relevant than that of GFA, Thatcher & Blair? Especially the first and third, which to be honest cannot be more relevant and important at this time - the first proves terrorism can be defeated and the third will show how and why our country is such as it is.
Yet, they are not considered relevant enough to teach?
I like the idea of spacing the holidays out, it's an incredible strain to face the pressures of school with no break, and then with the one huge break in the summer you practically ofrget everything you've learned and are way out of the school routine.
Shorter but more frequent holidays, I think, would be good.
^
Better spacing out if anything, thats what is needed... less holidays would be far too much pressure on teachers and students. The quality of education would decrease with inadequate breaks.
Get rid of SATS. Seriously, kids from my church are in year 4 and already learning for their SATS and getting stressed about them. Other countries, notably Russia, spend far less time in school (3 month summer holiday because it's too hot, 2 months in winter cos there's too much snow and they don't go for a whole day, only in the morning OR afternoon) and they do way better than us, usually being fluent in a second language before leaving primary school.
Get rid of the Curriculem and teach the kids some life skills.
"Has anyone seen my contact lens? It may be stuckto a tree or a rock or something. Oh boy, I am so grounded" Family Guy
if everyone cared and nobody cried, if everyone loved and nobody lied, if everyone shared and swallowed their pride, we'd see the day that nobody died
Speaking as someone who works in a primary school having two weeks off between each term isnt the best idea. That 6 week summer holiday is what im looking forward too!And teachers at the school I work at spend at least 2 weeks sorting everything out before the new school year starts....so the 6 weeks is important.
The thing about regression.....well parents should be encouraging their children to read during the holidays and even do some sort of work, like some maths questions etc.... for most parents its not impossible to spend 30mins a day with their child doing some sort of work. And yes I know that sounds a bit harsh making kids do some work during the holidays but its important to keep things fresh in their minds.
There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you.
But there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.
I aint no abacus but you can count on me.
Get rid of SATS. Seriously, kids from my church are in year 4 and already learning for their SATS and getting stressed about them. Other countries, notably Russia, spend far less time in school (3 month summer holiday because it's too hot, 2 months in winter cos there's too much snow and they don't go for a whole day, only in the morning OR afternoon) and they do way better than us, usually being fluent in a second language before leaving primary school.
Get rid of the Curriculem and teach the kids some life skills.
Kids in my class are doing their SATS and they are 6-7. Thankfully they dont realise its a test so they dont worry about it, but it does seem a little pointless other than to show the teachers how far theyre progressing.
Theres a lot of pressure on kids and I honestly think some of that blame lies with parents who dont do anything with their children. I know at least 3 children who as soon as the go out of school hardly ever do any home reading and never hand in exercises that are given to help children learn and I think its stressful for teachers to have to meet all these goals that the government have set out.
Theres not enough play/creativity in schools....too much focs on tests in my opinion.
There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you.
But there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.
I aint no abacus but you can count on me.
I think we should stick to a 6 week summer holiday.
Just because, really, I think kids should have time to settle into a routine, keep themselves amused and learn to live - without school, and I don't think anything shorter than 6 weeks would enable that.
Kids learn a lot from school, but they also need time to learn things for themselves, wind down, have fun, and also more than anything learn to contain their bordom so that they can have fun, at school kids are constantly kept busy, and in the one (or two) week holidays inbetween the novelty is still enough to keep them happy but I think learning to amuse themselves and chill out's important in the summer holidays :)
Hunger only for a taste of justice, hunger only for a world of truth, for all that you have is your soul.
if there wasn't at least 6 weeks holiday, people who want to go away for the summer, would probably take their kids out of school, because at least with 6 weeks, it gives you a bit of leeway to et leave for worrk, etc. plus yeah you might forget some of the work, but you soon pick it up again after you've been back a week or so.
also- having to work through some of the hottest months wouldn't be my idea of fun. so i don't agree with it, not that it really affects me much. but let the kids (and teachers) have a well deserved break! summer was the one holiday i always looked forward to, the others were over just as soon as you started to relax.
