Why we need five terms in each school year

Yes, we love our children, and yes, it is great having them around a bit more in the summer. But the summer, as anyone with children at school knows, lasts for a very long time.

For many parents, this is great - all those days to spend with the children, not rushing to school or making packed lunches, and long trips away. For others, including those of us who work, it's a time full of stress, with much planning to sort out summer childcare, call on relatives and find out about camps.

With summer camps becoming increasingly expensive - the average is now £87.43 a week - the long break is fast becoming a nightmare. What are we supposed to do with our children for six weeks, especially if we only get four or five weeks holiday per year?

Earlier this year Sonia Sodha from the IPPR released a report arguing that school years should be made up of five terms of eight weeks each, with four weeks off in the summer. The report makes perfect sense, and not just because it helps working parents.

Ms Sodha points out that children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, regress in the summer. She says the long break can be an "impediment to children's learning" and adds that youth offending increases in the summer too. She also points out that all those lovely extra curricular summer activities cost money - and that, once again, it's children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who lose out. 

Isn't it finally time to change the school year so that there is no six week break in the summer? After all, it's only there for traditional reasons, and originally existed so the children could help with the harvest. In a 21st century society, surely it's time to make changes, and so help children and parents alike.

Comments

[ABETADAD]

Lets not get starry eyed about long summer holidays.

I worked on my Dads farm in the summer holidays. The reason we have a long scool summer holiday in the UK is that children were cheap labour that brought the harvest home. We no longer have an agricultural economy and our 24/7 service economy reuires prents to be at work away from home.

Personally, I hated summer holidays because of the hard work. I could not wait to get back to school. We never ever went n a holidy away from home. At the age of 10 I was driving tractors and stacking bales for 12 hours a day for zero pocket money. I never saw any of my friends and was bored and lonely.

I know a teacher who works in an inner city area and she says that after 7 wek sof summer holidays the kids regress terribly after wandering around the streets and dragging themselves up because in most cases parents are out at work or absent in some other way. The kids forget everything and their behaviour deteriorates. It takes her 6 weeks to get them back on track and then half term happens so two steps forward and one step back.

I send my kids to camp to give them something interesting to do and give them a positive structured environment. Our kids did canoeing and lit a camp fire last week which they loved. We also get them to do ten minutes of reading or maths every day to keep them from forgetting everything.

[Elena]

Sevenoaks, the school that topped the league table for results last year, has 9 weeks summer holiday. Public schools traditionally have longer holidays than state schools, yet also seem to do better academically.

[Liz]

My son has 13 weeks (minus 1 day) holidays from his secondary school in Ireland. (It was 9 or possibly 10 weeks for primary.) I regard the summer holidays as an opportunity to do many things. 6 weeks is very short indeed! It surprises me that not more pupils come here to board. It is much much cheaper than in England and if you arrive after 11 years of age you will not have to learn Irish. Secondary school begins at 12 here.

[Liz]

My son has 13 weeks (minus 1 day) holidays from his secondary school in Ireland. (It was 9 or possibly 10 weeks for primary.) I regard the summer holidays as an opportunity to do many things. 6 weeks is very short indeed! It surprises me that not more pupils come here to board. It is much much cheaper than in England and if you arrive after 11 years of age you will not have to learn Irish. Secondary school begins at 12 here.

[derek]

Full time mothers are are common as chuildren helping with the harvest these days. The disruption and cost of having to organise around six [nearly eight in Scotland] week summer holiday far outweighs the supposed opportunity to bond with your kids. My wife and are lucky; we're both senior enough in status and flexible enough in working day to be able to deal with it, most of the time. Still need granny from time to time though!

[Kath Jordan]

Why is every argument that involves education aimed at the lower socioeconomic background groups? What about the hard working parents who pay taxes and are given nothing by the state? We like our 6 week holidays, during which time we talk to our children, play with them and take them on holiday. I don't doubt that children from disadvantaged backgrounds get none of this but that's not my fault!

[nicola]

Gone are the days where it was frowned upon to get a divorce..Gone are the days when it was presumed mothers would stay at home and bring up their children, gone is the discipline we all grew up with, also sadly gone is the compassion we all used to have and what has all this accomplished?? working parents who struggle to pay the bills, rising costs of living,a massive rise in crime, and now you want to deprive our children of the one last piece of freedom they have??

I am 31 been with my husband since we were teenagers have 3 children I am the house wife he is the bread winner, I for one relish every second I get with my children and wish they had more free time to be "home" I also firmly believe in set family meals together every day and that old fashioned saying "if you havn't got family you have nothing"

My mother was a working mum who got married and divorced 3 times...my brother and I both suffered as direct consequences to this and for me I feel the lack of many things our grandparents expected as the norm we just don't follow ...and I feel as a result this is why our society is going so wrong!

[JD]

Less time at school. Less time at the office. More time at home. Refuse to put up with the pointless race to spend ever-longer at your desk. Laugh at people who think school holidays should be reduced to a half-day sometime in August (as long as the boss says it's OK).

[John Francis]

The trouble with people is that they just won't work hard enough. I think school should run 24/7 all year, then we could work all night, every night as well. Think of the money.

[Guy Dawson]

Can you imagine all the working parents of the country trying to cram their two week summer holiday away into one four week period?

The country would be half staffed for a month!

[Dottoressa]

"Parents would prefer it if their children's education was not disrupted by an excessively long summer break where children are proven to regress"

This parent wouldn't!

There is more to life - and childhood - than learning at school. Children arguably learn just as much, if not more, at home...

[Dottoressa]

My children's school summer holiday lasts for eight weeks. I love it! The first two weeks are great as we get to do everything without the queues. The remaining weeks are great because he gets a complete break, and we get to do nice things together. Assuming decent weather (not that there's much of it at the moment), that means lots of walking and playing. Then there's a nice long period at school for us to look forward to. I would hate to have dribs and drabs of holidays!

[Arthur Van Der Lae]

Seems a good idea - unlikely to happen in short term as NUT will not allow major changes to teachers working conditions

[Miki]

Completely agree with article. Most kids get dumped in passable camps during the holidays - so not much of a 'rest'. Also my child really craves the school routine by the end of the holiday.
I would take it one step further. Have more short holidays and stagger them nationally - so people can afford to go soemwhere rather than everyone booking the same hotels at the same time at exorbitant prices.

[Theta Sigma Mummy]

Alexander: "School holidays are there for the pupils, not for the parents; and a school is supposed to teach children, not to store them. It is about time parents stopped regarding schools as child depositories. If they find it that difficult to organise childcare they should not have children in the first place. Is it not preposterous for parents to beget children and then to cry blue murder because nobody takes them off their hands?"

No-one is, as far as I can see, crying blue murder because nobody is taking their children off their hands. The 5 term proposal is being presented in the article above, and on the Alpha Mummy blog, as a boon for working parents. It clearly wouldn't be - that's the only comment I and others have made. Personally I am very happy with the system as it is, I have been able to negotiate suitable holiday time from my employers so that either I or my husband is with our 3 children for the whole of the holidays. My complaint is about the bias of the presentation of the plan in Times blogs, and the general rubbishness of the plan, rather than the difficulty of sorting out childcare.

[Catherine]

Surely the solution lies in making it easier for working parents to take more time off during the school holidays - unpaid if necessary. Right now, a considerable percentage of UK family mortgages require two salaries. Telling parents who are already trying their best to make ends meet and spend time with their kids that they're being selfish to look at potential solutions to this, isn't helpful at all. I think a lot of parents would prefer to take all six weeks off, perhaps working from home, if only their employers would allow it.

[maddison]

How wonderful were those lazy days of summer when we were young. I only remember the sun always shining (?) and the smell of cut grass. I loved being left to my own devices and wandering around on my bike...no timetable (other than back for lunch and supper). We worked for free in local stables to learn to ride horses, swam in the river and played in the woods...none of those activities are probably politically correct anymore but we generally got bored and were happy. I just remember being able to enjoy the countryside which at any other time of year was unavailable at an urban boarding school. Those six weeks are the longest and the shortest depending whose side you are on but they remain as the happiest in my recall. We lived in a normal house, one parent working, one telly, one car and no gadgets! Pocket money was earned by babysitting and washing peoples cars...we had far less need to be entertained by our parents from whom we spent most of our time trying to escape..they were definitely not on our wavelength and it was not cool to be seen too often in their company!

[CA Metcalfe]

This is so typical of the work work work culture.
The sort of people so wedded to the office (it's usually office - I don't know any manual or shop workers who don't relish all their holiday entitlement) that they don't take all their leave entitlement.
A longer summer holiday would have been lovely when I was at school; it would still be lovely now I have a daughter to spend time with.
No one said on their death bed "I wish I had spent less time with my children and more hours at work"

[Dee]

The length of summer holidays is an old chestnut which precedes my first teaching post in the '70s.
Yes, it's true that the first two weeks in September are devoted to re-inforcing work covered the previous year and possibly four weeks would prove better than six.
However in Cyprus - where I now live - the summer term ends early June and holidays extend until September; so heaven knows how long it takes the teachers to re-cap here! The length is due to the impossibility of teaching in temps. above 40'C where most primary schools do not have air-conditioning. However, Christmas is only one week, also Easter; and half-term only one or two days.
Also school starts at 7.30am and finishes at 1pm.

[Lucy]

Yes parents do love their children and do want to spend time with them and would find this easier if the holidays were spread out more evenly across the year.
Parent would prefer it if their children's education was not disrupted by an excessively long summer break where children are proven to regress.

One commentator suggested that parents don't have children if they can't look after them in the holidays. Is that perhaps one reason we have so many who live on welfare benefits?

[Leonard Colquhoun of 7248]

When I worked at an international HS in PNG, Rex B, one of my US colleagues used to ask: "What are the three best things about teaching?", with the answer being June, July and August. School holidays, like schooling itself, should be for the kids, which is not the same as running a trendoid dumbed-down child-centred curriculum. Down Under, most States have a four-term year, 10 weeks x four (with some fiddling for Easter) with three two-week inter-term breaks, and about six weeks over Xmas. Seems to work OK.

[Leonard Colquhoun of 7248]

When I worked at an international HS in PNG, Rex B, one of my US colleagues used to ask: "What are the three best things about teaching?", with the answer being June, July and August. School holidays, like schooling itself, should be for the kids, which is not the same as running a trendoid dumbed-down child-centred curriculum. Down Under, most States have a four-term year, 10 weeks x four (with some fiddling for Easter) with three two-week inter-term breaks, and about six weeks over Xmas. Seems to work OK.

[Sarah]

I find it staggering that anyone could be insular enough to suggest that a six week school summer holiday is excessive. Most of the rest of the western world has much longer summer holidays. Here in the USA we have twelve weeks, and as an 'ex pat' I have been a part of both systems. I prefer the system in the States, but have to say that is partly because of the good weather, outdoor pursuits and general pro-child attitude prevalent here as opposed to what is all too evident in Britain.

My kids are exhausted at the end of the school year and the benefit to them of the long summer break is immeasurable.

[Linda]

The five terms proposal do have its pros, but personally, I prefer the existing system. I adore my kids and I always look forward to the long summer holidays with them.

[Joni]

Here in the States, this has been used with mixed success. I haven't come across any particularly solid results proving that these "modified school calendars" lead to greater results.

In our city, two of the primary schools are on modified calendar, which has caused quite a stir, for and against, and much chaos moving children about whose families do and don't want them to attend such schools. I chose not to send my daughter to the modified calendar school, and am glad for it.

That said, howwever, the city offers some wonderful programs in the summer -- right now my 7 year old daughter is taking a Harry Potter Science course. If the schools offered fun programming during the summers, not just odious remidial programs, then perhaps children would have more learning opportunties without being "stuck" in school during the summer nor draining hte family coffers. Why should the only decent summer activities be privately funded and expensive?

Get a life!

[Minnie]

I am currently on summer holidays and yes, I know how hard it can be for parents but think of the kids too.

We slog it out at school all that time and the summer holidays are that one period of joy that we can scrawl into a calendars; gazing at adoringly every morning as we brush out teeth and making tally charts on our desks to remind ourselves with.

It would have been the same when you guys were kids. Yes, your holidays probably weren't as long but there was still the joy. Let us be, soon we'll grow up and move out and then you'll wish you could have us back anyway!

(Oh and also, after the age of like 14 or 15, you can leave us at home anyway while you work. We're perfectly content doing nothing, as I'm sure you know :D)

[Meera]

The report is absolutley rubbish. It's been scientifically proven that you get better exam results if summer holidays are longer. We shouldn't be increasing school time, but decreasing it.

[Alexander]

School holidays are there for the pupils, not for the parents; and a school is supposed to teach children, not to store them. It is about time parents stopped regarding schools as child depositories. If they find it that difficult to organise childcare they should not have children in the first place. Is it not preposterous for parents to beget children and then to cry blue murder because nobody takes them off their hands?

[berkin]

Hey! i live in Turkey.and our school holidays are very short i think..we go to school for 9 months.only saturdays and sundays are holiday ın the weeks and the half of june,july,august and the half of september are holidays..only 3 months..ın any case our education system is very hard..for example i am a student ın hıghscool and our level of education ıs same with universities'education ın america..:))very hard..:)i wait the national and religional festivals immediately:)))i hope that we will have a leader like Mustafa Kemâl Ataturk in the future:):):)only a person who is like him can rescue us:D:D

[chris]

i think your article is testament in the work obsessed society we live in. Kids need at least 6 weeks off in the summer

[Jos Costello]

I think 6 weeks over the summer is just about right and I have no quarrel with the arrangements for the rest of the year - but why oh why do some local authorities end and start school terms on daft days like Tuesdays and Thursdays? My girls' school breaks up this coming Tuesday - massive absenteeism, anyone?
As for holiday chidcare we are lucky - we are able to use the holiday scheme on our local US air base at a cost of £55 per child per week - and that's 7.30 till 4 which suits us, as opposed to most schemes which don't even start until 8.30 or 9. Until now we would have had to pay £135 per week per child in our area, pretty prohibitive, but I wouoldn't have begrudged it.
I am grateful to the NHS and their long service rewards though - I can afford to take 3 1/2 weeks off this summer and still have enough leave to go round, and I do feel for parents who do not have this option.

[luke]

Maybe you should have your kids adopted? They'd probably have more fun with the adopted family. if spending time with your kids is such a chore of time organizing, you're doing it all wrong. My two go to school in a village in southern spain. they get 12 weeks in the summer. and we love it. seriously - Im shocked by your suggestion.

[Alan Ramsey]

Surely one of the best things about schooldays is the massive summer holiday? This is just another big nanny state spoilsport move.

Get real, people - kids have holidays, and then someone has to look after them. It doesn't really matter whether the weeks are bunched together or not, working parents will always have problems.

Or perhaps we should send them back down the mines?

[Mary]

I can't see how this idea helps. Overall the children will still need the same amount of childcare so how is it any better?

[Theta Sigma Mummy]

Mr Potarto - my point was that the 8 week terms will likely include a half term of 2 or 3 days. Each. Which will mean that overall there are more days off school - days when we need to sort out our childcare. I don't know about you but I can't see my firm being wild about me asking for extra time off because the way the school year is organised has changed. Many firms organise themselves around the long July/August break which also fits in with the business year and the way things are done on the continent. If the reformers change things it will make problems for everyone, not just parents having to find even more time off to cover the holiday period.

[Mr Potarto]

Some great comments here.

"I can't see many teachers welcoming the idea of working 8 straight weeks without a break."

Yes, imagine the shock that would cause.

"it is educationally necessary for children to have a long break."

I don't think it is. I think the long break just causes children to forget the previous year's work, so they find it harder to build on it the following September. Don't forget they will still have a month off.

"It is time that people stopped expecting schools, which are places of learning, to solve society's problems."

Well perhaps they could just help out with society's problems while were waiting for that *learning* thing to get started?

[Steph]

Laurab, would you rather all us single parents went on benefits so that we could spend the summer with our kids rather than working?

[elena]

If you look at the rest of Europe, the UK has the shortest summer holidays, along with Germany. Other countries, have 8, 9, 10 up to 12 weeks. This is because it is educationally necessary for children to have a long break.

The problem of occupying children during the summer break is not a problem of schooling, but a problem to be solved by parents or society. It is time that people stopped expecting schools, which are places of learning, to solve society's problems.

[Marek]

"If you choose to work then that's your decision" Those few words are a near perfect portrayal of the La La land some people live in.
Marek, London

[Theta Sigma Mummy]

Currently, children get about 13 weeks holiday - 6 weeks in the summer, 2 each at ~Easter and Xmas, and 3 weeks for half term. Under this scheme they would get 12 weeks off in total - IF THERE WEREN'T ANY HALF TERMS - which isn't clear from the article above. I can't see many teachers welcoming the idea of working 8 straight weeks without a break. So this proposal might well see more time off school, plus the summer holiday would be even more expensive as more people would be trying to cram into a smaller (4 week) window. I think it's a rubbish idea, personally.

[Scotty]

Laurab - how wonderful that you can afford not to work - but unfortunately that privilege is not available to us all. For working parents - especially lone parents - and those not fortunate enough to have available grandparents nearby - the long summer vacation is a nightmare, especially in more remote areas where summer camps etc are simply not available.

[LauraB]

I totally disagree. If you choose to work, then that's your decision. I love the summer with my kids, and think they need a long break too.

[Ruth]

Yes, yes, yes. You are so right, but that's never made anyone listen before.