School Holidays -Could be cut?

[AgnesIO]

I completely agree, only people still at school and teachers will disagree and that is fact.

Spot on.

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Whilst at school I would have hated it - but realistically, English schools are failing compared to those in Asia, although I am not sure this is wholly down to holiday time. I think it is more due to being that much more developed (apart from Japan...). The incentive to work really hard doesn't exist here, like it does in many other countries.

More school would benefit the UK younger generation for sure, and the economy too. Whilst in India, the children there had Christmas holidays. But the older ones went to school every day bar Christmas, Boxing Day and New Years Day was revision classes (having said that, their exams were going on around this time). The economy would benefit as parents wouldn't need to take part time jobs or hire babysitters to look after their parents. I think it would make sense to make PE compulsory or something if the school day was longer - particularly in the winter where it would be dark early, meaning children would be unable to go outside and play.

Teachers would obviously be against it. However, it is about time they got a reality check, and experienced the "real world". Cushy holidays, short working days and a decent pay check are all things that teachers benefit from. Both of my parents at one point in their lives have taught, however they have also both experienced a real job. Teachers don't understand the normal problems many parents face. There is no reason why teachers deserve extra long holidays - despite what the Unions will try and claim.

I hate to say it, but I genuinely think Gove is right here. And believe me, it really does pain me to say it.

Having said that, I doubt these changes will ever actually take effect. The government is incapable of actually implementing anything in the education system this drastic, and there certainly isn't time for it to happen in the current parliamentary calendar. The Labour government wouldn't do this either.

[Zelda]

To the above that is not true at all, the fact is to do with people being unmotivated by teachers parents and themselves in this country a lot more. If you go to any grammar school you see the immediate difference really when people want to work. There is a reason extra time in school won't work and that is because these people will get more fed up with it, not be more motivated to pay attention. If you look at countries like China parents just basically force their children to do work and since they know nothing different than constant activities and school work they aren't going to be unmotivated obviously in school.

The suggestions that teachers get cushy jobs and everything is rubbish, their days are also not short or anything, they do more then the typical 9 to 5 easily each day, and then they have the hours upon hours of marking of a level and gcse student homeworks which just flood them nonstop, as well as preparation for lessons and everything, and they often do exam marking in the summer anyway when they aren't working. Teachers actually need the time off really for them to remain sane, if you talked to any you'd actually know what it's like for them.

[Ardemax]

Spot on.

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Whilst at school I would have hated it - but realistically, English schools are failing compared to those in Asia, although I am not sure this is wholly down to holiday time. I think it is more due to being that much more developed (apart from Japan...). The incentive to work really hard doesn't exist here, like it does in many other countries.

More school would benefit the UK younger generation for sure, and the economy too. Whilst in India, the children there had Christmas holidays. But the older ones went to school every day bar Christmas, Boxing Day and New Years Day was revision classes (having said that, their exams were going on around this time). The economy would benefit as parents wouldn't need to take part time jobs or hire babysitters to look after their parents. I think it would make sense to make PE compulsory or something if the school day was longer - particularly in the winter where it would be dark early, meaning children would be unable to go outside and play.

Teachers would obviously be against it. However, it is about time they got a reality check, and experienced the "real world". Cushy holidays, short working days and a decent pay check are all things that teachers benefit from. Both of my parents at one point in their lives have taught, however they have also both experienced a real job. Teachers don't understand the normal problems many parents face. There is no reason why teachers deserve extra long holidays - despite what the Unions will try and claim.

I hate to say it, but I genuinely think Gove is right here. And believe me, it really does pain me to say it.

Having said that, I doubt these changes will ever actually take effect. The government is incapable of actually implementing anything in the education system this drastic, and there certainly isn't time for it to happen in the current parliamentary calendar. The Labour government wouldn't do this either.

I think your point about teacher's having an easy job is sure as hell not true.

If you go to the best school in the county then sure, it's not bad. But if you work pretty much anywhere else you have to put up with behaviour that is arrest-worthy in a public place. Is separating fights, putting up with abusive children/parents, marking until the early hours around exam times, holding revisions lessons after school which you don't get payed for and, for a lot of teachers, not even make as much as a train driver all considered part of a "real" job?

Being a teacher, in my opinion, is one of the hardest jobs to do, especially if you're a good teacher. I firmly believe it warrants the long holiday time compared with other jobs.

Imagine what you had to put up with in school and now imagine what a teacher has to put up with every day.

[AgnesIO]

To the above that is not true at all, the fact is to do with people being unmotivated by teachers parents and themselves in this country a lot more. If you go to any grammar school you see the immediate difference really when people want to work. There is a reason extra time in school won't work and that is because these people will get more fed up with it, not be more motivated to pay attention. If you look at countries like China parents just basically force their children to do work and since they know nothing different than constant activities and school work they aren't going to be unmotivated obviously in school.

The suggestions that teachers get cushy jobs and everything is rubbish, their days are also not short or anything, they do more then the typical 9 to 5 easily each day, and then they have the hours upon hours of marking of a level and gcse student homeworks which just flood them nonstop, as well as preparation for lessons and everything, and they often do exam marking in the summer anyway when they aren't working. Teachers actually need the time off really for them to remain sane, if you talked to any you'd actually know what it's like for them.

People in Britain getting fed up with it is due to the underlying issue here of people being extremely lazy, and used to the cushy lifestyle. People need to be taught that hard work brings success - nothing else. South Korea is an excellent example of a good education system, and if you look at good business Universities in Britain they do tend to have a good proportion of Asian students (as opposed to other subjects).

The summer exam marking is hardly fair to bring in. This is ADDITIONAL PAID WORK - they choose to do it to get more money. My father has been a head of year in a Secondary School - and honestly I don't see why six weeks holiday is necessary to keep him sane. If you read my post, you'd have seen that both my parents have worked in education and therefore I can evidently speak to them...

I think your point about teacher's having an easy job is sure as hell not true.

If you go to the best school in the county then sure, it's not bad. But if you work pretty much anywhere else you have to put up with behaviour that is arrest-worthy in a public place. Is separating fights, putting up with abusive children/parents, marking until the early hours around exam times, holding revisions lessons after school which you don't get payed for and, for a lot of teachers, not even make as much as a train driver all considered part of a "real" job?

Being a teacher, in my opinion, is one of the hardest jobs to do, especially if you're a good teacher. I firmly believe it warrants the long holiday time compared with other jobs.

Imagine what you had to put up with in school and now imagine what a teacher has to put up with every day.

Pretty sure if you ask new teachers what incentives they had to teach, there would be two main answers; the will to pass on knowledge to others... and the good holiday time. Revision lessons after school are optional - they don't have to do them (having said that, teachers are not paid on an hourly basis, meaning they are paid throughout the summer time etc, which would suggest that they are technically still being paid outside of school time - but I take your point there).

What am I supposed to be imagining I put up with in school? The teachers that really appear to have issues are the ones who cannot control a class - and in my eyes, they shouldn't be teachers for that reason. I wouldn't say teachers don't deserve any holiday, I just really cannot see any reason why 13 weeks holiday being cut down is seen as an unfair thing (which the unions will certainly say it is!)

[Ardemax]

People in Britain getting fed up with it is due to the underlying issue here of people being extremely lazy, and used to the cushy lifestyle. People need to be taught that hard work brings success - nothing else. South Korea is an excellent example of a good education system, and if you look at good business Universities in Britain they do tend to have a good proportion of Asian students (as opposed to other subjects).

The summer exam marking is hardly fair to bring in. This is ADDITIONAL PAID WORK - they choose to do it to get more money. My father has been a head of year in a Secondary School - and honestly I don't see why six weeks holiday is necessary to keep him sane. If you read my post, you'd have seen that both my parents have worked in education and therefore I can evidently speak to them...



Pretty sure if you ask new teachers what incentives they had to teach, there would be two main answers; the will to pass on knowledge to others... and the good holiday time. Revision lessons after school are optional - they don't have to do them (having said that, teachers are not paid on an hourly basis, meaning they are paid throughout the summer time etc, which would suggest that they are technically still being paid outside of school time - but I take your point there).

What am I supposed to be imagining I put up with in school? The teachers that really appear to have issues are the ones who cannot control a class - and in my eyes, they shouldn't be teachers for that reason. I wouldn't say teachers don't deserve any holiday, I just really cannot see any reason why 13 weeks holiday being cut down is seen as an unfair thing (which the unions will certainly say it is!)

Do you truly believe that teachers get 13 weeks off and get to sit around doing nothing?

If they didn't have the holidays away from the classroom then my God the marking of coursework, essays, papers etc. would never get done.

I know most of my teachers in my school have hardly any free time in the evenings as they're on a tight marking schedule (and they're also hosting revision classes which most, if not all, teachers do). I do see your point as it being considered unfair on other professions but surely if you balance out the marking time throughout the whole year it would appear that teachers may even have less time than those in other professions.

[AgnesIO]

Do you truly believe that teachers get 13 weeks off and get to sit around doing nothing?

If they didn't have the holidays away from the classroom then my God the marking of coursework, essays, papers etc. would never get done.

I know most of my teachers in my school have hardly any free time in the evenings as they're on a tight marking schedule (and they're also hosting revision classes which most, if not all, teachers do). I do see your point as it being considered unfair on other professions but surely if you balance out the marking time throughout the whole year it would appear that teachers may even have less time than those in other professions.

No I don't, but I also know for a fact that the six weeks summer (or even 2 weeks for that matter) is spent doing school work.

How many teachers mark coursework in summer? :S Some may mark exam papers (hello paid work). Also, surprised to hear about the revision classes that "most, if not all, teachers do" - certainly didn't know about these at my school on a regular basis (of course, these could be scrapped if school hours were longer as they could actually fit in the curriculum and revision time, meaning revision would effectively be compulsory, which should mean an increase in exam results...)

"Barely any time in the evening". I mean, because commuters obviously finish at 5 and get home at 5 - yeah, you guessed it they have even less time in the evenings (especially when some idiot jumps infront of the train!).

I want what I believe would be best for Britain - yes you may need more teachers (obviously longer school time means more lessons so teachers would need the free periods - which they get and are there to plan lessons and mark work etc etc) - but I think it would be best for Britain in the long run.

[Ardemax]

No I don't, but I also know for a fact that the six weeks summer (or even 2 weeks for that matter) is spent doing school work.

How many teachers mark coursework in summer? :S Some may mark exam papers (hello paid work). Also, surprised to hear about the revision classes that "most, if not all, teachers do" - certainly didn't know about these at my school on a regular basis (of course, these could be scrapped if school hours were longer as they could actually fit in the curriculum and revision time, meaning revision would effectively be compulsory, which should mean an increase in exam results...)

"Barely any time in the evening". I mean, because commuters obviously finish at 5 and get home at 5 - yeah, you guessed it they have even less time in the evenings (especially when some idiot jumps infront of the train!).

I want what I believe would be best for Britain - yes you may need more teachers (obviously longer school time means more lessons so teachers would need the free periods - which they get and are there to plan lessons and mark work etc etc) - but I think it would be best for Britain in the long run.

I'm referring to all the holidays really, and the summer holidays can be a time of relaxation for teachers. That is, of course, if they're not helping out on school trips or running DofE expeditions.

Are you insinuating that because teachers may spend their evenings marking work that they don't face everyday problems? Sorry I really don't get your third point

Just a question, what type of hours are you thinking of for schools? Do you want a mechanically-engineered generation or do you want children to be children, teenagers to be teenagers?

[Circadia]

I think it would make sense to make PE compulsory or something if the school day was longer - particularly in the winter where it would be dark early, meaning children would be unable to go outside and play.

Just thought I'd point out that PE is compulsory in primary and secondary school. You have to do at least 1 hour a week with many doing more than that


Anyway I wouldn't mind shorter holidays because the 6 weeks drag a heck of a lot and I'd rather be in school learning (I know I'm lame but whatever) , and I normally end up staying at school until late for revision classes so the increased school day wouldn't really affect me. I ended up staying till 5pm for 2 revision classes after school on Tuesday which I'll be doing next Tuesday as well

I don't know how i'm going to cope with 3 months off before I start college in September

[JACKTARD]

If the holidays become more spread out then that'd be better for parents and for the kids, I used to always get so bored during summer. There wasn't enough to do for 6 weeks.

[Adam]

I'd rather be a teacher than do my job. Weekends and school holidays off? Bingo.