Poll: Should the schools' 'Summer Holidays' be only a fortnight this year because of the need to catch up (covid)?

[Danllan]

As per title...

 

[topground]

Two weeks school holidays would hit the peak season UK holiday trade and is a non starter for that and all sorts of other reasons not least that teachers are contracted to work a set number of hours per year.The kids that have been at school throughout need a break.

 

[Daddy Pig]

definitely not. there's more to life than education and more to education than school, my son age 12 broke up a week ago and would not be happy giving up his summer holiday and nor would I.

 

[Highland Mule]

It’s a bit late to be asking that - some of us have had the kids off for over two weeks already.

 

[Danllan]

It’s a bit late to be asking that - some of us have had the kids off for over two weeks already.

An earlier return is an option.

 

[DrWazzock]

After 5 years in primary school we hadn't even been taught long division. Dad taught me that in about 10 minutes. We were taught no English grammar whatsoever all the way through secondary education. Some maths, physics and chemistry was useful. We could have been taught that in about 2 days per week. The rest of the time was what? Waffle, rubbish and just hanging around really. A taxpayer funded child minding service so parents can go out to work doing their so important jobs.
Things hotted up during the first term at uni. Particularly the maths, without which engineering is nothing really. We worked hard at uni. Lectures from 8 till 12 everyday, half being pure maths. Every afternoon in the labs, not out till you had finished at 6. The real work started at uni, if you wanted it and has carried on since. Education up till 18, well about 50% of its important I suppose.

 

[Pasty]

If our children are not in school, how are they going to spend 5 hours a day being taught about 'respect, diversity and inclusion'? This is really important, as is early sexualisation and the terms associated with that. Also, all white children must be informed that they are genetically racist and must therefore hate themselves.

 

[DrWazzock]

Getting your coat flushed down the toilet, smoking behind the bike sheds. Getting spat on on the bus. Where would we be without all that? My wife's friend is a relief teacher, goes into city schools when the regular staff need a break. All yesterday afternoon being told to F off while kids swung from the blinds. Nothing taught whatsoever. It's another system where there are endemic problems about which most people in government are in denial. A lot of state schools in cities need a gendarmerie on site and a lot less bleating about human rights. Fortunately my wife has retired now. She didn't train as a social worker, prison warden or mental health expert, but that was half the job with no back up whatsoever. The parents and kids were always right. Well stuff that.

 

[le bon paysan]

Can't speak for the banlieue , but around here school discipline is good, the ones my kids attended anyway.

 

[DrWazzock]

Can't speak for the banlieue , but around here school discipline is good, the ones my kids attended anyway.

The education system in the U.K. is polarising. Parents who want their kids to get on try to get them into grammar schools etc. This weakens the comps further. I attended a comp when you still stood a chance of achieving a decent education and i benefitted from it. Nowadays that system looks fairly broken particularly in urban areas though obviously there are variations. It’s unsatisfactory in my view but I suppose while they can “contain “ the situation it will carry on. They are struggling to attract staff at any price at some city schools and having to drop the individual sciences for a combined science module etc. Standards and the prospects for kids caught up that situation aren’t improving. But I doubt the middle classes are really away of the reality or care much about it.

 

[sahara]

I have voted no, without going into too much detail and generating an argument, my wife is completely and utterly exhausted and needs a meaningful rest.

 

[delilah]

I have voted no, without going into too much detail and generating an argument, my wife is completely and utterly exhausted and needs a meaningful rest.

+ 1.

 

[sahara]

I should have said, my wife is a science teacher at a 1000 ish pupil 2ndary school.

 

[delilah]

Respect. 8 yr olds are little sh1ts as it is.

 

[wanton dwarf]

Why not just give exams based on what children have been taught ?

Might actually level the playing field between private and public schools. Most of what is taught is not relevent to anyones issues in working life.

Would be better if children were taught about money, investments, housing, maintenance, basic manual skills .. not about the Romans, Saxons, Religious education .. taught about raising children, handling your emotions (especially around children & animals & women), make sure you create an asset agreement before getting too near women etc.

 

[le bon paysan]

Why not just give exams based on what children have been taught ?

Might actually level the playing field between private and public schools. Most of what is taught is not relevent to anyones issues in working life.

Would be better if children were taught about money, investments, housing, maintenance, basic manual skills .. not about the Romans, Saxons, Religious education .. taught about raising children, handling your emotions (especially around children & animals & women), make sure you create an asset agreement before getting too near women etc.

This is the French system. When kids go to Lycee they have a choice of the general high school and the professional one. All do the BAC ( A levels) General Lycee students would go onto University. But in the pro. Lycee they do French, Maths business management and a Trade. Plumber, Electrician, Mechanic, Heating / Refrigeration , Livestock technician , Agriculture , Health Service, Hairdresser etc. Different LePs do different trades. They then go onto Formation years which are 3 weeks working as an apprentice and a week in the LeP. Qualified in their Trade when they finish. Livestock technician / dietician or civil construction would be BAC +3 for example.
It's a brilliant system that enables kids to qualify in what they're good at / want to be. It is also respected here as good qualifications and there's no stigma in not attending university.

 

[Pasty]

This is the French system. When kids go to Lycee they have a choice of the general high school and the professional one. All do the BAC ( A levels) General Lycee students would go onto University. But in the pro. Lycee they do French, Maths business management and a Trade. Plumber, Electrician, Mechanic, Heating / Refrigeration , Livestock technician , Agriculture , Health Service, Hairdresser etc. Different LePs do different trades. They then go onto Formation years which are 3 weeks working as an apprentice and a week in the LeP. Qualified in their Trade when they finish. Livestock technician / dietician or civil construction would be BAC +3 for example.
It's a brilliant system that enables kids to qualify in what they're good at / want to be. It is also respected here as good qualifications and there's no stigma in not attending university.

Not sure I'd employ anyone who had been to university in the last 15 years.

 

[le bon paysan]

Not sure I'd employ anyone who had been to university in the last 15 years.

Where are your teachers going to come from then ? You going to teach?
Teachers here require a Master's degree, even for Primary school. It's a respected profession in France.
How are teachers perceived in the UK?

 

[Pasty]

Where are your teachers going to come from then ? You going to teach?
Teachers here require a Master's degree, even for Primary school. It's a respected profession in France.
How are teachers perceived in the UK?

Shagging each other.