SHORTER SCHOOL SUMMER BREAK NOT RULED OUT
MINISTER CONSIDERING CUTTING SUMMER HOLS TO MAKE UP FOR LOST LEARNING
SHORTENING the school summer holidays remains under consideration in Wales, with a longer Christmas break also a possibility.
The Welsh Government has confirmed “all options remain on the table” when it comes to catching up and it is actively seeking views on how to meet the needs of learners most affected by school closures during lockdowns.
The idea of shortening the long summer holiday to make up for lost learning after a year of disrupted education has been floated several times by education minister Kirsty Williams.
And she did so again during a live online Welsh Government question and answer session.
Answering questions from members of the public on
Wednesday, she said: “Children will need to have a break this summer, and if we were to shorten the summer holidays in any way at all, we would want to make sure that time was reorganised later in the year. We are feeling much more hopeful as the vaccine is coming forward and giving us real hope.”
She also said the concern among scientists around the risk of Covid re-emerging in the winter months was also a factor.
“We need to be aware of the fact that our scientists are concerned about what Covid might do in the autumn and the winter,” she said.
“There is a debate to be had about whether we have a slightly shorter summer holiday and then add those weeks on to the Christmas holidays when we think, maybe, we could find ourselves with a bit of challenging situation again.”
On the subject of extra hours to
help with the catch-up, the education minister said they had to be careful not to “overload” children.
“We don’t want to get them back, and then overwhelm them with extra, extra lessons. We have to think about what is best for children and making sure it is sustainable for them and having a longer term plan, not just for this year but further academic years,” she said.
In England, it was announced this week that secondary schools will be asked to consider delivering face-to-face summer schools as part of efforts to help pupils catch up.
An extra £400m in funding has been announced, along with £300m announced for catch-up projects in January. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the money will help ensure “no child is left behind” due to the pandemic.
Teachers, experts and unions called the money a “good start” – but warned about overwhelming pupils and teachers.
Ms Williams said the topic of shortening the summer holidays was not a new debate, saying: “There has long been a debate in education about whether we organise our academic year in a way that is best for children, and best for learning.
“We do know that that sixweek summer period can be really, really challenging and many professionals will tell you about how the first weeks in the autumn term, in a normal year, is about reacquainting with the school and catching up and getting them back to where they were when they left the school at the beginning of the summer.
“This is not a new phenomena, nor is it a new debate.”
There is no date for when all schoolchildren in Wales will all return to the classroom, but it is hoped they will all be back after the Easter holidays.
By contrast, all pupils in England will return to classrooms from March 8 as part of the first step of a roadmap for easing England’s lockdown.
Attempts in Wales to extend the last summer term for a week to help children catch up after months of closure had to be ditched after an outcry from local education authorities and unions.
Most of Wales’ 22 councils told schools they could not open for more time due to staff contracts.
And earlier this week, Eithne Hughes, director of the Association
of School and College Leaders Cymru, said she thought the idea of a shorter summer break was “a non starter”.
“If we are talking about some sort of summer school and making it mandatory will that be seen by children as punishment?” she said. “Children have had a really tough time and if we force school on them during summer holidays when many aren’t used to going to school after so long away, how will that work? “If this comes at a time when they could travel or visit family or friends will they become resentful?
“If a scheme is voluntary who is it going to reach?
“Will it reach those who are hardest to reach?
“More does not equal better. School should be about quality not quantity.
“The most important thing about school is to educate. “To do that effectively you need to engage not disengage people.”
We don’t want to get them back, and then overwhelm them with extra, extra lessons
Education Minister Kirsty Williams