Will Easter holidays be scrapped to get pupils back up to speed with lessons?
Proposals for exam catch-up classes during the spring break to avoid repeating whole year – but unions warn ‘exhausted’ teachers won’t do it
EASTER holidays could be scrapped to help Scots pupils catch up on lessons they have missed during the pandemic.
Under proposals being discussed by education authorities, teenagers who are studying for national qualifications would be asked to skip the traditional spring break to try to make up for lost time.
And senior students could have to repeat the entire year if they cannot cover enough coursework.
Pupils, families, teachers and Ministers are desperate to avoid that ‘worst-case scenario’ and several options to increase the amount of face-to-face teaching time given are now being explored.
Proposals to ditch Easter holidays would need the backing of teachers, who have signalled they would oppose having to give up their break.
However, one well-informed source said Easter offered an opportunity to make the most of the time left.
They said: ‘A lot of schools have operated Easter revision schools in the past, so I would be surprised if that’s not looked at locally – but potentially it could be looked at nationally as well.
‘In terms of this year’s certification, obviously Easter is a chance to do a bit of extra in-school learning that would help pupils catch up.
‘There’s no prospect of the Easter holidays being normal – we’ll certainly not be going abroad and I’m not even convinced we’ll be at the point of holidaying in Scotland. Having to repeat a year is seen as a worst-case scenario and people want to avoid that.
‘There is a possibility of not being able to get young people back to school to the level they need to be to cover their courses.’
The Scottish Government announced last week that it hopes to let early learning centres and P1-3 return full-time from February 22, with a very limited return for older pupils who need to complete practical work.
But tens of thousands of senior pupils have no idea when they will be back behind their desks for lessons in core subjects such as English and maths.
One estimate suggests they could receive some in-school teaching from mid-March, under a blended learning model.
This year’s exams have been cancelled and teacher gradings will be used as the basis for awarding qualifications.
But pupils and teachers face a race against time to cover enough of the curriculum and carry out proper assessments after losing months of in-school lessons.
If schools cannot teach enough to allow pupils to be awarded qualifications, the students could be forced to repeat a year.
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has extended the deadline for teacher estimates from May 28 to June 18.
Many schools already run Easter revision classes for students sitting National 5s, Higher and Advanced Higher exams.
Any move towards more formal classes would depend on rates of Covid infection continuing to fall enough for Ministers to allow more senior pupils to go to school.
The insider said: ‘Given that a lot of young people won’t have covered the full course, it is more likely the focus in the Easter period would be trying to cover more of the course.
‘The only issue, for me is whether there’s a national approach to it, negotiated with the unions, that encourages lots of staff to be in secondary schools, or whether it is a more local approach as it has been in previous years, with the Easter revisions.’
However, Jane Peckham, the Scotland national officer of teaching union NASUWT, said: ‘Our position would be to resist any moves to encroach on the Easter holidays and compel teachers to provide catch up classes. Teachers and school leaders have not had a proper break since the pandemic began and are working flat-out to keep learning happening in a constantly changing education world.
‘The profession is already completely exhausted and need time away from work to recharge as best they can or they will eventually collapse, which will produce an even larger crisis for the system subsequently.’
EIS union general secretary Larry Flanagan said: ‘Teachers are working extremely hard to support young people’s learning in the current uniquely challenging circumstances.
‘Whilst Easter revision classes are routinely made available to students, the EIS is clear that
‘Teachers are already working flat-out’
participation by teachers could be on a voluntary basis only and would require to be appropriately remunerated.’
Last night, a spokesman for the Scottish Government said: ‘We confirmed plans this week to allow limited numbers of pupils in S4-6 to return to school from February 22 to complete practical work that is essential for completing national qualifications.
‘There are no plans to ask pupils to go to school during the Easter holidays. However we are considering what further support may be provided.’