Shake-up of school year controversial

IT’S been part of the school calendar for generations, but the long school summer holiday may come to an end – if the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru have their way – and some teachers aren’t happy.

Under a three-year deal with Plaid, the Welsh Government says it plans to reform the school year and the school day. While the summer holidays will get shorter, the day will get longer, if the plans go ahead.

Now the Nasuwt’s new national president Angela Butler has warned the Welsh Government that it is on a “collision course with teachers over the plans”.

She does not believe those in charge in Cardiff Bay understand how feelings are running high over the proposed changes, which would, after all, significantly change teachers’ working hours and conditions. Her union, which has the biggest single membership of teachers in Wales at 17,500, has joined other unions in also pointing out the lack of research and evidence showing the benefit to learning from extending the school day.

With more than one in 10 pupils now missing school on average and stubborn absence rates since the start of the pandemic, it is not clear that children want to be in school for longer anyway.

Those eligible for free school meals are less likely to attend. Other ways may have to be found to encourage the less advantaged.

While many working parents struggle to find childcare over the six-week break, others say they and their children value the time off.

It is clear a serious discussion is needed about what schools are for and what teachers do.

The primary purpose of schools and teachers is to educate.

While their children are in classrooms, parents are free to go to work. Some resent that the school day does not reflect their working hours or holidays. Many would say this is their problem and not something teachers and schools need to address.

On the other hand, it seems wasteful to close the valuable resources and venues schools offer throughout the long holidays.

Rather than change the year, public funds could be used to employ teachers, play leaders and child carers to work in schools out of hours.

Whether the long holiday should be spread throughout the year has been debated for a long time and it is a relevant question. Opinions in both camps are strongly felt.

It also remains to be seen whether there is public appetite for curtailing the summer holidays.