MP calls for a longer school year

Shorter summer break proposed

AUCKLAND: The summer school holidays would be shortened by up to two weeks under a proposal by a National Party list MP.

Nicola Willis says she intends to write a private member’s Bill to implement the idea.

These Bills are debated in Parliament only if selected in the random ballot.

‘‘I think it’s time to talk about whether a sixweek holiday makes sense in 2019,’’ Ms Willis said.

‘‘Should the summer break be shortened to five or even four weeks?’’

Most state and integrated schools open between today and February 7 for a 2019 academic year of up to 41 weeks.

Ms Willis said the reality was that most parents worked, had four weeks’ annual leave and obtaining child care during holidays could pose problems.

‘‘The modern family is juggling child care and work and the school holidays turn the pressure and costs up a notch.’’

‘‘Making the summer break just one week shorter could really help.’’

Most important, Ms Willis said, was that the long summer holiday could harm children’s academic achievement.

‘‘Kids’ literacy abilities can decline over the sixweek break, with one study showing students losing months of progress over summer. Much of term one can be spent getting kids back to where they left off the following year.’’

Ms Willis said teachers worked hard and deserved good holidays. They also needed noncontact time for preparation.

‘‘At the moment, teachers can be required by school boards to attend school for up to 10 days during the 12 weeks of school holidays. What if a portion of those requirements were classroomfocused instead.’’

John Marwick, principal of Forrest Hill School on Auckland’s North Shore, said adding a week or two at the start of the school year could cause problems with longer terms.

‘‘That would be very difficult for 5 and 6yearolds to stay focused for that amount of time.’’

He recalled that a midterm break was needed for the middle term of the old threeterm year.

Teachers’ union NZEI objected to Ms Willis’ plan.

National secretary Paul Goulter said he was disappointed the sector had not been consulted over the proposed changes.

‘‘Unfortunately, she seems to ignore the reality, which is that teachers, because of the pressures that are on them, actually need these breaks. Lots of the time these breaks are taken up catching up with work they have been forced to hold over because of the staffing crisis in schools — they don’t have time to do this work during the school year.’’ — NZME