Thousands of parents across Devon have been lobbying their headteachers to shorten school holidays, with the six-week summer holiday being their most contentious issue. A majority think a shorter winter break would reduce childcare challenges and increase quality time families spend together.
Kingsbridge resident and parent Gail Parrott, one of those who welcomes the short school week, says that the six-week summer holiday is far too long. She explains that it makes it difficult for parents to find places to entertain their children when bad weather comes. “I think they should be about four weeks; that would be kind of perfect,” she stated. Even that’s a little too long, but the teachers should have a good break. Six weeks is just far too long.
Tracey Robins, a stay-home-grandmother from Chudleigh echoes those feelings. At 61, she is particularly challenged by the logistics of childcare with a six-week summer holiday. “I think four weeks yes would be better that way,” she remarked. Tracey explained that even those parents who do have the financial means to take time off find it difficult to manage work commitments with the long school holidays.
Illustrating similar stresses with her own child care options was Lizzie Hughes, a 33-year-old mother dealing the lack of annual leave through school holidays. “A lot of us have young children, so trying to cover the summer holidays, even if we had enough leave, is very difficult,” she said. Her perspective highlights the broader issue many parents face: the challenge of finding adequate childcare while managing their professional obligations.
Manisa Turland, 37, shares such sentiments, aligning in the opinion that there should be a four-week summer break only. She says this rolling start method will help the district be more flexible for parents’ schedule needs. It would free them from the economic weight of exorbitant childcare expenses. In his spare time Alistair Dewhirst is a volunteer driver on the Kingsbridge & District Light Railway. He focused on the key burden of increasing childcare costs. He noted, “Childcare costs are a huge problem for all families… it will be lovely if the government had the money to make childcare costs cheaper but sadly it appears they don’t.”
On Change.org, a group of concerned parents in Devon have campaigned to reduce the length of school holidays from six weeks to four. Arcadia’s Lizzie Hughes recommends a different approach. It includes an additional week at Christmas, plus one week at either Easter or in October. This policy ensures extra holiday time is more fairly distributed throughout the year. At the same time, it would reduce the squeeze on families during busy times.
Prof. Lee Elliot Major, an education policy expert joined the discussion. He stressed the need to know the historical narrative behind the academic calendar. He pointed out that the current structure is a relic from Victorian-era America. He proposed that we reexamine this patchwork system to serve today’s families more effectively.
It’s great to see parents getting involved in these important conversations about the future of school holidays. Most of them would prefer a more nuanced approach that recognizes educational goals in the context of today’s family life.
