After Ofsted chief Sir Martyn Oliver pointed out kids only spend 190 days in school each year, we ask if should school summer holidays be shorter?
Ofsted chief Sir Martyn Oliver has said it’s time to think about shortening kids’ time off school in the summer – but do you think their holidays are too long?
The UK’s chief schools inspector pointed towards the fact that children are only in school for 190 days of 365 each year after holidays and teacher training days are excluded – amounting to 52% of the year in total.
Sir Martyn said that six-week summer holidays can cause ‘dysregulation in pupils’ – where children, particularly those who are vulnerable or disadvantaged, slip out of discipline and routine.
“I think 190 days of children going in out of 365 – I think the question should be ‘is that long enough’?” he told LBC Radio.
“After a six-week holiday in the summer, that is when you’re often dealing with – we call it ‘dysregulation’ – when pupils are out of the routine of attending school regularly,” he said.
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“Once you have a big break, it makes it quite difficult.
“I think it probably is time to think about school holidays again. Some areas of the country have got slightly shorter summer holidays and equalled out the holidays so that you don’t go one week, two weeks, six weeks.”
The Conservative government previously floated the idea of shortening school summer holidays as part of their Covid-19 catch up plan. The measure was later shelved.
However, calls to get kids in school for longer to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on young people have remained – with shorter summer holidays being one of the possible measures floated.
What do you think? Should school holidays be shorter? Take our poll and have your say in the comments below.
