Open schools over summer

It will be impossible to have all children at school all of the time, so why not start rotating groups of children to attend school during a 2 or 3 week rotation? This could start during the normal school summer holiday time.
Waiting for schools to go back until after the traditional summer holidays could result in an autumnal 2nd peak, just when colds and flu season is starting again.
Why not start schools with very, very low numbers now then gradually build up over the summer and beyond?

Why the contribution is important

Allows some level of formal education to start sooner.
Avoids larger numbers of pupils starting at the same time in Aug/Sept.

by dago on May 08, 2020 at 12:33PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 2.8
Based on: 19 votes

Comments

  • Posted by LMD2020 May 08, 2020 at 13:10

    Kids have been working hard, doing homeschool during a very stressful period. They need the downtime offered by the summer holidays. Cutting that short could be more negative than positive. Schools also need time to work out how to effectively accommodate children at school at the same time as implementing physical distancing.

  • Posted by jes1318 May 08, 2020 at 13:11

    I think people should be able to try to have a ‘normal’ summer. Lots of people have already had to change work plans hugely and although most people will not be going on holiday in the summer due to the pandemic, I think it’s important to try to ease back into normal life as we usually would.

  • Posted by Mandyintdesign May 08, 2020 at 13:15

    Holidays are protected by unions. This would also have a negative long term impact.

  • Posted by gilldougall May 08, 2020 at 13:23

    Teachers have been working all this time. They need a break over the summer! So do the pupils.

  • Posted by highlandgal May 08, 2020 at 13:36

    Teachers are working now, who would teach in the summer holidays?

  • Posted by mcintyro May 08, 2020 at 13:42

    I think it is important to get secondary pupils back to a formal learning environment and make up for lost time. It is important that those pupils impacted by Covid-19 are not perceived to be less-well educated or disadvantaged when competing for University places or jobs.

  • Posted by Cheryl May 08, 2020 at 14:05

    School staff are not contracted to work during the summer break. I think a lot of these suggestions to open schools during the summer is more a childcare issue rather than an educational work.

  • Posted by LPkj May 08, 2020 at 17:23

    We most certainly will not have a normal summer anyhow, with many restrictions still in place. My child can't concentrate on school work at home, especially being worried about the current situation, and gets very little done. We need a bit of normality with schools opening as soon as possible.

  • Posted by VCloud May 08, 2020 at 21:42

    I think we should use this as an opportunity to review working practices for teachers. Most people only get 28 days a year yet teachers and pupils get 12/13 weeks a year. This is an added stress and expense for many people who then decide not to work because cost of child care becomes expensive. Reduce the holidays and it might make it easier for a
    Lot of people. I appreciate that teacher have found this a stressful time but they will get 6 weeks off to recover. I don’t know many teachers (including heads) who spend their summer holidays working. I imagine whatever solution they are attempting to work up for going back is either being done now or will be done in the few days leading up to them returning im August. Therefore cut the holidays short and of not then reduce the holidays over the next few years.

  • Posted by InglishTeecher May 09, 2020 at 10:21

    In response to the poster calling for teachers’ holidays to be shortened:

    If teachers’ holidays are reduced, it will need to be on a paid basis, whether this is just for this year, or as part of a longer-term plan. Teachers are paid for 195 working days and 40 holidays per year. The remaining 135 days are designated as “school closure” days and teachers are not paid for them.

    If these days were no longer “school closure” but normal working days, teachers would need to be paid around £16,000 to £24,000 extra gross per year, depending on where they are on the pay scale. For Headteachers in the biggest schools, this figure would be around £57,000 extra each. Even taking the lowest figure and the 2017 teacher numbers, this is around £816,000,000.

    I am sure that there are many teachers who would be happy to have such a pay increase in return for an extra 135 working days, but, aside from the fact that this is not economically viable, there will be many who value “holidays” above pay and would leave. We already have a recruitment and retention crisis - this suggestion isn’t going to make it better.

  • Posted by hannah_smith May 10, 2020 at 20:19

    Most workers, across a variety of sectors, are making several sacrifices - across salary, holidays, and hours of work. Why are teachers somehow exempt from that?

      I agree that given these exceptional circumstances, the summer holidays should be suspended and schools trying to resume (perhaps on a rota or staggered-work-day) basis?

    Schools reopening would allow families who are trying to continue to work - from home or otherwise - the opportunity to do so, helping our economic recovery.

  • Posted by InglishTeecher May 11, 2020 at 17:45

    Yes, many are having to sacrifice. But working 7 weeks’ free overtime? Again, with the retention crisis teaching is currently in the midst of, I feel this would be unwise.
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