Education and the Holiday Gap

The British Education system has its diary and calendar all messed up, doesn't it?

Here's the big idea:

School Holidays are off, replaced with a year round model, to close the Holiday Gap.

Yes, this is a huge suggestion and likely to firstly incur the wrath of a teacher class that works just 195 days out of the 260 available working days per year. Given that the mandatory number of holidays for those employed per year lies at 28 days (and even that can include Bank Holidays) there's a holiday gap of precisely 42 days. 42 days! That's 16% of the working day year - and a huge great potential opportunity cost for parents, and the economy.

How would the gap be closed?

Quite simply - from all sides. The school day would stretch to 5.15pm. The statutory holiday rate should go up, from 28 to 38 days - and school holiday for teachers and students should be reduced from 65 to 38.

Teachers would be compensated through a 17% pay rise and an extra 1% contribution to their pensions. Bearing in mind the length of day and length of term are increased.

What would the extra time be used for?

That is easy! This doesn't have to be "teaching time", it can be "learning time" in other ways. Perhaps the many softer and non-services related skills we miss in the state system.

We have a robust educational curriculum, let's do more sport, art, crafts and vocation! Children could learn skills that will not be AI'd out of existence. Whilst many will mock if there's a picture a child mixing mortar and laying brick - one of the most fulfilling things in life is to work with your hands.

What would be wrong with learning elements of future trade roles, or art and other ancient skills? Plus - across sport, there's more to sport than just playing. Coaching, refereeing, managing, groundswork - so much to fill children's days! After school clubs could become during term clubs.

Organisations like scouts and forest rangers could be bought in to run curriculum. The emergency services and armed forces could operate cadet programmes throughout the year. Public speaking, politics and debate could be encouraged. Acting and creative projects - as well as possibly business skills could also be developed using all this new time.

Finally - Home Economics could return with gusto - growing your own food, cooking skills, household budgeting.

What about the impact on kids?

Here lies the value of a proper trial with several schools over a year. To create this policy requires data - it may be it is totally unsuitable, it may be it is totally suitable.

Kids come home from school tired - but they don't just fall asleep! Much of the time is also active. There's also the reams of after school clubs. Properly planned and managed there's no reason why this couldn't work.

How would it be funded?

Teachers could be offered either longer hours and higher pay, or shift-work. So the labour gap would be filled. Given not all of the time would be in purely educational circumstances - different forms of adult supervision would be viable. (Notwithstanding the maintenance of high levels of safeguarding.)

Before that, though, it should be modelled as to whether the increase in working days incurs an increase in overall tax yield. Perhaps it could also be trialled with an extra-ordinary budget for 1-year in a cluster of council areas - via a lottery. Phased in to avoid a huge culture shock.

Conclusion:

The UK school system fundamentally interferes with the working lives of parents - in a way that isn't assistive, but rather disruptive.

It hasn't fundamentally changed in 100 years. To change it requires a new model and that model needs testing - the funding can be estimated through the pilot scheme needs and the outcome for local productivity and wellbeing.