Anger over council plans to cut school Christmas holidays

A Scottish council has sparked outrage by unveiling plans to slash the time pupils get off at Christmas.

Bosses at the City of Edinburgh want to extend the school summer holidays from six to seven weeks.

But their proposal would see teachers and pupils in school for more days over the festive period instead.

It’s feared the move, if rubber-stamped, could be rolled out by councils across the country.

Parents and teaching unions last night warned it could result in more road accidents, harm the education of children and cause major inconvenience to working families.

Alan McKenzie, general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association, said: “The period between Christmas and the Easter break is the longest and is always very fraught. Teachers and pupils need a good break before it.

“Also, I don’t think an extra week in the summer serves any purpose and parents will struggle to provide more childcare.

“The usual length of time for the summer break is six weeks in Scotland. That’s enough.”

He added: “There’s always an element of copycatting between councils and I’m concerned more will want to follow Edinburgh’s plans.”

The proposals would see pupils spend seven weeks off during the summer of 2015, 2016 and 2017 compared to the six weeks they’ll get this year.

Also, the Christmas breaks starting in December 2016 and 2017 would be just over a week-and-a-half long rather than the current two-and-a-half weeks.

Time off is even shorter for teachers who are required to come in a day before pupils each January.

Plans for beyond 2018 have yet to be drawn up.

Alan McKenzie described the move to trade days off at Christmas with the summer as “madness” . He said: “The weather is normally worse then. It seems unwise to be spending more time traveling to school when roads tend to be less safe.

“It’s a shame for children that they’ll lose days off at Christmas, given it’s a time for family.”

Tina Woolnough, of the National Parent Forum of Scotland, said: “Less than two weeks at Christmas is not enough. Children are tired at that time of year. Teaching staff are worn out too.

“It’s no good for teaching and learning to reduce the break they get then, when they need it.

“Similarly, it’s hard enough for parents to provide child care for six weeks let alone seven.

“Mums and dads might have to take different weeks off to try to cover during the summer.

“That will put a strain on families.

“A number of parent councils are concerned and will be objecting to the plans.”

Eileen Prior, executive director of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council, said: “There are already concerns that long summer holidays lead to a dip in pupils’ attainment. It takes their eye off the academic ball for too long.

“The long summer holidays go back to Scotland’s agrarian history when many pupils were needed to help with harvests.

“These days there’s no need for such a long break.”

The council is running a consultation on the plans which will end on March 28.