Last week, we shared the news that Ashley James had spoken on This Morning with Cat Deeley about one of the many issues parents struggle with during the school holidays: the childcare gap. And the comments section on our Instagram account didn’t stop pinging, with readers sharing multiple perspectives on this thorny issue. Even Supernanny herself, Jo Frost, weighed in!
Ashley pointed out that the average child in England and Wales can be off for 13 weeks across the school year, while most parents’ annual leave is 4-5 weeks each, and argued this showed that “the school calendar seems to be stuck in the 1950s. It is designed for a world where women stay at home.”
"Even if people are lucky enough to have grandparents, grandparents are also expected to work longer than they ever had before," Ashley explained. "I think the system is still assuming that someone is at home to pick up the slack or that we have, you know, this average of £1,076 per child [the average bill per child for a summer holiday club], which so many families don't."
So should the school holidays be shorter, to make it easier for parents to share quality time with their children and show up for their contracted hours at work? Some of our readers think so.
One follower, @tina.mallon.71 wrote, “The school holidays are stuck in the 50s. They came about so children could help with the harvest. And unfortunately, teachers are going to have to move with the times.”
@Millie_g100 took it one further, writing, “Not only should holidays be shorter but school days should be longer to fit in with working parents.”
As a parent of a child about to start in Reception in September (like Ashley), this is a topic I’ve been thinking about a lot over the last few months. My parent friends are the same: at every birthday party and play date, the hot topic of conversation is which combination of breakfast club and after-school club they’re considering (most of us), if they're adjusting their work hours (a family with just the one child is), or whether they're enlisting local grandparents to help (a couple of lucky swines are).
I’ve only dared actually mention holiday childcare to one mum, who met me with a laugh so nervous that I had to quickly change the topic. Because, as Ashley says, the disconnect between the school holidays and most parents’ holidays feels daunting – as do the sums of money for holiday clubs.
However, I also worked as a primary school teacher in a former life, so I know all-too well the all-consuming hours that teachers put in throughout the school year, and how exhausted the children become by the end of each term. Learning new things is a wonderful privilege that children in this country are lucky enough to enjoy freely, but it’s also flipping tiring!
Reader @harrietty_h received 14 likes and a round of applause emoji for writing, “I have many close friends in the teaching profession and know how damn hard they work. You think a teacher has it ‘easy’ with a 9-3 day and all the time off for holidays but the reality is they start early, finish late. Often end up running after school clubs, and bring huge amounts of work home – in marking work, coursework, lesson planning, preparation for parents evenings, report writing, and attending school events. Not to mention the huge amount of stress they face daily now, as sadly behaviour issues are increasing, safeguarding etc too.
“I agree six weeks is a long time to have off, but the kids do work hard all year, and they are children – not designed for a 9-5 system with only a few weeks off a year. Something needs to change – maybe shorter terms peppered with more, shorter holidays, or more flexibility in the working world, better funded childcare initiatives etc, but taking away rest and decompression time for children isn’t the answer.”
Similarly, @Emma4174 said, “As a teacher of 24 years, I have to say this holiday is the one where we rest and recharge. Our job (as are many others I know) is exhausting and much as I love it, the needs of the children particularly in this day and age go well above academic needs.”
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Other solutions to the problem
Supernanny Jo Frost weighed in on the debate with a helpful take, saying, “There used to be playcentre summer camps held at secondary and primary schools with different options for the children including an end of school production run by the government. 🤔 Why are we not bringing them back?”
My ears have pricked up at this idea – I love a good school play! And this idea feels like it could offer a great balance for children and families.
Similarly, @Nicolestone1508 had a practical suggestion, “One solution would be to increase the number of funded childcare hours to include primary school children to help cover the costs of holiday camps.”
And @samanthajopro said, “I don’t think the answer is sending the kids to school for longer but rather changes at work. Flexible start and finish hours, creches at work, systems amongst parents where they can take a day off and look after the friends of their children and take turns. Let’s create communities again.”
So what do you think? Should the school holidays be shorter, to fit with the average worker's schedule, should there be greater availability and affordability of childcare, should employers be more flexible around the holidays, or should we be calling on grandparents to pick up the slack? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
