The ridiculous school-holiday mismatch

One of the most inconceivably ridiculous inventions of all time is the school holiday. Just when the kids are getting used to the routine of getting up, washed, breakfast, cleaning teeth and such like, the teachers decide to take jolly long time off and close the classrooms.

"Bugger off kids, your parents have been saving for this all term, go and suck on their minuscule incomes instead of bothering us."

How come we have devised school and work schedules that fit together in exactly the same way a 15lb Cod fits into a ski boot?

This leaves the children bouncing round the house, whining for new toys, destroying their fragile discipline regimes and, what's worse, one of you, usually the one that earns the least, will have to take time off work to look after the little dears.

In New Zealand that means trips to the park, the beach, the softplay, the museum, the pool, the beach, the park, softplay... repeat until your eyes sink into the sockets, your brain dissolves and you turn into a zombie.

And in NZ most firms give you just four weeks holiday a year compared to the childrens' 12. Any other time you take off is therefore unpaid, to be financed by hard-won savings, and that's if your boss is kind enough to let you go... many aren't leaving a desperate struggle to find after-school childcare and an another expensive bill which makes working seem pointless.

Devised by berks
While we're at it, why is the shool day until 3pm and the work day until 5pm. Who invented these bloody things.

It wouldn't be so bad if governments around the world hadn't pushed so hard for both parents to have high-powered careers, to suite their own macro-economic aspirations.

Instead of one parent having a daily routine uttlerly opposite the children's, now both parents must manage the mismatch, and in our house that means arguments over whose career is more important and who can afford the time off work.

Fishy
This might make it sound as if I don't want to raise children at all. But I do. I love them to bits, as any parent loves their kids. But how come we have devised school and work schedules that fit together in exactly the same way a 15lb Cod fits into a ski boot, and forces parents into marginal part-time work or jobs well below their capabilities.

School should be 8.30 til 5.30, work from 9 til 5 both with core hours and flexible working outside the core. And everybody should get 8 weeks holiday a year, synchronised together. What the hell are we all about if it's not to support parents and children for the future of the country?

Now I have anecdotal evidence that New Zealand is actually better at managing the school-work mismatch than other countries I could mention (you listening UK?), some NZ firms, I hear, are sympathetic to flexible hours, home working, and the school run.

So I'd like to hear from you if you have a story to tell about this. Are NZ workplaces really flexible enough to fit with the school year and a child's daily schedule?

Comments

[Sarah]

It's a tough one indeed! I'm at home with my young one at the moment, but they'll come a time when they're all in school and I'll be looking for some kind of work - but finding something that fits around school holidays is not easy. All schools offer very reasonably priced after school care, but on the school holidays it's up to the parents to look for holiday programs - which get booked up quickly and are expensive. This also means organised thinking well in advance for busy parents.

I am well aware that I will most probably take on a job that is below my capabilities to fit around my children's needs - or work in a caring profession, such as teaching, so I can have the holidays alongside the children. However, growing up with a mother who was a teacher, I know that teachers do a lot of work over the holidays and during term time often work late every night on planning and paper-work. My mother would regularly have to dedicate at least one afternoon or morning of her weekend to school work.

I like your proposal for 8 week's holiday all round and the hours - certainly for older children - but too long for primary.

I shall look forward to hearing other interesting replies to your thought provoking post!

[William Knight]

I've been thinking about this oft cited idea that a full day is too long for younger children.

My three year old comes home from pre-school at 3.30 full of beans, charges round the house, shouts the odds and is in every way NOT exhausted. She could do 9-5 as long as it was done sympathetically with nap-time, play-time, food-time etc. Pre-schools, because the respond to parents actual needs, are often 9-5 with flexible pick up in any case.

[Sarah]

Yes, William you are most probably right - but I would miss my girl too much! I'm one of those crazy parents that actually looks forward to the school holidays and loves school pick up at 3pm, so we can have some fun together.

Thankfully, I'm delighted to have the opportunity to be a stay at home Mum and see this as the most truly rewarding job I've ever had (though of course not in monetary terms!). It doesn't take much to make me happy these days, I live for the simple life. Others may look in at my life and say I've made big sacrifices - but it's just a matter of perspective. I feel very fortunate that as a family we can afford to live on one income and I take pride in making the home an organized, fun and happy place for every member of the family.

Year's ago, when at Uni, I never would have dreamed of thinking along such a 1950's trajectory! It's just great to live in a century whereby I have options (especially as a woman). I could easily have followed the high powered career option, earning big bucks to afford a nanny after school and school holiday care. But I haven't chosen that, because I am truly happy with the 'simple' life! I'm even dreaming of moving out to the country and getting me some hens!

[bettyl]

Even without the 'holiday' breaks, the Stratford schools are ALWAYS having some sort of days off--if not for the primary school, then for the high school. I don't see how they can learn anything...what am I saying!! They don't! I had to teach both my stepkids how to do math and actually use the dictionary for 'spelling' words. Why know how to spell if you don't know what it means?! **hrumph*

[Val]

The situation is the same here in the states. I currently do home child care to help defray family expenses, and I have worked within the schools in the past so that my schedule could coincide with our children.

I'm not sure that the answer is a longer day of school, but rather more flexible situations at the work place. Parents could possibly work it out with a friend (or their spouse) so that folks take turns getting out around 3 to watch the kids (whether just their own, or a neighbor's children as well so that both families could take turns). Perhaps each parent could go on a rotating schedule of 3 days early, 2 days late.

I do have an objection to the article. As a former teacher, I can assure you that it is not the teachers who want to take a 'jolly long time off'. The school districts make that decision, and usually it is based on finances. If NZ is anything like here in the states, Education is one of the last programs to be properly funded. It would be the city planners or budget makers who have decided that the govt. does not want to pay for year-round schooling.

To be honest, I wouldn't enjoy that idea either! Do we really want to pass off the care of our children to someone else for so long a period of time? The breakdown of the family (as we term it around here).

To say that the teachers want a jolly time off is clearly in ignorance of how most teachers spend their holiday time. If they aren't grading papers, writing up lesson plans (and even creating curriculum in many cases), doing inventory, ordering (and checking, and then often setting up/organizing) those supplies is only the beginning.

Teachers have to attend many meetings over the summer to discuss educational plans for the next year. They have to incorporate new buzz terms and buzz ideas into the next year's curriculum (because it is en vogue that year, and even worse - their funding often depends on them implementing the new buzz ideas properly and effectively).

Teachers will be asked to be part of hiring committees for new teachers, and/or be a part of planning projects for improvements to the school. They'll spend at least 2 weeks before each school term setting up their classroom and attending many long, tiresome meetings.

Each time there is some safety concern, new procedures are implemented (which means, of course, that the teachers must then attend training sessions for those procedures). This is all done so that your little dears have a safe and happy experience at school.

Teachers must often act as surrogate parent, counselor, instructor, baby-sitter, disciplinarian (although these days, folks call discipline under many different terms) all while looking out for drug use, parent abuse and neglect, personal issues the child might want to speak to someone about....all on top of trying to give each and every child the individual attention they deserve. Have you ever stood in front of a class of 30 kids for 40 minutes teaching a lesson and managed to give each of those 30 children 'individual attention'?

As a mother, I definitely understand that child care is an issue. I'm lucky that my current income is at home, or that if I work outside of the home it is in the school setting. Many parents are not, and struggle with folks who simply do not understand all of the dynamics.

In conclusion: what we need are alternative ways for parents and their community can find ways to care for their children when the school day is done. I believe that banding together and getting employers to be more open to alternative plans can be a really great answer.

[Val]

The situation is the same here in the states. I currently do home child care to help defray family expenses, and I have worked within the schools in the past so that my schedule could coincide with our children.

I'm not sure that the answer is a longer day of school, but rather more flexible situations at the work place. Parents could possibly work it out with a friend (or their spouse) so that folks take turns getting out around 3 to watch the kids (whether just their own, or a neighbor's children as well so that both families could take turns). Perhaps each parent could go on a rotating schedule of 3 days early, 2 days late.

I do have an objection to the article. As a former teacher, I can assure you that it is not the teachers who want to take a 'jolly long time off'. The school districts make that decision, and usually it is based on finances. If NZ is anything like here in the states, Education is one of the last programs to be properly funded. It would be the city planners or budget makers who have decided that the govt. does not want to pay for year-round schooling.

To be honest, I wouldn't enjoy that idea either! Do we really want to pass off the care of our children to someone else for so long a period of time? The breakdown of the family (as we term it around here).

To say that the teachers want a jolly time off is clearly in ignorance of how most teachers spend their holiday time. If they aren't grading papers, writing up lesson plans (and even creating curriculum in many cases), doing inventory, ordering (and checking, and then often setting up/organizing) those supplies is only the beginning.

Teachers have to attend many meetings over the summer to discuss educational plans for the next year. They have to incorporate new buzz terms and buzz ideas into the next year's curriculum (because it is en vogue that year, and even worse - their funding often depends on them implementing the new buzz ideas properly and effectively).

Teachers will be asked to be part of hiring committees for new teachers, and/or be a part of planning projects for improvements to the school. They'll spend at least 2 weeks before each school term setting up their classroom and attending many long, tiresome meetings.

Each time there is some safety concern, new procedures are implemented (which means, of course, that the teachers must then attend training sessions for those procedures). This is all done so that your little dears have a safe and happy experience at school.

Teachers must often act as surrogate parent, counselor, instructor, baby-sitter, disciplinarian (although these days, folks call discipline under many different terms) all while looking out for drug use, parent abuse and neglect, personal issues the child might want to speak to someone about....all on top of trying to give each and every child the individual attention they deserve. Have you ever stood in front of a class of 30 kids for 40 minutes teaching a lesson and managed to give each of those 30 children 'individual attention'?

As a mother, I definitely understand that child care is an issue. I'm lucky that my current income is at home, or that if I work outside of the home it is in the school setting. Many parents are not, and struggle with folks who simply do not understand all of the dynamics.

In conclusion: what we need are alternative ways for parents and their community can find ways to care for their children when the school day is done. I believe that banding together and getting employers to be more open to alternative plans can be a really great answer.

[thailand holidays]

Another good book to read for my travels. From the review, the suspense is very much engaging. Perfect for long flights.