Sir, – I agree with John Doyle (Letters, August 14th). In the interests of disclosure, I am a secondary teacher and am fully aware of how fortunate I am to have such long holidays.
Nevertheless, the trend where the last week or 10 days of August is “eroded” from traditional holidays is like a competitive sport in which participants, ie schools, vie with each other to see who can reopen earliest.
I am not convinced that there is any discernible benefit to students from this practice.
It may also be awkward and confusing for parents with some children still in primary school (who generally return later) and others in secondary school to manage different return dates.
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The fault I believe lies, in part, with the arrangements for the so-called standardised school year.
In their present form, I believe that they are not fit for purpose and, as John Doyle notes, with some schools returning as early as August 21st (the gold medal position?) and others on the 23rd, anything but standardised!
In the interests of certainty, it would be prudent, I believe, for Department of Education circulars governing these arrangements to stipulate that schools – be they primary or secondary – cannot reopen before a certain date in late August.
The present situation is that there is a general expectation that schools return in the week in which September 1st falls.
There is discretion, particularly at secondary level, to start in the preceding week, subject to the requirement that the overall number of days in the school year is completed. – Yours, etc.,
TOM GIBLIN,
Drogheda.
Co Meath.