why do kids get the summer off?

clairefontaine

I heard it was a hangover from when kids helped to work the farm?

Where does this tradition come from, why so much time off?

And what do teachers do during the summer months? Do they have the summer off too or do that have to do training?

Big Bag of Chips

Kids get the summer off to give them a break!

Do you have kids?

I know by the time May/June comes around mine are dragging themselves around. They love school, have no trouble in school enjoy going in. But it gets to that time of year and you can sense a difference in them.

Teachers also need the break. Have you tried standing in front of 30 kids (4-12 year olds) 5 days a week. Or up to 9 different groups of 13-18 year olds 5 days a week? Trying to explain something and keep control, and deal with varying abilities, and deal with everything else that comes with having a large number of children in the same small space everyday...

And then there's the parents

It's not easy, and it's not the type of job you can sit at your desk and hide from people for a while if you're having a ropey day. It's not easy. And it's not a job I'd fancy!

Lisha

'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy and Jill a dull girl'!

clairefontaine

They need two and half months off? Why the whole summer?

Big Bag of Chips

Our kids finish the end of June and go back the last week of August... That's less than 2 months.

Kids are kids. Long enough they'll be in full time employment. Do you want them spending 12 months a year in school, with the mandatory 20 odd days holidays that adults get? Do you think that would benefit them more than the current set up? Do you have a problem with the kids getting the holidays or the teachers?

Any teachers I know enjoy the holiday benefits.. obviously. But in my opinion they earn them. And while they might seem to get "paid for their holidays" they are in fact getting paid for only the time spent working but just spaced out over 12 months.

Kind of the opposite of insurance companies telling you they are giving you 12 months cover for the price of 10. They are actually giving you 12 months cover for the price of 12.. but you are paying a bit extra for those 10 months to get 2 months "free" at the end!

clairefontaine

I'm just wondering how hey came up with this schedule and did have to do with farming?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

clairefontaine wrote: »

I heard it was a hangover from when kids helped to work the farm?

Where does this tradition come from, why so much time off?

And what do teachers do during the summer months? Do they have the summer off too or do that have to do training?

Because there's a world outside of a classroom that's just as important (if not more so) than the world inside one.

Big Bag of Chips

I don't know if it goes back to farming. It's probably more to do with the seasons and nature.. which dictate farming. Most people take "summer holidays" purely because there's a better chance of good weather.

Crops are weather dependant too, so farming (and life... Getting very deep and philosophical now!) works around the seasons.

But I have no clue about the history of education and farming, or the link between the two in Ireland, so am just guessing all that!!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

I don't know if it goes back to farming. It's probably more to do with the seasons and nature.. which dictate farming. Most people take "summer holidays" purely because there's a better chance of good weather.

Crops are weather dependant too, so farming (and life... Getting very deep and philosophical now!) works around the seasons.

But I have no clue about the history of education and farming, or the link between the two in Ireland, so am just guessing all that!!

Possibly, but then sports calenders also work aournd the summer season break concept.

looksee

Yes, it does go back to farming and children being needed for haying and harvesting.