Should the summer holidays be reduced in Irish schools?

Are our children getting too long for their summer holidays?

UK pupils are given six weeks off in summer, but experts think it should be reduced to four.

Pupils in England get less time away from school than Irish students, but should Irish pupils get less time off during the summer?

Not only do they get breaks off for Easter and multiple other midterms, but Irish pupils can also look forward to two months away from primary school in summer.

Those in secondary school can get three entire months off, but is it too much?

According to one of the study's authors, Lee Elliot Major, it is "time to consider reforms to a school calendar that has been stuck in place since Victorian times".

He told The Guardian: "Spreading school holidays more evenly across the year makes complete educational sense.

"Improving the wellbeing of pupils and the working lives of teachers at no extra cost, balancing out childcare costs for parents, and potentially boosting academic results for many children."

"Reducing the summer holidays from six weeks to four weeks would still provide adequate time for teachers to recuperate.

"Two-week breaks during the February and October half-terms would give much-needed time off during the most gruelling parts of the academic year."

Would reducing a child's time off during the summer benefit them in Ireland? Let us know what you think.

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