13th November 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Parents in England are currently protesting against the government’s ban on parents taking their children on holiday during term time. Those behind the campaign are saying that families cannot always afford the higher cost of holidays during school vacation times, and argue that parents should be free to organise holidays when they can. Other arguments include that parents should have the right to organise family holidays to fit their own schedule, as some destinations are better visited at certain times of year. For example the short winter break doesn’t leave enough room for skiing holidays, and travel to very hot countries is not as desirable over the summer months. The department for education has said that giving schools more freedom to set terms dates potentially allows more flexibility in the holiday schedule, however most schools have said that they will broadly stick to the original schedule regardless of freedom to do otherwise.
Some parents compensate for having holidays during term time by arranging for a tutor to travel with them, whilst others engage tutors over the long summer break. Taking a tutor on holiday is an increasingly common request, and agencies now receive requests for tutors for periods ranging from a week to 3 months. These jobs are usually very lucrative for tutors and are therefore very sought after. Travel and accommodation are included, in addition to pay of up to £1000 a week, a sum which some parents are willing to pay to ensure that their children do not fall behind. The motto seems to be ‘work hard, play hard’, and students can expect to spend several hours a day studying before they are rewarded with leisure time.
The government has raised questions about irresponsible parents taking children out of school during term time, but many parents are more worried about the effect of the long summer break on their children’s education. The long break can last for up to eight weeks depending on the school, and during this time parents have to pay for childcare for an extended period, as well as the fact that eight weeks out of school often means that children fall behind. Hiring tutors over the summer is a popular move, with some coming once or twice a week to ensure that students do not forget their lessons and fall behind. Others are more rigorous, requiring tutors to come each weekday when the family is not away, mimicking the school day with the use of tutors for multiple subjects. Although intense summer tuition is lucrative for them, most tutors will agree that hot-housing children over the summer break is not a good idea. Hiring a tutor to come once or twice a week is a good way to ensure they make a good start in the next academic year, but it is crucial that students have holidays from their studies, whenever they occur in the year.