Letters: School holidays should end after Waitangi Day

School should not go back until after Waitangi Day, says a reader. Photo / Getty

It has often been mentioned that late January and early February is too hot for students to be in classrooms.

It is rather appalling that a member of Parliament is advocating a five-week end-of-year break for schools.

School holidays over the past years have often been thought of as seven weeks. Some countries overseas have up to 10 weeks as summer vacations.

My suggestion is to nationally resume school after Waitangi Day. Schools like to finish as early as possible for Christmas so prefer to start early in January to allow this.

Having a full January holiday allows families to stagger travel and accommodation bookings at heavy booking times.

Some families with both parents working like schools to babysit their children and go back early, perhaps. But surely it is family time together in January.

Maybe a one-week break between terms two and three would help balance the school year to keep schools closed beginning of February.

Possibly the Government could set universal dates for school holidays as suggested, as it is left to each school to decide.

I find it shocking that schools are creeping back to opening in January. It is a rat race.

Well done the few schools that do not open until February.

Alan Lord
Springfield

What a load of rubbish

Regarding Nicola Willis' idea to make school holidays shorter (Opinion, January 29). What a load of rubbish.

Having a long summer break is more beneficial to children than sitting in a hot classroom trying to concentrate on learning, while staring out the window dreaming about swimming in the river or playing around with friends.

Having children is a privilege that comes with a responsibility to care for them. This responsibility should not be passed to schools or out-of-school programmes.

If you are not prepared to shoulder this responsibility, then DON'T HAVE CHILDREN! Leave this to those who really care.

Tom Grason
Taupō

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