Long summer holiday could be split under Plaid plan

Plaid Cymru is proposing to split the long summer holiday

Six-week summer holidays in Wales could be scrapped under proposals from Plaid Cymru to change the school year.

It would mean parents no longer have to take children out of school for cheaper holidays during term time, the party said.

It said the school year was outdated and holidays should be spread through the year.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) said there was no evidence the summer break harmed education.

Plaid said the welfare and achievement of eight to 13-year-olds would be a priority if it is in government after next May's assembly elections.

The proposals would not reduce the amount of time schools spend on holiday overall every year.

Plaid AM Nerys Evans, the party's education spokeswoman, said: "There is a strong case to be made that the current system is not as effective as it should be.

"The way we teach our children has remained constant even though our nation has changed.

"The term structure as it is now is based upon allowing children to help on the farm and harvesting during summer.

"Continuing with it in its present form simply does not take into consideration the challenges of a modern Wales."

She said children, particularly boys, could find it difficult to retain what they had learned after a long summer break.

"Changes will also have added benefits for teachers and parents. The holidays they can take will be more flexible, spread across the year rather than in just one large block," she added.

"This will also allow teachers and families to make the choice between going on holidays in the peak season of summer or at a less expensive time."

However, NUT Cymru principal officer Stuart Williams said: "There's no evidence to suggest that six weeks off in the summer does affect pupils' learning.

"I think those six weeks help teachers recharge their batteries. Their work isn't nine to three-thirty. The vast majority of teachers work at home preparing lessons and marking.

"Having six weeks away from that does teachers good and does children good.

Conservative education spokesman Paul Davies said his party would examine any proposal "which could help reverse Wales' worrying decline in education standards".

Worldwide tests for reading, maths and science published in December showed 15-year-olds in Wales ranked below average.

Mr Davies added: "We have announced plans to directly fund schools to give schools more control over their budgets and empower teachers, parents and governors to make more decisions because they know what is best for their local school rather than Labour-Plaid ministers"

A Welsh Labour spokesman said: "Welsh Labour's education focus is about driving up standards. We will judge all future policy ideas in that context."

Welsh Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Jenny Randerson said: "The evidence suggests that altering the school timetable so that the summer is slightly shorter is a good idea and I would support Plaid's policy in principle.

"Students from poorer backgrounds in particular would benefit from a shorter summer holiday."

But she said the school year was dictated by the exam timetable so changes would need to be introduced in England and Wales.