The summer holidays are nearly here, and with them the chance for children and teachers to truly relax after a long academic year. It also means parents are scrambling to make sure that they have childcare arrangements in hand, and checking that they are covered for the extra expense which comes with having their children at home for six weeks.
Many of us look back fondly on the long summer breaks of our youths. But as more and more teachers leave the profession citing burnout, and the cost of living and inflexible working conditions make things harder for parents, the wisdom of keeping the traditional break is less clear.
So, should we get rid of the six-week summer holiday? Teacher Nadeine Asbali, father James Dixon and education academic Lee Elliot Major give their perspectives.
My family is no longer being punished by the school calendar. Our children are beyond school age, releasing us from the annual injustice of paying vastly over-inflated prices for summer holidays and the stress of overcrowded airports struggling to cope with the mass migration of families each July and August.
At least this was respite from the military planning exercise we needed over the long six-week break, co-ordinating ageing grandparents, friends and other trusted adults to keep our children safe and entertained.
