The Kintyre Forum

Has anyone else noticed how few days our children are actually at school in April? The following link also confirms the schools are off (along with teachers and all council workers) on 29th April 2011. Who actually agrees these holidays and do they have any idea how difficult covering child care actually is? The schools were hardly back from the festive break and the kids were off for a week in ferbruary! That week is the most pointless week of all!

http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/news/2011 ... al-wedding

Schools closed for royal wedding
Published Date:
10/03/2011 - 15:15

At the Executive meeting of the council today (Thursday 10 March) councillors agreed to give council employees an extra day’s holiday to celebrate the royal wedding on Friday 29 April.

As a result of this schools across the council area will also be closed. More details will be given to parents from their own schools nearer the time.

ultraviolet wrote:Who actually agrees these holidays

At the Executive meeting of the council today (Thursday 10 March) councillors agreed to give council employees an extra day’s holiday to celebrate the royal wedding on Friday 29 April.

As a result of this schools across the council area will also be closed.

I think you answered your own question.

The schools have always been closed for the first two weeks of April ever since the Easter holidays were fixed some years ago. Good Friday and Easter Monday - statutory holidays - fall outwith the fixed holiday this year, as Easter is a 'moveable feast' (church definition). Consequently pupils would only ever have attended for 8 days in April this session and this has been known for nearly two years. In fact, they probably only attend for about 8 days in any April, unless Easter falls in March.

The Royal Wedding adds only one to the number of days' holiday the kids would have had anyway. As for the 'pointless' February week, let's remember that, while the pupils had five days off at that point, staff only had two. I suppose it depends on how you look at things whether you'd define staff training as 'pointless'.

WC1 wrote:The schools have always been closed for the first two weeks of April ever since the Easter holidays were fixed some years ago. Good Friday and Easter Monday - statutory holidays - fall outwith the fixed holiday this year, as Easter is a 'moveable feast' (church definition). Consequently pupils would only ever have attended for 8 days in April this session and this has been known for nearly two years. In fact, they probably only attend for about 8 days in any April, unless Easter falls in March.

Yes very true. Difficult to cover all the same.

WC1 wrote:The Royal Wedding adds only one to the number of days' holiday the kids would have had anyway.

It may ONLY add one day to holidays the kids AND teachers have but at what expense to the council? If anything it is the whole Council getting a day off that is sticking in my throat. How much is this costing a council who are trying to close schools to save money? What sense does that make?

WC1 wrote:As for the 'pointless' February week, let's remember that, while the pupils had five days off at that point, staff only had two. I suppose it depends on how you look at things whether you'd define staff training as 'pointless'.

Staff training isn't pointless and I never said that. The week off is pointless. Its a miserable, cold time of the year only weeks after a large festive break followed by easter holidays. It is a real pain to 'normal' working people and I see very little benefit to anyone in it. Why not extend the summer holidays by a couple of days either side or just add them to the holidays in april and give the kids the whole month off!

So lets get this right the Council is giving this as an additional PAID day leave and those who have to work are given a day in leau? Unbelievable! How much is this costing a council that is so cash strapped that they are picking schools at random to close?! I wonder if they will pay all private businesses to close for the day to enjoy a day that will have no impact on Scotland?

Highland council have decided against the days holiday due the cost involved:

http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/ ... -16-06.htm

Estimated cost was £200,000 in paying staff to maintain essential services and an extra £100,000 to grant staff an extra day of leave.

There'll be another day off next year with the Queen's Jubilee - Spring Bank Holiday is moving from 30th May to Monday 4th June with the Queen's Jubilee being celebrated on Tuesday 5th June 2012.

Bonnie Lass wrote:There'll be another day off next year with the Queen's Jubilee - Spring Bank Holiday is moving from 30th May to Monday 4th June with the Queen's Jubilee being celebrated on Tuesday 5th June 2012.

Is that a proposal in Scotland too? Interesting to note!

Got it from http://www.directgov.uk - Government, citizens and rights - Bank holidays and British Summer Time, was really loolking for when the clocks go forward