School holidays - a recipe for boredom?

BOREDOM sets in for many youngsters over the summer holidays and children often spend the last couple of weeks looking forward to getting back to the classroom. With childcare problems for wokring parents and unused public buildings, is there reason to abolish the traditional six-week summer break completely. Marina Berry asked the shoppers of Oldham for their thoughts.

Mother-of-four Lynn Guest said her two youngest, who were still in school, suffered holiday boredom.

She said Amy (12) and Jay (13) had an unusual eight weeks off this summer because Counthill School merged with Breeze Hill School to create the new Waterhead Academy.

Lynn, of Waterhead, said she thought it would be better to split the six-weeks into two shorter summer holidays with school inbetween.

She also said leaving schools lying dormant in the holidays was “a complete waste” and they should be used for sports and games for all children who live in the vicinity.

She said she enjoyed her children being at home, but admitted childcare would be a problem if she worked.

Pensioners Jimmy and Ellen Turnbull, of Roundthorn Road, Glodwick, said they hadn’t noticed as many children around during the summer, and thought they must have had something to keep them occupied.

Mrs Turnbull said she thought school buildings could be put to use over the holidays, but said teachers rarely enjoyed the long break people often believed they had.

Their daughter, Pat Adamson, teaches at Seahouses Middle School in Northumberland, and was busy with school work throughout the summer.

She has been instrumental in setting up a link between her school and Oldham’s Waterhead Academy, which had taken up much of her holiday time.

Mother-of-two Antoinette Bailey (35) said she thought school summer holidays were too long by a couple of weeks.

She suggested tacking them on to the Christmas holidays instead, saying her son Jacob (12) had got bored within four weeks, and she constantly had to think of things for him to do, adding: “Everything costs so much.”

She is currently at home in Greenacres Road with her 18-month-old son, Jayden, and said that although she enjoyed being with her children, it had been difficult to juggle her time off from work to make sure someone was at home during school holidays.

Oldham Sixth Form College student Ryan Gibson (16), of Moorside, said he got “extremely bored” during the 10-week break between leaving Counthill School and starting college, despite having a holiday job.

He said he would prefer that holidays were spread out more, but said he didn’t think he would have benefited from more days in the classroom.

He added: “Maybe it would be better to spend more time in class in higher education, but my grades from school were good enough.”

Fellow OIdham Sixth Form student Vanessa Tolan (17), of Derker, said the summer holiday was not too long now she was in college, but had been too long at school.

“If you haven’t got anything to do it’s boring,” she said.

Vanessa, who is studying psychology, sociology and health and social care, agreed that school buildings should be put to use during the holidays.

Mother and daughter Dawn (49) and Emma Cocker (25), both of Hathershaw, said the summer holiday was far too long.

Dawn said two weeks was long enough. She has been trying to keep her grandchildren entertained, and said it was a constant battle.

She said: “There is nothing for them to do, they get bored, then they start destroying things.”

Daughter Emma, who helps with holiday entertainment for her nephew and niece, added: “It would be better if they had shorter holidays and spent longer in school learning.”