Teachers' union says cutting school holidays a 'recipe for chaos'

Originally Posted by Osem

The reason you don't tend to pay more for a TV at certain times of the year is that the supply of TV's isn't restricted at those times of year. If there was a sudden large spike in demand for TV's for some weird reason you'd find prices would go up just like prices of HDDs went up when there were supply problems in the Far East a few years ago. As for travel, it's common to pay more for the same travel during peak periods because the same supply/demand argument applies.

During holiday times there is far more demand for the same supply so prices will go up and if companies were prevented from doing I'd have thought they'd have to cover that by increasing their prices for other times of the year.

It's not just a case of putting prices up in the summer. They have to put prices down in quieter periods in order to compete for the reduced number of customers. These businesses have fixed costs and they need cash flow throughout the year.

You simply can't legislate to force them to reduce high season prices to match the low season ones. In many cases the low season prices barely cover operating costs.

[tweetiepooh]

I grew up in South Africa and while most of the country had 4 term school years, we in the Transvaal had 3 terms. Certainly our terms were longer but so were the holidays such that other provinces' holidays would fit inside ours.

This meant that we could go on holiday to places in the country where the local children would be in school for a couple more weeks, take advantage of cheaper prices and less queueing.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Chris

It's not just a case of putting prices up in the summer. They have to put prices down in quieter periods in order to compete for the reduced number of customers. These businesses have fixed costs and they need cash flow throughout the year.
You simply can't legislate to force them to reduce high season prices to match the low season ones. In many cases the low season prices barely cover operating costs.

Yes that is very true and with the increasing burden of EU bureaucracy falling upon all and sundry, for small businesses (such as yourselves) particularly those fixed costs are not inconsiderable. In the UK at least, regardless of school, term times, the summer months are always going to attract a premium because good weather is such an important factor.

I'd imagine that the peak summer period is what keeps many a travel/holiday related business afloat in just the same way as retailers often rely on the Christmas period to generate the bulk of their profit for the year.

Originally Posted by tweetiepooh

I grew up in South Africa

Great, there'll be an Afrikaaner voice in my head whenever I read your posts now, mon.

[rogerdraig]

Originally Posted by Stuart

Now, this is where I'll get shouted at by the parents, but I can see the problem the current system was meant to address.

Back when I went to school, some parents were taking their kids out of school 2 or 3 times a year, to go on Holiday. Others were taking their kids on holiday for up to month, In both cases, this was during term time, which may have been having severe negative effects on their kids education.

The current system is far from perfect. I think it could be made a lot better by banning holiday and travel companies from upping their prices during holiday time. After all, the travel industry is the only one that raises it's prices according to demand. You don't pay more for a TV, computer or car at certain times of the year, why should you be expected to pay more for air travel or a hotel?

knew i missed something i should have added "as long as its not during exams and it not for more than what was the 10ish days"

i quite agree month long or multiple holidays that would be outside of reasonable

[Arthurgray50@blu]

I believe there is a school in Marlborough, where the pupils still dress in Victorian Dress etc.
They start at 7.30 am each day, and therefore have a longer holiday. BUT. Education in this country has gone to pot. How can you educate kids for approx. 5 hours per day.
I started at 8.45am. First two lessons then a break. Then another two lessons to 12. Lunch break till 1245. Two lessons, then home.

IF. Teachers say its stressful job, why go into it. Teachers are NOT PAID ENOUGH money.
Some teachers, and l know of a few, that have been threatned with harm, or even knives.
My god when l went to school, if you threatened ANY teacher - you got caned.

This is what is wrong with Education today. When you are in school. You do as you are told, or you got punished.

Nowadays, if a pupil gets punished, the parents are into the school complaining about the little perishers.

[Stephen]

Victorian dress? is that maybe one of those museum places people go for a day to experiance how school was?

Scotland Street School in glasgow is like that. A great place for people to go see how schools used to be!

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

I believe there is a school in Marlborough, where the pupils still dress in Victorian Dress etc.
They start at 7.30 am each day, and therefore have a longer holiday. BUT. Education in this country has gone to pot. How can you educate kids for approx. 5 hours per day.
I started at 8.45am. First two lessons then a break. Then another two lessons to 12. Lunch break till 1245. Two lessons, then home.

IF. Teachers say its stressful job, why go into it. Teachers are NOT PAID ENOUGH money.
Some teachers, and l know of a few, that have been threatned with harm, or even knives.
My god when l went to school, if you threatened ANY teacher - you got caned.

This is what is wrong with Education today. When you are in school. You do as you are told, or you got punished.

Nowadays, if a pupil gets punished, the parents are into the school complaining about the little perishers.

I went into teaching because one of my teachers in 6th form said I was a natural..and I loved learning and I wanted to give back to the society I lived in.I really didn't think about the financial side apart from making my grant go far enough.

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

I believe there is a school in Marlborough, where the pupils still dress in Victorian Dress etc.
They start at 7.30 am each day, and therefore have a longer holiday. BUT. Education in this country has gone to pot. How can you educate kids for approx. 5 hours per day.
I started at 8.45am. First two lessons then a break. Then another two lessons to 12. Lunch break till 1245. Two lessons, then home.

IF. Teachers say its stressful job, why go into it. Teachers are NOT PAID ENOUGH money.
Some teachers, and l know of a few, that have been threatned with harm, or even knives.
My god when l went to school, if you threatened ANY teacher - you got caned.

This is what is wrong with Education today. When you are in school. You do as you are told, or you got punished.

Nowadays, if a pupil gets punished, the parents are into the school complaining about the little perishers.

You believe incorrectly - the only private school in Marlborough is Marlborough College (where Kate Wales went), and they were normal school uniform (with longer skirts than most schools).

http://www.marlboroughcollege.org/ne...ffe6db265d52a5

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Hugh

You believe incorrectly - the only private school in Marlborough is Marlborough College (where Kate Wales went), and they were normal school uniform (with longer skirts than most schools).

http://www.marlboroughcollege.org/ne...ffe6db265d52a5

wow look at all that lead on the roof