While the Irish economy is improving, finances are still too tight for many families to afford a trip during the summer holidays due to increased costs at peak travel times. For many, the only way they can treat their family to a holiday is to do it during term time when flights and accommodation are cheaper.
While 88% believe they have every right to take their children out of school for holidays and family occasions, Child and Family Agency TUSLA strongly advise that parents don't do this in case children fall behind. This possibility is obviously a worry for a number of Irish mums with 27% striking a balance by bringing school work along during term-time holidays.
Speaking about the issue of school holidays, MummyPages Mum-in-Residence Laura Haugh says: “We can understand that for financial reasons here in Ireland, a large number of our mums choose to take their children out of school during term time for family holidays. While it is not ideal, a common sense approach should apply and certainly we would not be in favour of punitive laws to be introduced to stop this practice like in the UK.”
However, it’s not just family holidays that are stretching budgets when the kids begin their summer break. Three in four families are struggling under the extra financial pressure caused by childcare costs, summer camps and kids activities during the school holidays.
Add to that the fact that more than half of working mums struggle to juggle everything during the summer, along with the 22% who are unable to take annual leave from work during that time, and the summer holidays are an obvious burden on Irish parents.
35% of mums from the MummyPages community say children get too many summer holidays, with 42% saying school holidays should be spread evenly through the whole year. This may be a necessity for the 44% of mums who says their employer doesn’t accommodate their needs as working mothers. In fact, 10% of mums say they’ve been forced to take unpaid leave during the summer to look after their children.
Speaking about the issue of school holidays, Laura says: “Children in Ireland receive 69 days holidays in primary school and 85 days holidays from the annual school term curriculum in secondary schools. The State schools in England, Wales, Germany and Denmark give their students an average of six to seven weeks holidays.
“This is a much more manageable number for parents who work and it also allows both teachers and pupils to maintain good study habits and learning momentum. Many of our mums report that their secondary school children have completely forgotten how to study by the time they return to school in September.”
