THERE HAVE BEEN calls for ‘understanding’ between parents and schools as some primary schools closed this week to use discretionary days off.

It deviates from the traditional school calendar, which would have Easter as the last break before summer.

While schools have a number of days to play with outside mandatory breaks such as Halloween and Christmas, some parents have found a May midterm inconvenient.

One mother whose children go to an Educate Together School in Dublin said the break came as a “surprise”.

“This is literally two or three weeks after Easter, which felt insane in terms of childcare and trying to keep them entertained,” she said.

Her children’s school takes a shorter break in February. Parents were under the impression that the days would be added to the summer holidays.

“It was only last week, when the school WhatsApp started hopping, parents were realising that yes, the kids were off this week.”

She said that as it wasn’t a mandatory break, after-school activities and sports were still running. 

“It’s just another week of mostly mothers doing the juggle,” she said.

It just feels like they’re barely in school these days.

Primary schools can decide when they start in the autumn and when they finish for the summer, as long as they open for the required 182 days.

All schools must take an Autumn mid-term break, Christmas break, February mid-term break and Easter break. However, the Department of Education allows them some flexibility.

Some schools use their discretionary days to extend bank holiday weekends, while others opt for additional mid-term breaks.

This means different schools take different holidays.

‘Schools aren’t babysitters’

Sinn Féin education spokesperson Darren O’Rourke said, as a parent himself, he understands the struggle to arrange childcare, especially when children are off at different times.

“I know it is a frustration in some cases for parents that there’s a mismatch or a lack of coordination,” he said.

“What I would encourage is understanding on behalf of parents and then a recognition from schools that it can be a challenge for parents.”

He continued: “I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect that 4000 schools in the state would operate the exact same school calendar.

“Schools are not babysitting services.”

O’Rourke added that schools sometimes use discretionary days for local festivals and sporting events.

Catherine Carragher, the principal at Scoil Mochua in Celbridge, Kildare told The Journal that her school chose to take this week off due to how Easter fell.

She said they discuss their plans for the school calendar with other schools locally.

“It doesn’t mean we’ll do the same, but we generally do,” she said.

Affordable holidays

Carragher said that in previous years some parents chose to take their children out of school to go on holiday in May and June before prices skyrocket, which she is sympathetic to.

Jen Cummins, the Social Democrats’ education spokesperson, said some families won’t get to go on holiday otherwise.

“I see it from all different sides, because I’ve been a parent and I’ve worked in education disadvantage.

“The May or June week has meant some of the families I worked with were actually able to go on a holiday because it was more affordable.”

She said that allowing schools to take a break between Easter and summer means those children don’t miss school days. 

Cummins added that she isn’t sure how “realistic” it is for primary, secondary and early education schools within communities to coordinate their breaks. Clear communication with parents is key, she said, so they can plan accordingly.