Wales is making the latest attempt to detach school holidays from the agricultural needs and religious events that have influenced dates for 150 years, arguing it helps parents and disadvantaged children to have fixed breaks spread out more evenly through the year.
Citing research that parents struggle to find childcare over the long summer holiday, Wales’s minority Labour administration wants to shrink the summer holidays from six weeks to five and eventually four, and use the time to double half-term breaks in October and May to two weeks.
The proposals would also equalise the length of terms and break the connection with Easter by fixing the timing of spring holidays regardless of the religious calendar, to give parents and schools greater certainty.
Research by the Welsh government found that organising and paying for childcare over the summer was a common complaint among parents, particularly for women running smaller businesses whose childcare costs outweighed their potential earnings.
Siân Gwenllian, the designated member for Plaid Cymru, which supports the proposals, said: “The current school calendar was designed a long time ago, under very different circumstances and we are suggesting changes that could work better for everyone, but most importantly for pupils of all ages.
