'School children should not have long holidays'. Do you agree ?

Ring! The bell signaled the beginning of the six week long school holidays. The pupils burst into a loud cheer, thinking of the break they would have from dreary school lessons. "Freedom!" they shouted. The teachers heaved a soft sigh of relief. They would also be glad for the freedom that the holidays will bring.

Teachers have a very stressful job, keeping a classroom of children in the seats for a whole school day. Some of these children may be hyperactive, some may be badly behaved or uncontrollable. Their own parents may be unable to cope with just one of them, yet teachers have to deal with as many as forty children at a time. Furthermore, a teacher's job is tedious and monotonous. They have to prepare lessons day in and day out, standing in front of one class after another. The long holidays will give them a chance to relax and recharge their batteries. Furthermore, teachers can attend courses during the long holidays. These courses will give them more ideas, skills and inspiration.

Long holidays also give a break to the children, who active by nature, are cooped up for hours in a stuffy classroom. Then, after school, they are faced with piles of homework. On top of that, some children have to attend extra tuition in subjects they are weak in, or extra lessons in piano, violin, or guitar, ballet, or martial arts. With so many structured activities, some children have no time to choose their own leisure pursuits. They have no time to "stand and stare". They also lack the time to bond with their family members, and relatives. The long holidays would give them the opportunity to go on holidays with the family; perhaps they can even spend time with relatives who live far away. They can also take part in other enriching activities, such as educational trips to a foreign country, or attend youth camps, such as Outward Bound, which will help in character development.

Yet, we have to take a realistic view at the other side of the argument. How many families can afford to send their children on overseas field trips or courses like the Outward Bound? In fact, in many families, the parents will be out working all day, and the children will be left unsupervised. This may be dangerous for younger children. As for older children, they may be drawn to undesirable and anti-social activities, like theft, gangsterism, gambling and drugs. Furthermore, for some children, school provides their only exposure to academic learning. Thus, the long period away from their studies may cause some children to regress badly in their academic skills. So, in conclusion, long holidays are beneficial for some people and not so good for others. The teachers, who need a break from a stressful and tedious routine, will definitely welcome the break. Long holidays will also give opportunities to children from privileged homes to take part in enriching out-of- school activities. However, long school holidays may be detrimental for children from less privileged homes. In my opinion, for the good of the general public, schools should not have very long holidays. Or, if long holidays are to remain a part of the school year, certain activities or services should be provided for less privileged children to keep them occupied in a safe and useful way.