Views sought on school holidays
Tuesday, October 17 2006
Scottish Borders Council’s Director of Education is inviting views on the dates for the 2009/10 school session/holiday dates.
This consultation meets the Education’s requirement to maintain a three-year forward programme of holiday/session dates.
No significant changes to the current pattern of the dates are proposed, with the dates simply rolling forward from the current year.
There is only one issue to resolve. It has become practice in the Borders to make Good Friday a school holiday, however, with the way the dates fall in 2010, this is very difficult to achieve and maintain the authority’s statutory requirement to provide 190 days of schooling for pupils.
The Director is therefore suggesting that to make Good Friday a holiday. The options are:
- Make Good Friday one of the three days casual holidays – these are usually linked to Common Ridings (one day) and a February
break (two days). So for the 2009/10 year only we would continue to have one day for the Common Ridings (or other local
festivals) and one day for the February break and Good Friday as the third casual holiday.
- Make Good Friday an in-service day for teachers and, therefore, a holiday for pupils - but not staff.
The closing date for the consultation is 20 November 2006.
Copies of the proposed dates are available from the Education Department on 01835 826592 or can be downloaded from the Council website www.scotborders.gov.uk/schoolconsultations
All views should be sent to the Communications & Policy Manager, Education Department, at SBC HQ, Newtown St Boswells, Melrose, TD6 0SA.
The Council’s Education Executive will be asked to confirm the programme in December 2006.
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