Currently local authorities are responsible for determining term dates and holidays in community, voluntary controlled, community special schools and maintained nursery schools.
However, the plans put forward in the Government’s Deregulation Bill propose moving responsibility from local authorities to schools’ governing bodies in England, giving schools more flexibility like academies.
Teaching unions have criticised the proposals, which they say will make it difficult for families with children in different schools.
Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teacher and Lecturers (ATL), said, ‘There whizzes another of Michael Gove's not so bright ideas. It will make it impossible to co-ordinate holidays for parents with children in different schools, those with children transferring from primary to secondary school, and for teachers with family responsibilities.
‘Michael Gove does not believe in regulation or co-ordination. The unfortunate consequences of his laissez faire approach are now mounting up - a mounting crisis in primary school places because of a failure in planning and coordination; the disaster of the rushed national curriculum; three botched attempts to reform GCSEs - and the list goes on and on.
‘But while Michael Gove will move on, his mistakes will remain and others will have to sort out the mess he has made.’
Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said, ‘ If schools up and down the country set different term times it will cause chaos for families.
‘Holiday companies will almost certainly just expand the period over which they charge premium rates so there will be no benefit to families, or indeed the general public who will have fewer weeks of less expensive holidays.
‘Contrary to the Government’s claims that this will allow schools to meet the needs of parents it is likely to achieve the exact opposite. It also has to be remembered that teachers work far more than the 195 days they are required to teach including weekends, evenings and holiday times.’
Labour’s shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg MP, has welcomed the plans to give schools greater flexibility.
‘Labour announced this very policy two weeks ago. While I’m glad Michael Gove has finally done something sensible and has picked up on one of our ideas he needs to go much further to reverse his plans which are letting down our children.
‘We would extend to all state schools freedoms only academies and Free Schools currently enjoy – on the curriculum and procurement – to bring order to the chaotic, divided schools system this Tory-led Government has created and to allow all schools to raise standards.
‘All children should be able to benefit from the high standards Labour would achieve by giving schools the freedom to do what works for our young people. Instead David Cameron and Michael Gove are denying them that simply because of their obsession with the types of school different children go to.’
