Proposals to make school holidays shorter could prove disastrous for Somerset's tourism industry, insiders have warned as the row continues over Michael Gove's announcement on Thursday.
As reported in the Western Daily Press yesterday, the Education Secretary proposed shorter, more flexible school holidays in a bid to bring an education system "designed for an agricultural economy" in line with other countries, notably those in the Far East, as well as making it more "family friendly". But, speaking to the Daily Press yesterday, John Turner, vice-chairman of Somerset Tourism Association (STA), whose Visit Somerset brand has pushed the profile of the county nationally and internationally, called the move an "absolute disaster".
He said: It will kill tourism. The Government needs to look at a strategy which supports parents and the local economy in the long term, not contract it."
Many parents have welcomed the move as a means of saving on costly childcare – but others have warned of unintended consequences such as rising prices of holidays as demand is packed into a shorter time.
Added to which is the already squeezed transport network in the South West, which would be likely to come under more intense pressure at peak times.
Under the current system, pupils get around six weeks off in summer, two weeks at Christmas and Easter as well as three week-long half-term breaks. Days run from around 9am to 3pm, or 3.30pm.
The Department for Education cited the example of academies, free of local authority control to set their own term dates.
Milton Keynes Academy has six, six-week terms, with a shorter summer and two-week holiday in October and the David Young Academy in Leeds has a seven-term school year which starts in June. But shortening summer holidays – and giving individual schools more freedom – could cause havoc, warned another tourism leader. Bob Smart, also of the STA, said: "What would help the industry is standardisation of holidays. Traditional tourism is very much based on the children and on families being able to know exactly where they will be in the summer. Tourism providers keep a full staff for weeks on end in hopes of getting the equivalent of two weeks good trade."
Neighbouring authorities often decide on different dates for holidays. Mr Smart said: "Somerset and North Somerset school holidays are not the same. It means a family living in say Winscombe with a child at junior school in North Somerset, but with an older child at Kings of Wessex School in Somerset will have to work around different dates."
The tourism industry still remembers with a shudder the change of the August Bank Holiday from the beginning to the end of August 30 years ago. "It was one of the greatest disasters for tourism of the last century" recalled Mr Smart.
"The welcome extra break put people in the mood for holidays, and was the traditional start of the summer holiday season. Moving it to the end of the month turned it into a psychological full stop," said Mr Smart.
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