In the last week, after the summer holidays, the students have gone back to the classrooms in Spain with the usual calendar, except in Cantabria, which opens this school calendar course. Although they have the same school days as children in other autonomous communities (175 days), Cantabrian children will have a week of vacation every two months of class, a measure that does not convince Spanish parents.
According to data from a survey conducted by Ipsos, only 1 in 4 Spaniards agree to have more periods of school vacations. 53% of the population is not in favor of the new school calendar and considers it difficult to reconcile family and work life.
2016-2017 Cantabria school calendar
The new calendar entered into force in all centers (whether public, private or concerted) and in all cycles (children, primary, secondary and high school). The course will be divided into five shorter school periods, the shortest of 31 days and the longest of 44.
Source: Educantabria The novelty with respect to the previous course is that a holiday week is set from October 31 to November 4. The rest of the holidays coincide with holiday periods such as Christmas (December 23 to January 8), Carnival (February 27 to March 3) and Holy Week (April 13 to 23).
To fit this break into the school calendar, the beginning and the end of the course had to be advanced and delayed a few days, with the beginning of the course being in primary school on September 8 and in secondary school on September 12, and the end of the course on September 23 and June 27 respectively.
Why not convince the new calendar?
When the parents learned of the new calendar of Cantabria "to the European" and the intention to implement it in other communities, the majority was against, mainly by the difficulty of matching those non-school days with the parents' work routine.
According to the Ipsos survey:
Only 27% of Spaniards are in favor to implement a school calendar similar to that approved in Cantabria in its Autonomous Community.
53% of the population is not in favor and considers that the new school calendar makes it difficult to reconcile family and work life. Madrid, the community with the greatest opposition to this type of school calendar.
The majority of young people between 15 and 24 years old (49%), in favor of having more periods of school holidays. Those over 25, mostly against (56%).
45% point out that its implementation would not positively influence performance of the students. One in three (33%) think it will have a positive impact.
The most benefited would be teachers (52%) and students (36%), while parents would be the most disadvantaged (58%).
As we can see, there is a certain rejection of the new school calendar, but it is important to highlight something: 20% undecided that when asked, does not know or does not answer.
Do you agree with the Cantabria school calendar?
Those who agree believe that it is positive for children to make more cuts and return with renewed batteries instead of making longer teaching periods, as is done in most European countries.
And in the rest of Europe, how are parents organized? In June we talked with five Spanish mothers who live in European countries or in Spain with European calendars, and they told us how they take this holiday system. In some, such as Germany, the situation is really complicated for conciliation since each federal state has its own school calendar.
What would it be like in Spain, are we prepared for that change? What would happen if other communities became infected with the Cantabrian system? In the end, the reconciliation of family and work life happens more through the organization than through a school calendar.
When children have summer vacations, parents also work and have to find solutions within their reach to take care of their children (camps, grandparents, caregivers). He crux The issue lies in the conciliation offered by companies to their employees and in the flexibility measures they have to match their holiday periods with those of their children.
You you see the implementation of the Cantabrian-style school calendar positive in the rest of Spain?
