Herald Opinion: How do we make summer holidays better for everyone?

I was at a funeral the other evening and, as often happens when you're in the queue, you catch snippets of conversation. The atmosphere was quiet and respectful — people speaking in hushed tones — but still, voices carry. This evening was no different.

A woman behind me, clearly a secondary school teacher, was asked how her holidays were going. “Fine,” she replied. “Back shortly. I’ve been off since the end of May. We're back on the 19th — Croke Park hours and the like first.” Her neighbour sighed and said it seemed like schools were opening earlier every year, with some even closing later. “It’s not fair,” she said. The teacher agreed, but shrugged. “That’s the way it is. Everything’s changing.” “Not for the good either,” came the reply.

Her friend went on to talk about the growing calls to shorten school holidays — mostly, she said, because parents were struggling to afford childcare. “They want the holidays cut,” she added, “so the children can benefit from cheap childcare in school.” I’ll admit — that comment didn’t sit well with me. As someone in the profession, it sparked a few thoughts of my own.

Then again, it’s easy for me — a teacher without even a cub — to have a view on school holidays. And in fairness, I don’t believe I’m looking at it selfishly.

I remember my own schooldays — we had good holidays. They got better as I got older. In fact, in my first year at school, I was still sitting in a classroom in July.

The 12th of July, to be exact in the village of Carrigans, on the Donegal side of the Derry border. The Church of Ireland people and their Presbyterian brethren were off to Portrush for the day. We were staring out the window of Coxstown National School, daydreaming about beaches and building sandcastles.

Thankfully, by the time we moved to Roscommon, June had become the end of the school year. The first Monday in September was when we returned, except for the year when the extension to the school in Loughglynn was being built. Fortunately, it wasn’t quite finished, so we got an unexpected bonus: a longer summer holiday.

And yet, there didn’t seem to be much fuss about childcare. The odd person might have rued the lack of turf or hay to keep the young scamps occupied, but we got on with it. We played whatever games we had — probably involving a stick and a good bit of imagination, or a ball and an equal amount of it.

I have a brother living in New Jersey. He and his wife have two daughters, aged 12 and 10. A couple of weeks ago, I got a card from them. Each girl had written a message, and the youngest Feena told me she was heading to “stayaway camp” with her sister for two weeks.

That meant exactly what it sounds like: staying away, sleeping in chalets at an outdoor site, much like what we see in American movies, the classic summer camp experience.

It got me thinking about what we have here in Ireland for children during the summer holidays.

Of course, there’s the Gaeltacht — three weeks in Connemara, Donegal, or some other Irish-speaking area. I did it myself during secondary school and, honestly, I think it was the making of me. Three weeks away from home at 13, sharing a room with three strangers — two Dubs and one lad from Offaly. The mixing, the chatting in Irish, the rules (no telly, the radio only in Irish), the beach, the sea, the classes and of course, the céilithe , all of it made for a memorable, formative experience.

Nowadays, we have summer camps, and none more visible than the Cúl Camps, run by the GAA. Just look around- the jerseys, the half-zips, and my favourite, the bags, are everywhere. Each year, I’d safely say 18 out of 25 children in my classroom will have that year’s bag. There’s great value in it, though it’s only a week long.

Still it’s something.

There are other camps too - swimming, soccer, art, drama, archery you name it. But like everything else these days, it’s either feast or famine. Nothing on for weeks, and then suddenly everything on the same week. Parents flat out, racing from Billy to Jack and back again. But sure, I suppose — they’re only young once.

The summer holidays are a chance. A chance for children and families to spend time together, to recharge batteries. A chance, too, for parents to get a break from work.

It’s also a chance for children to experience something new or different. How many of us have made time this summer for the Forest Park in Boyle? Or the swimming pool in Castlerea? Or the Demesne, also in Castlerea, on a fine day? Great spots, all of them — especially on a summer’s day.

And maybe — just maybe — what we need in Ireland is something that gives parents a bit of a break from their children too. A proper stayaway camp. Would it work?

Could it be done for everyone — not just for families with money, but especially for those without a lot? A real holiday for children. A week away, a new experience. A summer to remember.

The school calendar might change. The demands on families might change. But the need for children to play, explore, and grow — that doesn’t change.

And maybe the real question isn’t how to shorten the summer holidays, but how to make them better for everyone.