Just reading an article in the Travel Supplement of the Sunday Times - Not all School Holidays will fall at Easter next year.
School holidays have altered this year from previous years' formats. We ourselves have fallen foul of this new arrangement. Having booked a cottage for the two weekends and inbetween week of the Llangollen races, only to find that instead of being on holiday that week, as has been the case in the past, our school is on holiday the first week in November.
Easter Weekend is Good Friday 21/3/08 to Easter Monday 24/3/08.
According to the article some local education authorities will be taking the "Easter holiday" later in March or even in April. One school in Sheffield has Maunday Thursday as its last school day before the holiday. Not sure about others in Sheffield at this time.
Now why do you think I am posting this topic?
Traditionally there are two race weekends in Scotland at Tully during the "Easter break" - Easter weekend itself and one weekend either before or after.
A Junior Selection race being one of those races as well.
So next year's calendar may include races at Easter when some of the paddlers, particularly some of the juniors, will still be in school and obviously may not be able to attend.
All those paddlers with Junior Selection aspirations should check early with their schools' calendars and establish when they will be on holiday "next Easter".
The Slalom Exec will meet in November to compile next years calendar. This is a "heads up" to what may be a problem for the Easter races in Scotland next year.
A few years ago I recall we had a Prem race at Nottingham which was abandoned half way through (Saturday). Sunday was junior selection and was conducted in appalling conditions. It may have gone ahead because a lot of parents stated that they could not make the "back up weekend" at Tully a few weeks later. What are we going to do, if, shall we say, a substantial number of paddlers are on holiday for one fortnight and the others only available in the other fortnight.
Of course the Exec may be aware of this problem, having their finger constantly on the pulse, and have a solution already planned.
Easter 2008 - When are your holidays?
You can check different education authorities via
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en....4016103
Our Easter holidays are from 21 Mar (Good Friday) to 9th April inclusive, but many West London/Berkshire authorities are 6th to 20th April. I suspect that almost all schools will still get the Good Friday and Easter Monday as bank holidays, so this will probably be the best weekend for selection.
Perhaps tradition will have to be broken and run the prem, div 1 and selection on the same weekend (though pity the organisers)
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en....4016103
Our Easter holidays are from 21 Mar (Good Friday) to 9th April inclusive, but many West London/Berkshire authorities are 6th to 20th April. I suspect that almost all schools will still get the Good Friday and Easter Monday as bank holidays, so this will probably be the best weekend for selection.
Perhaps tradition will have to be broken and run the prem, div 1 and selection on the same weekend (though pity the organisers)
Kit Washer, Entry Clerk, Chauffeur, Reluctant Organiser, Online Entry Advocate .....
Anything I post under this user is my personal opinion; I am not posting as a member of the Slalom Committee!
Anything I post under this user is my personal opinion; I am not posting as a member of the Slalom Committee!
The SCA has applied to run the Pan Celtic and a Div 1/2 on Easter Saturday and Sunday 22/23rd March and for a double premier the following weekend 29/30th March. We will not know until November whether these are approved.
We realised there was a potential problem with Easter being early and in February this year, in conjunction with the BCU Slalom Committee, we researched school Easter holidays on the web. Basically there is no consistency between authorities. Just considering the Scottish holidays
there are only two authorities with the same holidays and some do not even overlap. This reflects the overall UK position. Whatever dates we had applied for some people would be on holiday and some not. Some of the
Scottish authorities are getting no holiday on the actual Easter weekend. Ideally we would choose dates to suit everyone but this year that is not possible!
On the matter of selection. For years junior paddlers have had to travel long distances for a weekend of selection races, South of London to North Wales on a Friday can take as long as a journey over a much longer distance.
In recent times junior paddlers have travelled during term time to selection races in Nottingham and the Tryweryn on consecutive weekends from Aberdeen, which for those unfamiliar with the journey is two hours North from
Grandtully, a good 7 to 8 hours from Nottingham and longer to the Tryweryn.
We realised there was a potential problem with Easter being early and in February this year, in conjunction with the BCU Slalom Committee, we researched school Easter holidays on the web. Basically there is no consistency between authorities. Just considering the Scottish holidays
there are only two authorities with the same holidays and some do not even overlap. This reflects the overall UK position. Whatever dates we had applied for some people would be on holiday and some not. Some of the
Scottish authorities are getting no holiday on the actual Easter weekend. Ideally we would choose dates to suit everyone but this year that is not possible!
On the matter of selection. For years junior paddlers have had to travel long distances for a weekend of selection races, South of London to North Wales on a Friday can take as long as a journey over a much longer distance.
In recent times junior paddlers have travelled during term time to selection races in Nottingham and the Tryweryn on consecutive weekends from Aberdeen, which for those unfamiliar with the journey is two hours North from
Grandtully, a good 7 to 8 hours from Nottingham and longer to the Tryweryn.
Chris is absolutely right, we research Easter holidays quite thoroughly now after the problems we had a year or two ago. Up until last year we could always find a reasonable majority, obvioulsy there was always the exception!
This year is however very different, the variation as to when the Easter holidays are is huge and there is no clear time that is in the majority making it immposible to ensure the races fall within school holidays.
The races have been applied for and are on the provisional calendar which will be ratified at the ACM. there will of course be the opportunity for discussion at this time but sorry it is not easy next year and will never be unless the nation has uniform holidays! I know many people like to incorperate Tully with training and a holiday, we did for 15 years but this is out of our control!!!!!!!!
This year is however very different, the variation as to when the Easter holidays are is huge and there is no clear time that is in the majority making it immposible to ensure the races fall within school holidays.
The races have been applied for and are on the provisional calendar which will be ratified at the ACM. there will of course be the opportunity for discussion at this time but sorry it is not easy next year and will never be unless the nation has uniform holidays! I know many people like to incorperate Tully with training and a holiday, we did for 15 years but this is out of our control!!!!!!!!
Holidays in Derbyshire:
Schools have the Easter weekend off - ie 21-24 March 2008 inclusive and then the 'Easter' holidays are 4-21 April 2008.
I know that there was a great deal of discussion on this topic a while ago and the concensus of opinion was that you weren't going to be able to work it the 'usual' way for all - it could only be a 'best fit' and we will all enjoy time on the sunny (?) banks of the Tay!!
Wishing the organisers and the exec all the best for the making of the decisions on this one!!
Ratty
Schools have the Easter weekend off - ie 21-24 March 2008 inclusive and then the 'Easter' holidays are 4-21 April 2008.
I know that there was a great deal of discussion on this topic a while ago and the concensus of opinion was that you weren't going to be able to work it the 'usual' way for all - it could only be a 'best fit' and we will all enjoy time on the sunny (?) banks of the Tay!!
Wishing the organisers and the exec all the best for the making of the decisions on this one!!
Ratty
-
david wilson
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 9:52 am
Chris indicates that the SCA has applied for two weekends;
Easter and the following weekend 29 March for the Tully Races. Yet to be ratified by the next AGM.
The reasoning behind the proximity of these races is that people will stay up in Scotland for the inbetween week.
That is a good idea. More time to train and less travelling involved.
Anne tells us that the matter was discussed in February this year following research about the school holidays.
This is good to hear.
Chauffuer tells us that the most common weekends, when a certain group of schools suggested by Dee, are on holiday are Easter and then 4th April.
Chauffuer suggests racing on these weekends as a compromise.
This would mean travelling north twice in a very short time for a large number of paddlers (juniors and their parents).
The Junior Champs were held in Scotland in recent years and numbers were down as I recall because people having travelled up at Easter did not travel again at the end of May to allow their offspring to compete.
This may happen again if there is a longer than usual break between the racing weekends.
The Government is getting tough on parents who take their kids out of school during term time.
Parents can be fined by headteachers if they do under new legislation which has just been passed.
We need to find a mutually agreeable date for the Tully races or they may suffer from low attendance and this of course could have an impact on the development of the sport, particularly where junior paddlers are concerned.
We have been let down by the Government which has failed to direct education authorities to proscribe holiday periods. Some authorities have laid down certain rules like 8 week half terms with shorter summer holidays and others have remained static with the old format.
Anne is right about this point and perhaps we as a sport should lobby the Government on this issue, especially if we want to produce competitive performances in 2012 in London.
Anne can we look at the possibility of opening a petition on the Government's Petition Page in relation to this matter? I think it would have to come from the Governing Body and be supported by World Class.
I'm sure Canoe Slalom is not alone in this dilema.
Easter and the following weekend 29 March for the Tully Races. Yet to be ratified by the next AGM.
The reasoning behind the proximity of these races is that people will stay up in Scotland for the inbetween week.
That is a good idea. More time to train and less travelling involved.
Anne tells us that the matter was discussed in February this year following research about the school holidays.
This is good to hear.
Chauffuer tells us that the most common weekends, when a certain group of schools suggested by Dee, are on holiday are Easter and then 4th April.
Chauffuer suggests racing on these weekends as a compromise.
This would mean travelling north twice in a very short time for a large number of paddlers (juniors and their parents).
The Junior Champs were held in Scotland in recent years and numbers were down as I recall because people having travelled up at Easter did not travel again at the end of May to allow their offspring to compete.
This may happen again if there is a longer than usual break between the racing weekends.
The Government is getting tough on parents who take their kids out of school during term time.
Parents can be fined by headteachers if they do under new legislation which has just been passed.
We need to find a mutually agreeable date for the Tully races or they may suffer from low attendance and this of course could have an impact on the development of the sport, particularly where junior paddlers are concerned.
We have been let down by the Government which has failed to direct education authorities to proscribe holiday periods. Some authorities have laid down certain rules like 8 week half terms with shorter summer holidays and others have remained static with the old format.
Anne is right about this point and perhaps we as a sport should lobby the Government on this issue, especially if we want to produce competitive performances in 2012 in London.
Anne can we look at the possibility of opening a petition on the Government's Petition Page in relation to this matter? I think it would have to come from the Governing Body and be supported by World Class.
I'm sure Canoe Slalom is not alone in this dilema.
At the end of the day, those of us with children who have the holiday form April 4th to April 21st will lose out. We will have to travel twice and the children do not get practice between the two races.
These with the earlier pattern will have less travelling and the practice - that is way it will fall if the dates stand.
"The Junior Champs were held in Scotland in recent years and numbers were down as I recall because people having travelled up at Easter did not travel again at the end of May to allow their offspring to compete. " david wilson
They may not all have chosen to travel again but at least they had a little more time between races.
These with the earlier pattern will have less travelling and the practice - that is way it will fall if the dates stand.
"The Junior Champs were held in Scotland in recent years and numbers were down as I recall because people having travelled up at Easter did not travel again at the end of May to allow their offspring to compete. " david wilson
They may not all have chosen to travel again but at least they had a little more time between races.