So, Scottish schools are just back from the half-term break and we are on the countdown to another school holiday in April - the two-week Easter break. Then, of course, coming up over the horizon is the six-week-plus extravaganza that is the summer holidays.
For working parents, this mammoth period of downtime spanning July and a chunk of August is covered by a patchwork of annual leave, activity camps and willing family members and friends.
This can be tricky to manage for any family but, trust me, the holidays throw up far more significant problems for parents who have children with additional support needs (ASN). For many of these parents, school - as long as relationships are good - keeps them sane and they need the routine as much as their children do.
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That is why special schools should be open all year round. They don’t have to be staffed by the same people - teachers can have their well-earned break - but these facilities often with oodles of adapted equipment and sometimes even swimming pools should never lie empty. Keeping them open would also be a logical next step as we become increasingly aware that the summer holidays does not spell fun and freedom for everyone.
Some children, of course, experience the idyllic version of the school break (sun-kissed beaches and long summer days playing outdoors), but we’ve come to recognise that for disadvantaged children and their families, who don’t have the cash to splash on trips and outings and even food, the summer holidays can push them to the brink. As a result, a lot of councils have started to take action. It’s increasingly common for schools - or sometimes community centres - to open during the holidays so that free meals can continue and activities can be run. The Scottish government has also started to stomp up some cash to help with this.
But if we are going to acknowledge that the school holidays can be hard for some, we have to face up to the challenge they pose for other groups. For children with ASN and their families, it might be difficult to afford outings, but finding activities that are suitable is also hard, especially outside of urban areas. Keeping school open would keep important routines going, but it would also keep children stimulated.
Think about the things able-bodied children do during the summer, and then think about whether or not these are available to disabled children. For instance, how often is there more than a tokenistic swing for disabled children in a play park? How often are soft-play centres and swimming pools designed with disabled children in mind? Also think about how busy these places can be. If your child is autistic, will they cope with the noise and the hustle and bustle, or will they become distressed? And going for a walk is pretty inexpensive and peaceful, but are the paths wheelchair friendly?
We highlighted what a tough time the summer can be for ASN families in Tes Scotland a couple of years ago. At that time, headteachers of special schools told us they were giving up some of their own holidays to open their schools and make sure their families didn’t have to go it alone for the entire school break. They all recognised this as a huge problem - one head even said that the summer holidays could lead to marriage breakdown.
It is no exaggeration to say that some parents of children with ASN come out the other side of the holidays covered in scratches and bite marks, suffering poor mental health and at the end of their tether, with a child who is going to take weeks to readjust to school.
It won’t be done easily, especially in these trying financial times, but opening special schools in the summer holidays is not an extravagance - it is quite simply the right thing to do.
