asked the Minister for Education if he will state whether the question of standardising school hours and holidays has been under recent consideration by his Department and if he will consider the advisability of issuing a directive to the managers of all schools in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Hours and Holidays.
The conditions governing hours of attendance and school holidays for national schools are published in the Department's regulations. In regard to hours of attendance for these schools, it is laid down that the schools shall be opened for the reception of the pupils not later than 9.30 a.m., and provision be made in the time-table for secular instruction to be given for not less than four hours daily. The arrangement of the time-tables is a matter for the school managers, who are free to decide whether the school day shall consist of one or two meetings, depending on the circumstances of the particular school.
In the matter of the arrangement of school holidays for national schools, the regulations provide that in the County Boroughs of Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Waterford, and in the Borough of Dún Laoghaire, the period of summer vacation shall commence on the first Monday in July and extend for not more than eight weeks from that day. In all other areas of the country, the summer vacation shall commence not later than the third Monday in July.
In secondary schools, all of which are privately-owned institutions, the arrangements for school vacations and the drawing-up of the time-tables are matters for the conductors of these schools. Normally, the period of summer vacation in these schools commences on or before the first day of July and extends to the end of August or the first week in September.
In the case of vocational schools, the period of summer vacation extends from 1st July to the end of August.
The foregoing arrangements provide reasonable facilities for the planning of family holidays and outings, and I do not consider that it is desirable or necessary to issue any further directives to the managers or conductors of schools in the matter.