Should we consider shorter summer breaks for students? 

School holidays as they’ve evolved since the Industrial Revolution were an arbitrary and bad idea in the first place

Students at a cookery class as part of their home economics home syllabus; would they benefit from shorter summer breaks? Picture: Ben Birchall/PA

We’ve been arguing for almost a year about whether to physically close or reopen schools. 

Now we need a second debate: Should we reduce school holidays to have more teaching days — remote or in person — so that students can catch up at least part-way on the learning they’ve lost? And should this change be permanent?