2023-08-01 09:56:51
Dear Mr. Fröschl! Regarding your article of July 29th: I was a teacher (high school) for 33 years, my wife worked in the despised profession of mother and housewife, and there was also a grandmother, so we never had any problems with our children looking following them during the summer holidays (and the rest of the holidays). I am aware that this poses certain difficulties for people who work elsewhere. You write that the Germans have shorter summer holidays, but you knowingly remain silent, because without knowing it I can hardly imagine that the Germans have two weeks of Pentecost holidays. I would have always liked that to change the vacation days at the beginning of September into Whitsun holidays, I don’t know who had the power to install autumn vacation. When we debated such things in conferences, pedagogical reasons were always put forward for the pros and cons, but these often turned out to be purely egotistical private reasons. Now there is a new, bizarre educational reason for shortening the summer holidays, it’s too hot in Italy in the summer! As if we Austrians were morally obliged to spend our holidays in Italy, how regarding the North Sea or the Baltic Sea, or even Sweden? Admittedly, it’s not that hot in Italy at Pentecost, but I would like to say that the water is still cool. The Americans have almost three months of summer vacation and many only two weeks vacation and still they make it, but the Americans don’t whine as badly as the Austrians! Still a long time why I’m not happy with the autumn holidays. Many students, by no means all, have good resolutions following the long summer holidays, which then reach zero at Christmas and sink to unfathomable depths following Christmas. The time from the start of school to Christmas is therefore the most fertile time. Many students also have the habit of doing nothing for a week before and a week following the holidays. So to speak, preparation and follow-up of the holidays. With a week of autumn holidays, there is a wonderful three weeks of “doing nothing”! Most non-teachers probably can’t imagine how tough teaching is following Christmas, possibly a ski course, semester break, Easter break, Pentecost break and always doing “nothing” for a week before and a week following!
Dr. Egbert Kainzbauer, 5020 Salzburg
1690884919
#Discussion #summer #holidays #SN.at