Colleagues in schools have recently been in touch to ask me to send out a reminder concerning the CES’s position on changes in the school year.

We know, for example, of local authorities that are consulting on the separation of their ‘Spring Holiday’ from Easter.

The CES’s position continues to be that we strongly wish to reinforce the rights of the governing bodies of our VA schools to determine their own school holidays.  We are confident that all do so mindful of the liturgical calendar and the opportunities which their holiday choices give to educate pupils in accordance with that calendar, celebrations and opportunities to bear witness.  This still enables flexibility.  Some schools, for example, wish to keep pupils at school until Maundy Thursday in order that children can continue to learn about and participate in Holy Week activities.  Other schools lay great store by being able to participate in parish pilgrimages to Lourdes at Easter time and want to secure holiday for this and for the family celebrations that characterise this high point in our Church’s year.

Whilst local circumstances may differ slightly all our schools place great emphasis on the importance of Holy week and Easter week.  We strongly resist anything which would erode this practice or encourage other schools to ignore the importance of Easter as a national holiday, demonstrating respect for Christians.  In a multi-faith society it is ever more important to give all children, wherever they are at school, the opportunity to learn about other faiths.  Christianity and the celebration of its Holy days must be at the heart of such learning. 

The CES also urges that Catholic schools do all in their power to encourage their local authorities to retain the proper Christian titles for the holidays of Easter and Christmas, ignoring any moves to refer to these as Spring and Winter holidays.

Oona Stannard