TEACHERS are often teased about their long summer holidays, but for parents and children, the seven-week break can be a real challenge. Not only is there the job of trying to keep children busy, for many parents finding and paying for child-care is a persistent problem. Other families may struggle to put food on the table when the entitlement to free school meals ends.

There are already some schemes aimed at these problems, such as the Food, Families and Futures project. During this year’s summer holidays, almost 4,000 places were taken up by families attending school and community clubs. The idea is that parents and children prepare and eat a free lunch and take part in some fun activities.

But is it enough? The Scottish Conservatives don’t think so and are suggesting the Government should open more schools during the holidays to provide opportunities such as those offered by Food, Families and Futures and their logic is simple. Naturally, there will be costs involved but does it make sense to put public buildings under lock and key for seven weeks?

We also know that some pupils can fall back academically over the summer holidays and anything which can arrest that slide is worth considering. Everyone needs a holiday from school, pupils included. But as every parent knows, the challenges of education, and life, do not stop for seven weeks.