Brisbane 2032: Calls for major shake-up to Qld school calendar

Education experts are calling for a major change to the academic year, in a move that will cause the winter holidays to shift back by up to four weeks. HAVE YOUR SAY

Calls are being made to move the winter school holidays to allow schoolchildren to enjoy the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games. AAPimage/David Clark

The 2032 Queensland school year should be rejigged so the winter holidays coincide with the Olympic and Paralympic Games, education experts say.

It is understood the dates for the 2032 Games were selected with Australian school holiday periods in mind, but currently confirmed dates for Queensland holidays only go as far as 2029.

Between now and 2029 the winter school holidays are due to fall between late June and early July.

The Olympic Games are scheduled to run from July 23 to August 8.

Both the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2000 Sydney Olympics fell during school holiday periods.

Australian Catholic University education researcher Dr Paul Kidson said it would make sense for school holidays to fall during the event.

“There’ll be two groups of people: there’ll be people who desperately want to go to the Olympics and there’ll be those who want to get the hell out of here, because it’s just going to be chaotic and it (school holidays) suits both of those groups,” he said.

Dr Kidson said, however, that work would need to be done to ensure a rejig does not make things too stressful for students.

“If you add another four weeks or three weeks on top of term two, that’s a big, long stretch and then you’re going to find that the greater impact will be for senior secondary students in that term three, because they’re coming to the last end before they get to the culmination of year 12. That’s a pretty stressful time for a year 12 student anyway,” he said.

Griffith University education expert Professor Donna Pendergast agreed making the Olympics on the school holidays would be the best option but said it would also likely mean exam dates would need to be pushed back.

“The timing of exams and exam blocks usually butt up against the ends of terms pretty well so adjusting for that will need to be considered as well,” she said.

“I think it also highlights the value of the Olympics, so it also in students’ minds indicates that this is something that we value so much that we’re prepared to make changes to the way things usually operate.”

A Department of Education spokesman said no decisions had been made in relation to the school calendar for 2032.

“The department will consult widely with stakeholders closer to the date as they do when planning for each school calendar year,” he said.

“No school days will be lost due to the Games.”

Originally published as Brisbane 2032: Calls for major shake-up to Qld school calendar