Long Summer Holidays vs Shorter School Holidays

In many countries, primary and secondary schools close for two months or more in the summer holidays. What is the value of long school holidays? What are the arguments in favour of shorter school holidays?

Annotated response

12 correction notes

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Long summer holidays have traditionally been regarded as a well-deserved break for students and teachers, but they are increasingly coming under scrutiny . While such extended vacations offer several advantages, there are also strong arguments in favour of shorter breaks.

The primary benefit of long school holidays is rest and rejuvenation . After months of , both students and need time to recover mentally and physically. Extended holidays also allow families to , travel, and engage in enriching activities such as camps or , which contribute to the holistic development of children.

However, critics of long holidays argue that they lead to a Students, especially younger ones, often forget over such a long break, . This can widen the achievement gap between students who continue learning during the holidays and those who do not. Moreover, working parents frequently during this extended period, creating . Shorter, more frequent breaks could provide a better balance, ensuring that students remain academically engaged while still getting adequate rest.

In conclusion, although long summer holidays hold cultural and personal value, they may be outdated in today’s fast-paced educational environment. A restructured school calendar with shorter, may better support both learning retention and family needs.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

The response addresses both parts of the question clearly, with well-organised paragraphs, a balanced discussion, and a firm conclusion. Its strongest aspect is the fluent, precise language throughout, while the main limitation is the slightly under-length response, which leaves some ideas only briefly developed.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

Task Response

7.0

The response covers both questions with a clear overall position and relevant supporting points, though the 24-word shortfall and limited elaboration of some ideas prevent full development.

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0

Ideas progress logically across clearly organised paragraphs with effective cohesive devices and a well-managed conclusion.

Lexical Resource

7.5

Vocabulary is flexible and precise, with natural collocations such as learning loss, rejuvenation, and academically engaged, and minimal inaccuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.0

A wide range of complex sentence structures is used with good control and only occasional minor errors, allowing meaning to be conveyed clearly throughout.