Warning of furore as Good Friday missed off Fife school holiday schedule
Education chiefs have been told to re-think a school holiday schedule after it emerged that Good Friday would not be a day off for pupils or staff.
The three-year plan, which covers 2028 to 2031, went before councillors at today’s Fife Council Cabinet meeting, and there was backlash over the issue.
Good Friday was listed as a day off in just two of the three schedules, and that raised immediate concerns.
Alistair Crockett, religious representative on the committee, said Good Friday is the “principal Christian celebration” and warned: “In ecclesiastic circles we would never cancel Christmas - Good Friday is the principal Christian celebration.”
He told the committee: “I want to be assured we are not becoming a council that does not allow pupils to celebrate Good Friday.”
Long serving Tory councillor, David Dempsey - leader of the Conservative group - warned the council faced a repeat of the backlash which surfaced after previously left out Good Friday from its schedules.
He said: “We recall the furore that broke out when Good Friday was almost inadvertently a school day. There was an enormous row and it was rectified rapidly for the following years. Easter Monday is just a Monday - but if you make Good Friday a school day you will have an enormous row again.”
The Good Friday term date formed part of a wider amended proposal following detailed consultation on school term times. Officers will now have to re-work the 2029-30 schedule to accommodate the committee’s wishes.
Councillor Altany Craik, (Glenrothes West and Kinglassie, Labour) said: “The mechanics need to have Good Friday as a holiday. We need to make the change and find the space to do it.”
Over 500 responses were received during the consultation on term times - a huge rise on the previous effort when around 70 were submitted.
It also looked at requests to extend the February break from two days to a full week, but found the issue split opinion with 45% in favour, 43% against and 10% undecided, so the status quo will remain.
Several SNP councillors also pushed for St Andrew’s Day to be considered as a school holiday, and it will be looked at when officers revisit the schedules.