Why weren't holidays combined for schools?

DEAR Education Department, or should I say Department of Chaotic Learning,

We had a week's school holiday, March 31 to April 4. We then have several public holidays, April 18 (Friday) and April 21 (Monday), then April 28 (Monday a week later), then in the same week, May 1 (Thursday), then the following week May 7 (voting day).

The obvious question should be: why not have the week's school holiday during all the public holidays? Surely this makes sense?

But wait, there is more. I was informed on Tuesday that next week, April 28 to May 2, will be a week's school holiday!

How on earth does our Department of Chaotic Learning expect schools to function within the curriculum or within the various sporting programmes? How are the teachers supposed to have continuity of teaching with all these breaks in routine?

How are parents supposed to cater all of a sudden for their children being home?

With proper foresight and planning the Department of Chaotic Learning could have avoided the huge disruption to classes, pupils, teachers and parents alike by incorporating a once-off school holiday from April 18 until May 2.

Gordon Upton, Port Elizabeth