A father-of-one says he'll be making his son revise on Christmas Day, to ensure he is prepared for his GCSEs in 2023. Dad Matt Privet says it is his responsibility to ensure his son gets good grades, although admits his parenting style might not be to everyone's taste.
The 38-year-old from Devon says his son will not be alone when he hits the books, as it'll be a family affair. Matt, who wishes to be unpictured, says on the morning of December 25, the family will read and revise before Christmas lunch, and once the presents have been opened.
Matt has scheduled an hour of revision each day for his teen over the Christmas holidays. The building surveyor says he has his son's best interests at heart and is being cruel to be kind.
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Matt said: "It's important for my son to keep his eye on his schoolwork as it's very easy for kids to switch off for weeks at a time over the holidays, meaning they go back having to relearn everything from before the break.
"I'm sure some parents won't agree with me but it's my job to make sure he's prepared for his first major exams and a little work over the coming weeks will make a big difference in the New Year."
Matt's controversial revision timetable comes after a survey of 1,000 parents found that a third of parents (32 per cent) say they are planning to make their children revise during the Christmas period - with 1 in 10 forcing them to revise on Christmas Day. The survey, commissioned by Save My Exams, revealed that parents are expecting their children to revise for up to six hours on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Jenna Quinn, head of revision resources at Save My Exams, said: "We were surprised by the number of parents who are looking to make their children revise on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. It's understandable that parents might want to encourage their children to revise over the Christmas holidays, however there is a fine line between quantity and quality of revision. The Christmas holidays are a time for seeing family and friends, relaxing and enjoying yourself.
"Children have more than enough on their plate and a three-day break from their revision on Christmas Eve, Day and Boxing Day won't do any harm. In fact, making children revise excessively may do more harm than good and may well cause friction between families. Our advice is to sit down with your children and work out a revision plan where you can agree on time off for them to enjoy themselves but also decide on set dates and times where they can get stuck into their revision."
