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Teachers Urged to Give Up Part of Six-Week Summer Holiday Boris Johnson (pictured visiting a school in Hemel Hempstead on Friday) has solemnly promised that schools will return fully in September and hinted at an imminent shift on the two-metre rule A cross-party group of former education ministers is urging teachers to give up some of their six-week summer holiday so schools can reopen in September, according to Sian Griffiths in the Sunday Times. Five former education secretaries have backed a plan to get all children back to class in September, including a demand that teachers curtail their six-week summer holiday to deal with the “national emergency”.Under the plan, put together by Lord Adonis, a former Labour minister for schools, the Government must confirm the social-distancing rules, appoint a national director of school operations to oversee safe reopening, and bring back teachers in August to get schools ready. Hang on, I thought, when I read that. Haven't we already got a "national director of school operations" in the form of Education Secretary Gavin Williamson? But as the Mail reports, he may be for the chop. Mr Williamson's soft approach with the teachers' unions had damaged his reputation."Gavin played nicely with the unions in the hope that they would sign up, and they didn't. People in there know how you take ...