With an ever-increasing technologically advanced world, any country that hopes to succeed has to focus on education. Governments are faced with the arduous task of building an educational edifice that will give their countries a fighting chance.

So, should students have less than two months for summer holiday?

Kareem LaTouche - Youthlink coordinator: We should have more frequent breaks from school, but nothing that exceeds two weeks. Long holidays should be done away with due to the fact that very little learning seems to takes place outside the classroom. The average student who is on an extended summer holiday has very little academic reinforcement, which usually results in him/her being blank upon return to school, subsequently forcing most teachers to abandon their intended lesson plans and revert to revision-oriented classes.

Empress - media personality: In a developing nation such as ours, where our youth are continuously complaining about the lack of job opportunities and where parenting is scarce, resulting in young children leaving school illiterate and unable to continue tertiary studies, I say no to two months of summer holidays. Those two months should be used to teach the young people analytical thinking, self-reliance, industry creation, family values and aspects of nation building. The long summer holiday is not doing anything positive for the youth, in my opinion. What the youth need are critical measures for critical times. Two weeks summer break at most.

Kibaki - fast-rising dancehall artiste: I think so, because they spend a lot of time during the year at school already. At the same time, yuh cannot have all work and no play; dat cyaan work. You have to have a balance, give them the summer so they can have a little fun. I think two months is good, but no more dan dat. It has been this way for years and we still have successful people in Jamaica who had two months' holiday. Suh it good man.

Cornel Grey: I don't see much of a problem with students being on holiday for two months. The Christmas and Easter terms only provide a couple of weeks' break, so two months at the end of the school year is fine as far as I am concerned. Besides, the teachers need the time off as much as the students do, and the absence of students and teachers during the two-month period gives the school time to wrap up operations for the summer term, while making preparations for the new school year. I also think that students wouldn't be as focused if the term was extended and the holiday shortened, as the heat would make some very fussy.

Ding Dong - entertainer: Jamaica has one whole heap a holiday, so it should be cut down. Things are so advanced right now and some students are so easily distracted. I think that even when they are given summer breaks, they should also go to summer school. They already have Easter, summer and then Christmas. Den again, at some schools, you have to pay a bag money for a term after all the spending in the summer! So, I think they should shorten it for educational purposes; things are so advanced now and the kids need to be on top of their game.

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