The Island's director of education says putting back the start of the next school term is an attempt to ease the problem of cover when teachers are off ill.
An extra day has been added to the Christmas holiday, with lessons now due to resume on Tuesday, January 5.
John Cain says his department needs to 'bank' the extra days of holiday so it can get teachers to cover for absent colleagues later in the term.
But the decision has angered some parents, who say they will have to take leave at short notice, to look after their children.
Mr Cain admits the decision was made rather late in the day:
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