Taking kids out of school, for holidays.

[Scampi]

I like the staggered holidays idea. And for the teachers with kids - tough. Other people who work and have children have to cope.

Anyway I would happily take my kids out of school. Did it when my eldest was 6. He missed a week. It's hardly as if it's ruined his whole education.

 

[Gazwag]

I like the staggered holidays idea. And for the teachers with kids - tough. Other people who work and have children have to cope.

Anyway I would happily take my kids out of school. Did it when my eldest was 6. He missed a week. It's hardly as if it's ruined his whole education.

Bit unfair on teachers though, can nobody see the problem here, its nothing to do with schools or educations its the travel companies who should be pressured to average the cost of holidays over the whole year so making it slightly more expensive during the 39 weeks of school time and cheaper during the13 weeks of school holidays.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

No, it's not. Our school wrote to all parents recently pointing that this idea that pupils were entitled to two weeks off during the year was a myth and any requests would be refused (unless there was a valid reason of course). He said that any subsequent absences would then be reported to the educational welfare officer.

They can report it to the welfare officer as much as they like - just as long as you have informed them AND it's not more than two weeks in any one school year there is bugger all they can do about it.

 

[Hiney]

Some friends of ours were fined £50 per child, when they took their 2 kids out of school for a holiday during term time.

 

[Stat Brother]

Something schools don't shout about is that you are actually allowed to take up to 2 weeks during term time per school year ( just as long as you write and tell them first ) !

The policy of our school is, if your child has a 90%+ attendance record you can take 1 week off, if you request it in writing.

 

[Scampi]

Bit unfair on teachers though, can nobody see the problem here, its nothing to do with schools or educations its the travel companies who should be pressured to average the cost of holidays over the whole year so making it slightly more expensive during the 39 weeks of school time and cheaper during the13 weeks of school holidays.

No it's not unfair on the teachers, it's life. People who work in other professions have to deal with the issue of school holidays.

 

[Stat Brother]

Some friends of ours were fined £50 per child, when they took their 2 kids out of school for a holiday during term time.

Still cheaper than holidaying in half term!.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Find a cheaper holiday within the UK if needs be or don't have kids. Simple.

 

[Gwylan]

They can report it to the welfare officer as much as they like - just as long as you have informed them AND it's not more than two weeks in any one school year there is bugger all they can do about it.

Absolute nonsense

Here's the Education Act: s444 deals with absence and there's not a single mention of a permitted two weeks off.
Education Act 1996

It is within the headteacher's discretion to allow unauthorised absences and, in the past, some have been lax about this but this is not a statutory right.

And, as Hiney points out, LEAs are keen to fine parents taking unauthorised holidays.

 

[Billy the Fish]

One or two weeks out of school means nothing. The schools like to bang on about it like it's the end of the world, but when you look at it objectively what can a kid really miss out on in 2 weeks?

When I was at school I probably only did about half an hour of actual work a day, if that

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Some friends of ours were fined £50 per child, when they took their 2 kids out of school for a holiday during term time.

Fined by whom ? The school can't do that, they have no legal authority to fine you. The LEA "could" but they would need to prove their case in court if you challenged it and if you wrote to the school telling them AND it wasn't more than two weeks in any one school year the court wouldn't uphold it unless there was a history of persistant non-attendence.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

As mentioned in the Centre Parcs thread.

Why do we have uniformed holidays?

I'm dead set against taking our children out of school, just for a holiday, but it's bloody impossible to argue against.
£500-£1000 price difference for the sake of one week is borderline criminal, the whole system is set up for people/parents to be fleeced.

Naturally Christmas Easter and Summer can't be moved, although a weeks movement either side couldn't hurt.

But surely West Sussex, the Lesser half of Sussex, Kent and Surrey, could all stagger half-terms, it would make so much more sense.

I'm guessing if school holidays were staggered, over say three weeks, then Centre Parcs would have three expensive weeks as opposed to one.

 

[Gazwag]

No it's not unfair on the teachers, it's life. People who work in other professions have to deal with the issue of school holidays.

The issue on this thread is COST how can it possibly be fair that every other worker could take off half term and be at home with the kids (thereby being cheaper than a holiday) but a teacher who's kids maybe on a different holiday cycle would not even be able to have a holiday with their kids.

How about a working parent with two children at different schools with different holiday cycles having to organise two weeks every hlaf term and not one week.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Absolute nonsense

Here's the Education Act: s444 deals with absence and there's not a single mention of a permitted two weeks off.
Education Act 1996

It is within the headteacher's discretion to allow unauthorised absences and, in the past, some have been lax about this but this is not a statutory right.

And, as Hiney points out, LEAs are keen to fine parents taking unauthorised holidays.

Section 444

(3)The child shall not be taken to have failed to attend regularly at the school by reason of his absence from the school—

(a)with leave,

Agreed it doesn't mention 2 weeks but this is the guidance given to state school teachers ( or was up until 2 years ago and I see no reason why it should have changed as the Education Act hasn't ).

 

[Barrel of Fun]

One or two weeks out of school means nothing. The schools like to bang on about it like it's the end of the world, but when you look at it objectively what can a kid really miss out on in 2 weeks?

When I was at school I probably only did about half an hour of actual work a day, if that

I think it gives out the wrong message, that education takes a backseat to a bargain holiday.

Besides it would surely be chaos if you have much of the same form taking two weeks out at different times.

 

[bhaexpress]

I think that up to say 14 years old what difference does a couple of weeks make ? Once exams have finished school is a waste of time and this situation allows travel companies to exploit people with children (although having said that serves them right !)

 

[Stat Brother]

Find a cheaper holiday within the UK if needs be or don't have kids. Simple.

Blimey BoF that's a bit harsh even by NSC standards.
When was the last time the UK was the cheaper option in this kind of discussion.

The point I'm making is it seems unnecessary to create this system across the whole school calendar, when separating the half terms would ease the problem, and I don't think it would result in 3 expensive weeks, as the pool of potential holiday makers would be so much smaller.

 

[Stat Brother]

I think it gives out the wrong message, that education takes a backseat to a bargain holiday.

Totally agree, that's my argument. Which to me, then carries on into 'just taking a sickie' at work.

 

[Perry Milkins]

I think that up to say 14 years old what difference does a couple of weeks make ? Once exams have finished school is a waste of time and this situation allows travel companies to exploit people with children (although having said that serves them right !)

I am served right becuase I have children. Really Frank?

 

[Perry Milkins]

I think it gives out the wrong message, that education takes a backseat to a bargain holiday.

Besides it would surely be chaos if you have much of the same form taking two weeks out at different times.

BoF I really think your views would hold more credence were you speaking as a family man.