Has the High Court abolished school term time?

[robinsonsgrin]

Friend of mine, a hippy chick in Byron Bay, Oz, just decided to take her three kids, aged, 8, 10 and 12 out of school for six months and went off travelling with them. Never did any of them any harm, they learnt more about the world than they ever would have done in school and they all graduated from Uni with flying colours. Not saying it would work for everyone, but needs a bit of flexibility built into the system. Compromise would be that the kid had to take homework on holiday with them. After that, it would be down to whether the parents are chavs or not.

yeh, and who would spend ages sorting out all the homework for them to take - to which they may or may not do..... each and every time someone decides to have a holiday....

 

[happypig]

The problem I have with a fixed penalty is that it doesn't take into account the alleged offender's means; people taking kids out of school to get a cheaper holiday are more likely to suffer hardship from having to find £60 (and as they don't offer weekly payments like courts do, they are more likely to find the penalty doubled when they cannot pay). It is more punitive to the poor who may therefore be unable to afford a holiday at all during normal school closures than it is to better off parents.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

The problem I have with a fixed penalty is that it doesn't take into account the alleged offender's means; people taking kids out of school to get a cheaper holiday are more likely to suffer hardship from having to find £60 (and as they don't offer weekly payments like courts do, they are more likely to find the penalty doubled when they cannot pay). It is more punitive to the poor who may therefore be unable to afford a holiday at all during normal school closures than it is to better off parents.

Whilst I completely agree with you the fine of £60 is far less than the savings on the holiday so I wouldn't hesitate to do it anyway.

 

[GT49er]

The problem I have with a fixed penalty is that it doesn't take into account the alleged offender's means; people taking kids out of school to get a cheaper holiday are more likely to suffer hardship from having to find £60 (and as they don't offer weekly payments like courts do, they are more likely to find the penalty doubled when they cannot pay). It is more punitive to the poor who may therefore be unable to afford a holiday at all during normal school closures than it is to better off parents.

Agree, except that I would go one step further, and say that the problem I have with a fixed penalty is the fact that there is a penalty at all!

 

[Jimmy Come Lately]

So now I have to go on Holiday in June and instead of it being nice and relaxed I have to put up with screaming shit machines

This. Used to be you could book to avoid the school holidays and have a reasonable expectation of some peace and quiet. Not at all looking forward to next year's invasion of noisy, spoilt brats.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Far greater problems with teaching and education than this. Tories out.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

After that, it would be down to whether the parents are chavs or not.

Disney World suggests they might be?

 

[Brovion]

Can't really see a problem with allowing up to 2 weeks out of school at the parents discretion, yet again its the state trying to control our lives.

Amazing parents have been jailed for refusing to pay the fine, it could only ever happen in this country

This is the real reason. I have no issue with them stopping parents (by fines or otherwise) whose kids are perpetual truants from taking said kids out of school even more for holidays. However children are different with different needs, families are different and circumstances vary. Introducing a blanket ban with no exceptions and no acknowledgement of needs and circumstances is of course nothing to do with Education (as I've demonstrated) and everything to do with the State's desire to control every aspect of our lives - and also sadly with the British love of petty rules and regulations.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

If a child vomits, they can be better the same day, but schools have a policy whereby they have to stay away for 48 hours, even when they are obviously well again.

You obviously know nothing about that kind of bug. The child is infectious for at least 2 days. I've worked in schools for many years and I've seen the effect of the child who was sick the previous day or for that matter, that morning, but 'is okay now'.

 

[Berty23]

Watch how this unfolds. Parents want their children to go to good or outstanding schools - if a schools attendance drops below 95% then this won't happen and parents will blame the school when it is their fault. I can't fathom why a court would feel under 95% is okay for that reason.

This man will be celebrated by some who don't understand unintended consequences. When the law is changed it is not going to make it easier to take holiday is it?

This will be a victory as hollow as winning 1-0 vs Wednesday.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I can't fathom why a court would feel under 95% is okay for that reason.

Because the government says anything over 90% is acceptable .... the court has just followed the governments own policy.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

You obviously know nothing about that kind of bug. The child is infectious for at least 2 days. I've worked in schools for many years and I've seen the effect of the child who was sick the previous day or for that matter, that morning, but 'is okay now'.

Wow. I wonder how I managed to have two children, and three grandchildren without knowing about bugs and childhood diseases.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Because the government says anything over 90% is acceptable .... the court has just followed the governments own policy.

Government policy? This government can't decide what a school is so they'd be the last people I'd go to.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

i dont know why people seem to think this is due to travel companies fleecing the public, the entire industry across Europe relies on a couple of months to make a living. every country takes off on holiday in July and August, staggering holidays here isnt going to reduce demand in Med resorts full of Germans and others.

the idea of a week out of school impacts education of the pupil or others is so condesending i cant believe they try to make the argument. do sick children have terrible education, or do they catch up... its the latter.

In the war there was such a shortage of teachers, that children only went to school part time. Some in the morning and some in the afternoon.
This 'uneducated generation' managed to rebuild this country despite their lack of school time.

 

[Berty23]

Because the government says anything over 90% is acceptable .... the court has just followed the governments own policy.

Where? It says "regularly" in the regulations doesn't it? 95-96 is ofsted.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Wow. I wonder how I managed to have two children, and three grandchildren without knowing about bugs and childhood diseases.

Yes. It seems you just got lucky or perhaps you didn't care that your kids were spreading highly infectious bugs around. Each to their own I suppose.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Yes. It seems you just got lucky or perhaps you didn't care that your kids were spreading highly infectious bugs around. Each to their own I suppose.

Thank you for insinuating that I didn't care about my kids.

Read my post again and see where I said children can be sick in the morning and then be fine in the afternoon. That doesn't mean they have a highly infectious disease. Or are you medically qualified too?

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Thank you for insinuating that I didn't care about my kids.

Read my post again and see where I said children can be sick in the morning and then be fine in the afternoon. That doesn't mean they have a highly infectious disease. Or are you medically qualified too?

I didn't mean you didn't care about your kids. I meant you didn't care about others. I think that was a bit harsh and I apologise.


However, medical training or not, I reiterate, children are often sent into school when they have been sick in the morning etc, VERY often they transmit the bug to others, usually on their table or in their particular group of friends gets sick or the runs as well.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I didn't mean you didn't care about your kids. I meant you didn't care about others. I think that was a bit harsh and I apologise.


However, medical training or not, I reiterate, children are often sent into school when they have been sick in the morning etc, VERY often they transmit the bug to others, usually on their table or in their particular group of friends gets sick or the runs as well.

I accept your apology. Those sort of bugs are more infectious before the symptoms show. Children do recover quickly, and can be fine the next day without being infectious.
I do accept that parents have to work nowadays and school is sometimes used as a child minding service rather than an educational establisment.

Btw I managed to catch chicken pox from my children as I'd never had it as a child myself. I would want every child, to have it as a child, because as an adult I was very, very ill for two weeks. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

 

[Triggaaar]

Life isn't all about school. On the day that Sussex died, I will be at the graves with my kids, who will be skipping school. I think we'll learn more than their classmates.