To wonder why it's deemed acceptable to take children out of school for cheap holidays?

[shrunkenhead]

Am I the only one who thinks it's not on to make your child miss school for the sake of a cheap holiday???

[Tinkerball]

Cheaper holiday, not necessarily cheap. I work hard and view a holiday as a necessity.

[fredfredgeorgejnr]

It depends a lot on your attitude to school, if you just believe it's part of education then you won't see a problem with missing it.

I notice that the education system doesn't put huge effort into providing extra catch up schooling to those who miss it through illness, therefore I can only conclude there's not much of a problem with missing a few school days otherwise they would.

[gordyslovesheep]

I'm sure you aren't the only one who thinks that no ...does that answer your question?

[shrunkenhead]

Sure, but, you can take them in the school hols, so your kids aren't missing out on their education.

[PourquoiTuGachesTaVie]

If the choice is no holidays at all or a few days off school then I can see why people do it. A few days makes no difference.

[shrunkenhead]

Yes, Gordy, thank you!

[accessorizequeen]

I think it should be fine to take them out as long as they're not struggling academically or doing SATs. Holidays are important for the entire family and some families can't afford the inflated term time prices or parents can only take holidays during term time. Certainly there are several weeks in the calendar where students are doing very little, such as winding down for Christmas.

[PourquoiTuGachesTaVie]

No actually a lot of people can't afford to take them on holiday during the school holidays. That's why people take their kids out of school. Surely you don't need that explaining to you?

[Coffeethrowtrampbitch]

Yes. I dont see the problem missing a few days of school if the alternative is missing out on a family holiday because it is unaffordable.

I couldnt afford to go away at all as a child, even in the UK, and although I make every effort to go away in the holidays if there is any overlap with term time I have taken the children out of school. None of them have suffered, their perfomance is above average anyway, as is there attendence, so i dont think they have suffered in any way.

[passmethewineplease]

I would place a family holiday over five days of school tbh providing my child wasn't struggling or going through SATS.

I don't think five days would hinder the child's education that much tbh...if it were a regular occurrence then maybe.

[NormHonal]

Is it deemed acceptable? Where, on here?

I don't think it is, and don't know anyone who thinks it is, acceptable for children to miss days/weeks of schooling for a cheaper holiday.

But there are no hard and fast rules in my book, which is why it should be done on a case-by-case basis.

Is it ok to take a child out a day early, the last day of term when all they do is play games (in primary anyway)? In my book, yes. Is it ok if, having flown halfway around the world for a family wedding in half-term, you stay another week? Yes, I think so. Is it ok to bugger off for a week's skiing or three-week beach holiday on the middle of term because it's cheaper then? In my opinion, no.

[GoblinLittleOwl]

I notice that the education system doesn't put huge effort into providing extra catch up schooling to those who miss it through illness, therefore I can only conclude there's not much of a problem with missing a few school days otherwise they would.
Actually, they are too busy teaching the next part of the curriculum, and yes, they do try to fill in missed work, in break and dinner times.

[shrunkenhead]

A friend's reception class lost out on 100% attendance because one mother took her son to....Alton Towers.

[Tinkerball]

I live in Scotland and the flight supplements alone, never mind the cost of the actual holiday itself can be horrendous in the summer holidays. I took them out for 2 weeks last year and we had the time of our lives in California, they caught up at school and have fab memories and we all had quality time together.

[LaurieFairyCake]

Fine in primary, not ok in secondary - maybe year 7, not later - there's no "off" times in yr 8 onwards

There's a total twat who's taken their kid out of 2 of their gcse's to go and sit on a beach in Majorca for a week - one of the gcse's is Maths

[shrunkenhead]

I don't need it explaining to me, I don't understand why people put their holidays before their children's education.

[ICanSeeTheSun]

Personally I wouldn't be son is SEN and a week will throw him back a lot more than a week.

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

My Dh works in a school so as such we will always have to travel school holiday time. It is why we dont go abroad tbh. The cost.

Unless of course those of you who are happy to take your dcs out for a few days wouldnt mind the TA not turning in either, for the same excuse.

[Tinkerball]

Well we all think differently don't we, I don't view it like that.

[EatDessertFirst]

You aren't the only one that thinks like that.

PP sum it up perfectly. Inflated cost during school holiday times and quality family time. You'd probably find that adding a fine for absence to the cost of a term-timr holiday would still be cheaper.

Parents that can afford to pay the ridiculous prices in school holidays, I envy their luck. However, as long as my DC were achieving expected levels and had little/no time off sick, I wouldn't think twice about taking them out of school for a few days.

[Sparklyblue]

We have just come back from a two week holiday in term time. If we could go in the school holidays we would, but my husbands shift pattern will not allow him to book holidays.
He gets 16 days off every two months. If they fall in the holidays great, if they don't we still go on holiday.
The headmaster approved the time off. I know some people think that holidays are not essential, but my husband works extremely hard and our annual holiday is a mus. If people don't agree with that, well I don't really care.

[Normalisavariantofcrazy]

IMO a holiday can be infinitely more beneficial to a child than being in school.

Time with family, learning that life is to be enjoyed not endured and getting to see the parents relaxed and happy are very important things for a child

[shrunkenhead]

It's clearly deemed acceptable on here...

[PourquoiTuGachesTaVie]

I think there is a difference between adults not being able to go on holiday during term time and children missing out on the only holidays they may ever get in their childhood because their parents can't afford to go during term time.

And I say that as someone who works term time (so no cheaper holidays for me either) and as someone who never went on any holidays at all as a child due to the cost.

[Heathcliff27]

I wouldn't take my kids out of school for a holiday but thats my choice/my decision. Other people do. Do I care what anyone else does?........no i don't. Do other people care what I do?... If they do they're investing too much time in my business.