To think before you argue for time off school for holidays...

[newname12]

You make sure you petition is at least spell checked?

you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stopping-school-fines-for-taking-our-children-on-family-holidays

Not getting into the rights and wrongs of the petition itself, it just amused me that someone with these writing skills is arguing for less time in education...

[newname12]

your : hangs head in shame:

[PulpsNotFiction]

Should it be amuses me rather than amused? I admit I'm not sure but couldn't help myself

[RufusTheReindeer]

You are right in theory

[teeththief]

I may petition to send her some full stops......

I get the feeling it was written with wine fuelled rage.

[splodgeses]

It is pretty awful in its entirety!

There is no clear argument, no clear structure, no depth of examples or statistics. It actually made me laugh. Perhaps she needs to understand the economic/realistic consequence of the points she does illustrate.

i think a maximum of 10 days a year should be allowed or even 5 is better than none but
There will still be peak times that parents would use these 'free days off', resulting in sparse classes for teachers and a waste of resources. The currents peak times that parents sneakily steal eg week before half term etc are still moderately expensive as holiday companies spend fortunes studying the patterns.
Giving people 10 'free days off' would mean that those days needed to be achieved at some other point in the school year eg. making the Summer holiday shorter. This would mean teachers working longer hours overall (would it be acceptable for them to just take time off work to take their own children on a mid term holiday?), and also would be unfair on children whose parents can't take the time off work for additional holidays.
All that would result is a varying shift of holiday patterns... Majority parents go for the week before Summer/Easter holiday, holiday company notices and ramps up the prices of holidays at those times. So parents go back to doing it in the official holidays, holiday companies notice and prices change again. Goes round in circles really.

but to be told we cannot take our own children that we have raised on a family holiday without being punished is obserd
Uhm, You are NOT being told you cannot take your children on a holiday without being punished. You are being told that you cannot simply take them at your own fanciful time without consequences. To be fair, it is in aid of the kids' education anyway.

we looked into my husband and i taking our 2 boys on a weeks holiday in turkey the week before half term and it cost £1675 then the week after being half term was £3576 how can we justify this
Yes, everyone knows it is more expensive during peak times. But it is hardly the education system's fault. Perhaps she needs to campaign against holiday companies naturally controlling demand by price 'exploiting' peak times. While she is at it, could she take on the rail companies and get commuter fares down?

so it means we cannot take our children on a family holiday untill they leave school
Again, utter rubbish. The holiday is about twice the price, put this year towards next year's holiday. Sorted. It doesn't have to be Turkey, there are plenty of places including at home where parents can spend quality time with our children, and [children] have wonderful memories with there mum and dad.

She is just another frustrated parent, parenting IS frustrating, however, she is making herself look like a fool with her ridiculously ill-considered, half-baked suggestions that wouldn't work or benefit the masses.

I won't get started on her lack of grammar, punctuation or spelling as her parents obviously decided school wasn't a good enough reason to wait for a holiday.

Rant over!

[Wherediparkmybroom]

Just pay the fine.....that's what we do, it's cheaper than moving holiday dates.

[CaptainAnkles]

How obserd.

[splodgeses]

CaptainAnkles

[Rivercam]

There are plenty of decent holidays in the summer holidays that cost £1500. You don't have a right to go on holiday, it's a luxury!

[Branleuse]

oh.my.god. poor people should NEVER aspire to be able to take a cheap foreign holiday. Just stay at home and BE GRATEFUL. Also haha, she doesnt have great english, AND THATS A CLASS MARKER

[Theboodythatrocked]

Bit of a mean sneery thread though.

I think the petition is silly but there's no dought that this legislation directly penalises poorer parents and people like police officers who are often required to work school holidays as busy times.

[Branleuse]

There was no problem with the system before. Up to 10 days a year if you had previous good attendance.
Begging letters to headmasters for a few days with your children?? No thanks. Plus private schools have massively long holidays anyway so the rich can already benefit from these offpeak prices if they wanted to.

[hestialou]

Haha I totally agree on the grammar point, if you are taking kids out of school should be for educational reasons, and should be able to cover lessons at home.

[Branleuse]

why should it be for educational reasons. A few days before half term for some family time is not going to ruin anyones education.

[Charley50]

Splodgeses.. Your grammar isn't too hot either.

[Charley50]

I agree with Branleuse. It's the less well off and people with inflexible jobs that suffer. Family time and holidays ARE important. This shitty rule or law or whatever it is, is about control of the masses. The people with the power do whatever the fuck they want and even those who are ok off can afford the fine. Poor people must stick to camping in the UK or more class appropriate Butlins, or a £2.50 offer from The Sun.
And to all you grammar and spelling snobs; some people are dyslexic; get over it.

[Branleuse]

Only people with a finer grasp of nuanced english should even DARE to ask anything.

Some of the most brilliant minds i know, have weaknesses in other areas. A good friend of mine studying further advanced fluid maths has terrible spelling and grammar school children.
None of it matters. Her children could be doing very well at school. They may have had all kinds of shit thrown at them. You just dont know.
She may not have had the best grammar or spelling but I knew exactly what she was saying. It wasn't particularly controversial. Her grasp of the english language may not be getting her into cambridge any time soon but that should never detract from what someone is saying

[AliceinWinterWonderland]

I find it a bit irritating that I'd be fined for taking my child out of a school a few days before Christmas for a holiday, when they then send home letter saying they're going to be watching Christmas films during the school week.

If I can't take them on holiday because they need their education, then by god, they should be educating them, not watching Christmas films IMO.