Wouldn’t you take your year 8 child out of school for a week for a once ina. Lifetime holiday ?

[LardLizard]

I’d it saved you over 1k

Possibly if it genuinely was once in a lifetime, if your child has impeccable attendance and is making good progress at school, and isn't going to miss assessments.

Although, if you watched "schools" on bbc2 and saw just how much pressure schools are under for attendance, as the school I'd beg you not to!

Also remember that not all education happens in school.

I doubt thst much "education" happens at an AI resort in the Med or on a Disney holiday.

If it was a cultural trip round the capital cities of Europe, a tour round ancient historical sites or a tour round India that is a different matter entirely.

Yes. In particular for family events.

Depends on the holiday - Disney/theme park or AI resort holiday, no. If it was a genuinely enriching experience, then yes.

I took DD out of school last week for a day to go to a German Christmas Market. A trip the school used to do for her age group and take 3 days to do. We had a list of cultural activities - concert, gallery and markets/speaking German and the school were less than pleased, which I felt was somewhat hypocritical!!!

I think for a child who is perhaps not lucky enough to have been born into a family that lives up to the MN standards of holiday worthiness i.e cultural tours of capital cities or back packing treks across the Hindu Kush, an AI holiday to the Med holds a perfectly decent amount of educative value and wonderful family memories and could perhaps be that family's memorable "holiday of life time".

Please don't ask the teacher to set work. It's more work for them. And the work simply won't be done. And they will have to help your child to catch up when they return anyway.

Completely agree that being snooty about Disneyland is rubbish too. We've taken our dc on pretentious mumsnet approved holidays (they were fantastic, thanks, and we're very lucky that we could). Doesn't make us better parents, or the holidays any better then if we'd chosen to spend that money on Orlando.

People are not necessarily saying Disneyland is rubbish, Matilda. They are saying it isn’t educational and thus hard to justify children missing school for, unlike a trip to see something historic, say. Which considering it is a theme park with adults dressed up as film characters seems fair. Unless there is something educational in this that I’ve missed?

Its actually pure snobbery and expecting everyone to think Just Like We Do. For many families Disney will be their ultimate, once in a life time goal holiday and that's completely acceptable and fine and should not be sneered at and criticised as not being an acceptable holiday to take. Once in a life time means just that for many families and they can choose whatever that means to them and should not be told "oh no no no! That's not justifiably educational enough so no you should not take your children out of school for it".

carol
Disney might be a once in a lifetime holiday for some People, but there's no need for it to be dressed up as educational. I think that's the point people are making.

When term time holidays come up there's always the line of 'but not all learning happens in a classroom/ holidays can be equally educational'. Both statements are true. A holiday can be educational and some may be more educationally enriching than your average week in school, but the majority of holidays taken in term time probably aren't educational.

Sitting around a pool in an all inclusive is not educational. Wandering around Disney isn't educational. Both may be cheaper in term time and be a family's idea of a once in a lifetime trip, but if someone tried to tell em they were educational then I'd feel my eyes roll to the back of my head fairly sharpish.

But we chose to go to historical/educational trips, because that's what dh and I wanted to do. The dc thoroughly enjoyed the trips too, and have had to be slapped down a couple of times for being snooty about other people's holidays of a lifetime. However, I'm quite sure that they would have enjoyed Disneyland just as much.

I think family holidays have value - and that's it. Doesn't really matter if they're a Sun holiday, or going backpacking through Loas. The value is spending time away from the stresses of everyday life as a family.

I have done it. For longer and for a holiday that has sod all to do with learning. No fine. Didn't regret it for a second.

Would go through the proper application channels but even if it was declined i'd still do it and pay the fine. I do you think you should try and get approval first/notify the school of your intentions

I strongly disagree, Disney is educational... How pompous to suggest its not. I've taken my dc on many holidays including disney and each one Is always educational.

Disney is educational

Can you elaborate? Because I can’t see anything educational about a theme park. But happy to be proved wrong.

I never said that Disney land was necessarily educational- it's mainly fun . However, when children are young anything can be educational! Walking down the street (e.g. looking at buildings/ trees) , going to the seeside, back packing etc. It's what you put in to it. My dc otherwise has 100% attendance. Much research has been done which says that regular/ persistence absence has a much greater impact on educational attainment than missing 3 days at the end of the term (xmas term when they're not much happening- I know as I used to teach).
That being said, as is the way I work it will be 'educational' in a sense. She has been set a personal budget (birthday money) which she will get to spend, she has helped to plan the trip and activities, and written them on her own made up planner, she will read her book on the way (gets car sick so iPad a no no), when we're there she will take in the sights in Disney but also a day in Paris (if the riots calm down ), so I think she will be alright!

People don’t tend to go to Disney World and spend every waking minute there. For example in Florida everyone I know who has been, tied in a trip to Kennedy Space Centre, some even saw a launch. Others went to the Everglades and did those airboat trips to see alligators and other wildlife. Others drove down to Miami. Also if you want to actually argue that DW is educational in some small way then off you go to Epcot which is bursting with educational opportunities and experiences. If you don’t know what I mean then you’ve not been because of you had you wouldn’t be dismissing DW wholesale as a worthless waste of time and not worthy of missing a week off school.