How come there were School age kids on my flight today

[twirlywolly]

I flew to the Caribbean today and there were lots of British school age kids on my flight, can anyone explain how they could be out of school? Could it be private schools having really different half terms or what? Interested as I have a baby and am thinking ahead to being restricted to school holidays for travel.

Private school half terms are still half way through the term. I expect they all had family emergencies/exceptional events.

Probably people taking children out of school during term time.

The private schools break up around the 13th Dec around here and the state schools a week later.

Because if you have enough money to take your kids to the Caribbean you probably have enough money to pay the fine.

Maybe they're home educated?

I wondered about them being home educated but if it's not private school hols then at least some must've taken their kids out of school. I am naive - I didn't realise people actually did that.

School trip?

No as it was families of 2-3 kids with their parents. I think it's as a pp says. If you can fly a family of 5 to the carribean you can afford any fine you might get for taking your kids out of school

Could be an international school on an American timetable, they would have broken up for thanksgiving week.

I was just about to say the same dreichwinter.

Is it really your business ??

@carolina21 wind your neck in - OP is asking a perfectly reasonable question. She's not casting judgement - she's mulling over future plans.

Ah that's a good point Dreichwinter, maybe that was the case. Don't know that they seemed like international school kids but possibly.

Military families whose parents are going to be deployed sometimes get special permission to take their kids away during term time. Maybe someone in the family is terminally ill and so they have been given special permission. Perhaps some had an international sporting event or competition to attend. There are lots of exceptional circumstances which can result in a school age child being out of school.

We are not charged fines at our school. International independents take a more flexible approach. It is just not always possible for us as parents to both take a holiday when schools out.

Maybe they were expats returning from a visit home? I remember being on a train In the uk with with our 3 kids and being asked why they weren’t in school. We were on holiday from Australia.

One of my work colleagues was discussing that the Government would pay for her to return home to vote in the Caribbean election which is currently taking place She was saying how families would all be paid for so a bit of a free holiday

Very interesting! I think military or expats is a distinct possibility.

Maybe they are just on holiday. We were in Orlando the last two weeks of September and there were loads of kids.

Fines don’t bother some people.

My sister lives in wales and allegedly welsh schools allow holiday anytime... I’ve always wondered if this were true?.
Also should imagine it could be private school pupils.

Personally I don’t agree with some children allowed it and some not.

We also get funny looks when on holiday in the UK as our school holidays (France) aren't the same dates but I and the DC all have British accents.

How many children were there, I'm imagining a planeload of Welsh military folk with parents all dying of terminal illnesses but managing to compete in international sporting events at the same time.

Was it a special charter

In Scotland we don't get fines.

I have done it in the past when I couldn't get school holidays off work.

I am guessing since Scotland doesn't and apparently Wales doesn't it's a council thing? So maybe in England it's based on the council, some may fine, some may not?

But I agree with pp, for some people the fine isn't going to matter. If there was fines here I'd just factor it in to the cost of the holiday.

Private schools with boarders have exeat this weekend, they could have been going for a few nights?

Maybe they were going to the carribean on holiday

We don’t get fines here in Australia, and term time holidays are allowed, maybe they were Aussies?