Are the new term time holiday laws making you re think holiday plans?

[WindyTums]

Every year, my parents and in laws pay for the whole family to go on a European lodge based holiday. It’s during term time as school holiday costs more than double. DH and I are the only ones who have school aged DC (secondary).

Every year the holiday is arranged for either just before the Easter holidays or just before the October half term. We always go and it’s a great experience for everyone.

This years gathering is just before October half term and I’ve agreed to take the DC out of school for this, accepting we will be fined.
One of our elderly relatives has a milestone birthday next year and it has been agreed to book the next one for just before the Easter holidays. It’s likely this will be elderly relatives last time going.

However, for DH and I, this means our DC would need to be taken out of school again within a six month period and will result in a hefty fine as we have 3 DC. Whilst I could accept the fine, it would mean we could not take a family holiday during term time for another three years due to the new laws.

We simply can not afford school holiday prices. We are planning to decline the Easter gathering but I’m really disappointed and upset for my DC.

I suppose the new laws are clearly working if there are others like us?

Before anyone tells me that holidays are a luxury, not a right, I’m aware of this. However, you can’t tell me this affects the rich and their DC in the same way. It’s another way of separating the haves and the have nots. Nobody on their death bed ever regretted family time.

If people get out the mentality of late July and August then you can find affordable holidays during February/Easter/may/ October or Xmas/new year ( less affordable) both uk and abroad- bear in mind Greece and Turkey and canaries have been having26 to 30 degrees regularly in April/May and October recently.

10 days is absolutely ridiculous. It just is.

It's nonsense that everyone who takes their kids out of school for a holiday must be sat on the med at an AI. We took ours out twice and went to Mexico and Cuba, we never stayed AI, travelled around by local transport and saw huge amounts of history, wildlife and beautiful places and really did create amazing memories. Swimming in bioluminescence in Mexico is still one of our most memorable times together, even above visiting Chichen Itza which itself is jaw dropping.

It's a shame that families can't be given the lee way of having one week a year outside of term time as the jump in prices is ridiculous.

sorry, but where in the GCSE curriculum or Key Stage education IS that precisely. Term time holidays may be cheaper but they come at the expense of your kids learning.

There is no point in you getting hoity about it saying how you're not slumming with the common people on an AI in the med. You are no different to those on a bucket and spade holiday somewhere common or down market. Your kids are JUST as absent from school.

"creating memories" always this.

ha ha ha 😁

I don't...not sure where in my post i said i think i can make up my own rules?

Sometimes the "holiday of a lifetime" turns out to be Disneyland.

We went to Cyprus at Easter relatively cheaply. The apartment was pretty basic but less than £500 for 10 days

Because you clearly disregard the school rules.

@MzHz the point of education at primary/secondary is the basics and to learn how to learn.

It's perfectly reasonable to learn more history/geography etc on a holiday than out of a textbook. I studied history at GCSE+A-level. It taught me how to research and write an essay, I don't actually use any of the content in the adult world. Even my degree only taught the basics my day to day knowledge comes from post graduate qualifications in my 20s. Missing two weeks of school isn't going to impact that, in fact it might encourage independent learning which is a bonus.

If I was interviewing for an entry level post right now and a candidate could use life experience like planning a trip in a foreign country in their teens with the challenges they faced that would earn them more points than B vs A at GCSE/Alevel.

We need reform of education and a move away from the ABC culture to focus on basic knowledge and life experiences as a whole.

The reason they are obsessed with attendance isn't the middle class parent off for two weeks in the sun it's the scummy mummy who is always late to school and never makes sure homework is done. But omg say that out loud in a labour government and you will be out the door.

They aren't the school rules, they are the governments rules. My daughters school hate them as much as parents do.

My daughter is fully involved in her learning at school, we support at home, she is on time every day etc. She has actually never had a day off sick from school in 4 years, so in my view her having 2 or 3 days off a year to do something fun is no more damaging to her education that her classmate who had 2 or 3 days off sick 🤷🏼‍♀️ both miss exactly the same number of days of school.

The government has created this problem by making school seem optional during covid and making parents homeschool whilst holding down full time jobs themselves.

All this change in rules will make me do is tell my daughters school she is ill instead of being honest that we're going to a theme park, won't stop me taking her out of school

Intelligent parents understood that the pandemic was an extreme and unique situation. That others are using it now as some sort of excuse for non attendance is risible.

To take her out for a theme park is just stupid.
Why lie. That makes you deceitful, and is teaching your daughter it is ok to lie.

I wish you would be fined thousands. Maybe then you would think differently.

People who want to slag off parents taking DC out in these threads usually use a class coded example, and this one was no exception. AI eating chips in Spain, rather than a villa in Tuscany.

It's as predictable as clockwork, and interesting when coming from people who clearly think they're morally in the right. There's an interesting book to be written about MN and class!

Our school sends out the government stats on how many days of school missed correlate with a drop in GCSE grades. Something I'd never thought about before dd started secondary. It does make you think more about having days off for illness or missing half a day because of medical appointments if you're a worrier like me. Not something I worried about during the primary school years. Seeing the stats definitely has an impact

You're not understanding what i'm sating. I don't want to lie, i don't currently lie. We're very open with the school what we are doing on the 2 or 3 days my daughter misses school. With these new fines i may have to start lying, but the school will know me and all the parents are now having to lie.

And my argument still stands - what is the difference between missing 3 days due to sickness or missing 3 days to something else. Both kids have atill missed 3 days of school

Because sickness is unavoidable.

This is pure selfishness to take them out of school for no reason.

People in other countries would do anything for education.

If you really cannot understand the difference between missing school for being sick/unwell/hospital appointments etc than going to a theme park, you need to go back to school yourself.

People in other countries would do anything to be educated. Yet you're taking it for granted.

Pure selfish. I wish you would be fined thousands.

😅 it still equals the same number of days missed of school. Honestly trying to compare it to countries who don't have education is a ridiculous comparison. My daughter loves school, and has a great education and missing a couple of days each year in primary is not having a negative effect. Honestly in real life i don't know anyone who doesn't do the same, it's only on mumsnet that people never take a day...yet you read posts that say let your kids take a mental health day, or posters wish parents wouldn't send their kids in with a cold, but then posts like this where posters say children must never ever miss a day of school.
Same as usual, as a parent you'll never please anyone and I couldn't care less what other parents think 🤷🏼‍♀️ we'll be off enjoying our holiday or our theme park trip at a much quieter time and much cheaper, which is only possible while you keep your kids in school 24/7 so thanks 👍🏻

keep your kids in school 24/7
Only if it's boarding school.

Your daughter should be at school. What a terrible example you're setting her.

You clearly need to be educated if you seriously cannot tell the difference between genuine sickness and time off for the hell of it.

Teaching your daughter to lie as well - should be ashamed of yourself.

Trying to compare having time off for being genuinely ill and going away is a ridiculous comparison.

People like you should be fined.

What a terrible example you're setting. You clearly need to be educated if you cannot see that.

Maybe you missed too much time of school to realise that lying is morally wrong and that you do not understand the difference.

I don't lie 😅 the school knows where we are and what we're doing. I said i would have to START lying because of these changes if i was going to hit the 5 day limit,

You clearly need to be educated if you seriously cannot tell the difference between genuine sickness and time off for the hell of it.
as you are obviously better educated than I am, please explain what is the difference?

Please explain to me the difference between someone being genuinely unwell and who cannot attend school, to people like you who take the piss and take your child to theme parks etc?