What are the chances of taking son out of school in term time for our wedding next year?.

[costacoffee]

We are planning to get married next year and want to take ds on our honeymoon/holiday after the wedding.

If we applied now do you think they would give us permission?. He is only 5 so I dont think its a problem,but worried as they can be funny about taking children out in term time.

This is quite a controversial one eh? Just a couple of comments I wanted to make (as a teacher)...

-I fail to see how any teacher could get away (or wish to???) teach primary school children by rote?

-the 'last week/day of term' scenarios that people describe, where students are doing 'less vital' work is only compounded by parents allowing students not to be in school. The vast majority of schools that I have worked in/know actually go as far as to ban tv's in the last few days to avoid overuse!! However, when you have half a class it's very hard to continue as 'normal'. And often you choose to do something more 'fun' to encourage/reward those students who have attended. Please note that 'more fun' does NOT mean less valuable in their education.

-although I feel a one off trip is not going to have a massive impact at all, there are a lot of parents who do take their children out regularly. Those parents do not see the impact on their children either educationally or socially in the classroom which can SOMETIMES be huge!

-and finally, on a selfish note, it's very difficult to plan and ensure continuity for all students when you're not sure who is going to be there from day to day.

That's probably a really good way of ensuring that you get a nice white school with a low percentage of immigrant families skidoodly. As another poster pointed it, it's not easy to visit family overseas during school holidays because the price of flights is astronomical

Slightly different but

I currently have a pupil whose parents have taken him out off school every year, last year he missed 3 - 4 weeks + another week due to illness, He is behind on his course work, the only way he will catch up is if he stays behind to do so. I cannot wait for him to catch up or everyone's marks will suffer.

His parent reasoning for the holidays is because they have always done so.

He may catch up, but it will add to my work load outside of school for him to do so.

its all ripples in a pond

(Dude :) )

LadyBiscuit - I think you are making unfair assumptions about skidoodly - "nice white school" - a bit of a low blow, IMO.

skidooly ???

I don't understand?? Please tell us where you live? and what is so different about the education system there?

What is wrong with the term learning objective? What would you say instead?

Sleeping Lion, why shouldn't parents of young children seek to save money? Will missing a week of Reception or Year 1 harm their education? Honestly? No.

Will never having a family holiday and some respite from day-to-day life for both the children and the parents harm them? More likely to, I think. Most people remember their childhood from the outings and holidays - the break from the norm - and that is why I think they are so important.

You are arguing about a principle that boils down to 'I don't want to do it (which is fair enough) but that means no-one else should'.

And I know the LEA rules, about granting permission and the 'acceptable' reasons for term time absence. I just don't agree with them. They were introduced in the interests of not being seen to victimise the families who's kids just don't go to school, not on any thought-out or reasoned basis relating to the value of a week's education.

I wasn't implying skidoodly was racist Jamie - just that it might be an outcome of her choosing to send her children to a school with 100% attendance records.

I find her views on this topic slightly bizarre though it must be said. What difference does it make if some of the 5 year olds are there every single day of term or not?

And apologies to you if you thought that too skidoodly - it was a bit of a throwaway remark and I didn't mean to imply anything.

I suppose we'll agree to differ. There are of course a number of variables at play, but I think that several people have ignored what the teachers on here have been saying (and my own instincts) which are that even short absences from school, even at 5, can affect children's social and academic functioning.

And actually, those with 100% attendance records are likely to be the schools whose heads approve leave in term time - it's the strict ones who refuse permission & so rack up the unauthorised absences.

Some of the teachers, jamie, not all. Some have said they don't have an issue.

My DS is not at school yet but if there is some major reason that I want to take him out (in the unlikely event that I get married for example), I won't hesitate. And I do think Emma Thompson and Greg Wise are rather marvellous for bucking the system. I'm a bit of a rebel though it must be said

I teach and I take my children out of school term time (my terms are slightly different to my children's). I do not see a problem in it at all.

I do not think it teaches children to play truant. I think children tend to have the intelligence to understand the difference between a special event, and not being arsed to go to school. Or at least, my 6 year old has the intelligence to understand this distinction. Which is why she has had time off for holidays (five days per school year) and has never yet had a single day off sick.

Equally, if the children take their time off at sensible times, and I do think that there should be times when parents should not be allowed to take time off, like at the start of the school year in Sept for example. But that aside, actually it doesn't do them any harm or cause me as their teacher a lot of hassle. Maybe this is because I teach 'A' level, that actually if they come to me before they go away, it takes 5 minutes maximum for me to give them the material and tell them to come back up to date. I do not tolerate students who miss lessons and then expect me to spend time in class recapping what they've missed - although in fairness, it is usually the skivers who do this, and not those who have taken annual leave.

We also live in an area where we are allowed to apply for up to 10 days, but that includes sickness. We apply, get permission to go every year, and then take the holiday.

I don't think it is a big deal and I don't think it lessens my commitment to education. Life is complex, and not black and white. It is too naive to simply see this issue as a dichotomy between valuing education or holidays.