To think billboard adverts threatening parents about removing their children for a holiday in term time are a bit well, pathetic.

[BurningBuntingFlipFlop]

Haven't the government got bigger concerns?

Sure a couple of weeks of a child experiencing a different culture once a year during term time isn't that bad?

My children aren't old enough but if they were i probably wouldn't pull them out in term time personally. But i'm shocked that this is apparently a major concern in the education sector right now? What about the parents who just don't give a shit if their kids ever go to school? Or the cuts that are happening?

I can't find a link, they're in Manchester anyway.

No I don't think it's OTT.

Many parents are still under the impression they are allowed 2 weeks extra term time holiday by law...they're not so the ads are merely to put that straight and let parents know that unless the school ok's it (which in certain circumstances they will) then they're likely to get a fine.

Also, culture doesn't necessarily have anything to do with a week or two at a caravan camp. Not all families holiday abroad.

Oh and as an aside...the parents who don't give a shit are also being chased and dealt with. Persisent absence is unfortunately a major issue in many many schools.

Yes there are major cutbacks at the moment but the money spent on chasing up and sorting out children whose parents really don't give a crap about their schooling also costs the earth.

I agree with mutz nutz. My DSD lives with us now, but when I got her report from her previous school she had missed 28 days of school unauthorised - thats a whole month of being sick/holiday/cant be arsed to get up. since we've had her she has had a total of 1 day off school, we've had her for over two years!!!

There are plenty of school holidays if you want to go on holiday, if you dont like going in the school holidays - dont have kids! its as simple as that! Plus culture doesnt change in august does it! By law you are required to make sure your child attends school a certain % of the time. Holidays and sick days come off that percentage. If its for like, a funeral, allowances can be made, but you still have to ask the schools permission, which is a bit pants from the parents point of view, but if you look at it from the schools point of view its neccessary.

The cost of chasing up parents who do this alot, is ridiculous a few billboards will cost far less if they work. Alot of the parents who dont give a shit are the same ones who bugger off on holiday whenever they feel like it!!

Dont get me started on the cuts 8 tons of fireworks just for New year??? cuts my arse!

It is a problem but threatening to take your kids away (i have not seen this yet but I am assuming they mean putting them into care???)- is pathetic and is never going to happen. It cost between 3-6k a week to have a kid in care - hardly saving money either.

I also think schools need to work the same in the same LEA. At my friends school YOU CAN take 2 weeks holiday a year - this needs to be agreed by the school but it is allowed and not frowned upon. Our school wont even consider it.

If you don't want to go in school holidays don't have kids???? Are you for real?

I think its bloody stupid ...and if my kids were still in primary school I would take them on holiday in term time if I wanted too

I agree with the poster who said if you don't want to go in school holidays don't have kids. It's only for a very short time if you think about it, from age 5 to 15 - that's 10 years or 10 holidays out of your entire life. Is it really that difficult to do.

And LOL at holidays (foreign or otherwise) being "culturally educational"!

We have this sign up in our primary school. But our school is a bit differnt as it is a predominantly forces school. We are lucky in that our headteached uderstands forces life and the fact that people have to take R&r when ever they can so she will authorise holiday in term time.

I do realise that this isnt the norm though. Likewise with my dps job they have a leave book go round and they all take turns in signing up for leave. Depending on how far up the list you are depeneds weather you are likely to get school holiday time or not. Headteacher understands this and is accomidating to it if it arises that the only time we can get is term time.

I think there has to be some understanding to family situations on this front. However i dont agreee with people going on holiday in term time just because it is cheaper. Inflated school holiday prices is something that goes with having childern im afraid.

"By law you are required to make sure your child attends school a certain % of the time. "

Not at all-thousands of children in this country don't go to school at all-they are home educated.

and the opportunity to have much cheaper holidays whilst other children are cooped up in school, is another good reason to home ed!

going now to see if I can find a !

From experience (ex-teacher) its not the people who take their children out of school for a week once a year, its the people who take them our for a two week vacation and a couple of other weeks or short breaks during the year as well.

As for "don't have kids" or "don't go on holiday until they are out of school". Get a grip will you!

1. It costs up to three times as much to go away during school holidays, if it didn't no bugger would take their kids out of school as they could afford to go during school holidays

and...

1. Personally, I'd like my child to experience different countries and cultures before they are in their late teens.

I don't mind billboards about holidays- after all, you do have a choice about those. But at the time dd was diagnosed with a chronic condition, everywhere seemed to be pasted with enormous posters about how irresponsible it is to have less than x % attendance and how parents can be prosecuted if they do not ensure that their child is in school. Which did not exactly make our lives easier.

To the OP, a couple of weeks of immersing your children in a different culture is a valuable experience. A couple of weeks at a Brits Abroad all inclusive place where they don't leave the enclosure does not fir your argument. Should only people who can afford to take their children to the far East be allowed to take children out of school, or does it apply to Butlins holidays too?

I think schools are way OTT on this. Society has bigger problems than kids missing a couple of weeks of school, in order to go on holiday.

I haven't been able to afford a holiday, term time or otherwise for years, but I actually do think it is important for families to have quality time together, away from the pressures of everyday life. That experience outranks what a child would be doing in school for those 2 weeks.

I do think that where possible parents should make every effort to go during holiday time and should not take children out at key points in their education (GCSE years, for example).

I agree with the poster who said the real solution is to stop holiday companies from exploiting families and teachers by putting up prices during the school holidays.

YANBU I intend to take my kids out at term time to travel to English-speaking countries, because it's cheaper, just like lots of foreign parents I know in this country
THe holidays I had as a child changed my life , my entire world outlook, and that's no exaggeration.

Parents should try to go during holidays, but it isn't always possible for some families, so it can be unavoidable- it's not always done for the cost of the holidays, but that is a real issue for many I am sure.

The goverment could easily fix a large % of this problem though by encouraging travel agants to keep prices the same instead of instant doubling.

Our school will ok some, however they don't like it beginning or end of term. Actually this is laughable, as for weeks before Christmas all they did is watch Walt Disney films, have toy days, dressing up days, Carol singing etc- no work. So next year I would not hesitate to take them on holidays before Christmas , authorised or not- even if I ger fined it will work out cheaper..

my dc aren't in school yet but i would rather pay a £100 fine than the extortionate prices charged in term time.

are the government actually threatening to take children into care or just threatening parents who remove children in term time, op title a bit confusing

duh, not term time. i mean in half term holidays.

Many of the attitudes expressed here just underline how little education is valued by many parents these days. Cheap holidays seem more important than a proper education for their children. How sad.

I think we are very lucky to have the option of free education in this country; unfortunately, just like with the NHS, wherever fantastic services are provided free the users of the service inevitably undervalue it, abuse it and complain about it! Perhaps if the parents who want cheap holidays were having to pay for the education their children are receiving, they would be less likely to remove their children in this way; stats from independent schools certainly back this up.

"If you don't want to go in school holidays don't have kids???? Are you for real?"

Agreed Calisto - this does not even feature in the "shall we or shall we not have another DC" debate. What planet are you on?

I'm with Altinkum and Julienshoes. I think this is way OTT. I don't sue the school when I hear the class watched Happy Feet all morning or they didn't have a teacher one day and all 70 went into one class.

Travel is very important to some people - like us. It's almost enough to make me home ed. Wish I could take dd out for a year to travel lke Emma Thompson.

There is so much about our education system which is totally subjective and arbitrary. I definitely see changes in dd when we have a holiday and other people have said the same wrt dc. TBH I think she learns more when she's with us 24/7 than she does at school.

WHat about those of who live on different continents. As it is I can only afford to go home every couple years with just me an dh at the cheapest time of year. But when our baby is old enough for school I just shouldn't take it home to visit my family? That seems fair.

I do think it will be very culturally important for them to see my family and to understand half of who they are.