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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

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

509 replies

BurningBuntingFlipFlop · 06/01/2011 01:17

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.

OP posts:

stillbobbysgirl · 06/01/2011 16:57

If the schools actually did any teaching in the last week of summer and winter terms I would not dream of taking them out.

We took ours out 3 days before the end of term last year to save ourselves £600 - according to their friends they missed watching DVDs and playing KerPlunk.

There is no homework, spellings or readings books in the last week of term, and as far as I can see just a lot of arseing about and having fun goes on.

They can arse about on holiday with me instead.

Different thing once in Secondary though i think/hope.

EatBreakfast · 06/01/2011 16:58

Just a viewpoint from a trainee teacher. We spend a lot of time putting together schemes of learning and planning work for children - very often topics just last for 4-6 weeks. If we have loads of kids absent during random 2 week periods it makes marking and assessing their progress really hard, because they will have missed so much! I won't be earning loads when I qualify and also won't be allowed to take 2 weeks off for a cheap holiday during the term time. Very often kids are not bothered about the exotic locations of holidays anyway - they just want to spend some time with some water and sand - and with you!

BerylStreep · 06/01/2011 17:01

But EatBreakfast, how many weeks holidays do teachers get? I know they are in school during some of the holidays, but it is still much more than most people.

ShoppingDays · 06/01/2011 17:03

Excellent post EatBreakfast. It's such a shame that your efforts are being taken for granted in this way.

penguin73 · 06/01/2011 17:06

If you are prepared to home educate to make up what they miss at school then fine but please don't expect me as their teacher to provide extra support/teaching/resources to help them pass their exams/complete their coursework just because you decided they didn't need to be in my lessons.....

penguin73 · 06/01/2011 17:08

"But EatBreakfast, how many weeks holidays do teachers get? I know they are in school during some of the holidays, but it is still much more than most people" -the same amount as your kids officially and we manage to 'squeeze' in our family holidays without taking time off!

EatBreakfast · 06/01/2011 17:14

Absolutely agree about time that teachers get off! That's a good reason to train - although of course not my main one :) We do benefit in that way, but the pay doesn't help us with the stiff premiums that holiday companies charge for holiday times sadly!

susiedaisy · 06/01/2011 17:16

travelling can be an education for your kids if you make the holiday interesting, as usual the government is targeting the wrong people its the holiday industry that should be havin their knuckles rapped IMO

Xenia · 06/01/2011 17:16

It is like saying to children school rules don't matter. Disobey them.
It disrupts the class
They lose out on work
Even if you do it just once if lots of others do too it's very disrupting
No one "needs" a holiday.

My oldest called about dates of our summer holiday today asking about term time for the youngest. It would have saved us so much to go in term time but I would not. Point 1 alone above is important enough never mind the others. If you say that school rule doesn't matter how can you expect children to think you respect any other school rules? I am now in year 26 plus all those years when I was at school/univesrity myself of having to stick to school term times. In fact I think I have had from age 1 - 4 and age 22 so far when I culd take holidays in term time, actually not even 22 as I was married to a teacher. So I think I will be age almost 60 before I get a year when I can go on holiday in school term and even then I expect there will be a grandchild or two in tow so I suppose I won't even get that freedom then.

1Catherine1 · 06/01/2011 17:16

No, I don't think it is appropriate for this to turn into a debate on teacher holidays. I'm fed up with being told I get too many holidays and I think it is unreasonable and uncaring for any teacher to say they aren't willing to hand a child a textbook for a week and say "complete pages 5 to 12". If a parent removes a child from the lesson then it is their responsibility to teach the child the lessons they miss - it is however still the teachers job to let them know what the topic is. It really isn't a big job to do. Takes a whole 5 minutes of my time and I care enough to spare any child who requests it.

I would also like to remind you that as a teacher we take the good with the bad. We have long working hours (YES WE DO) during school time and plenty of pressure. We also have long holidays but have to pay the earth to go away. You have to take the good with the bad. For those who want to debate teacher holidays remember that the pressure and the long hours wouldn't be worth it if we didn't get the long holidays as compensation.

BuzzLightBeer · 06/01/2011 17:16

missing the point there that the parents don't have the same amount of holidays as the teacher.

You know, if my kid misses his 5 times table I'm sure I can pick up the slack as his parent, I don't need the teacher to do it.

GMajor7 · 06/01/2011 17:19

No shoulder chip here . I just don't think that holidays away are as essential to human survival as some posters are purporting.

GMajor7 · 06/01/2011 17:20

Oh and the comment about the skiing holidays did make me gag...how crass!

Xenia · 06/01/2011 17:22

It's part of our entitlement culture. The responsiblity to attend school and follow the rules trumps lying on a scruffy Spanish beach getting drunk at less cost than it woudl cost to do that in August.

As for who works hard etc it's not really relevant to the thread. Being a teacher is a hard job but the hours are nothing like some of us have worked elsewhere but that's fine - you get paid what something is worth. Teachers know the deal when they sign up to it.

ShoppingDays · 06/01/2011 17:22

If anyone thinks teaching is a better deal than their own job, they can always become a teacher themselves...

1Catherine1 · 06/01/2011 17:23

Agree GMajor, I haven't had a holiday in over 10 years because I have been studying, training and then paying off debts for training. But it does enrich your life and you only live once and only get one childhood. I have a holiday planned this year and intend to make it at least every 2 years for my child's sake, I want her to enjoy her childhood. Although I won't be taking her out of school to do it because I don't have that option. I will pay full price and make financial cuts elsewhere to do so.

BellsaRinging · 06/01/2011 17:23

But EatBreakfast and penguin73 your holidays do mean that you can spend time with your children in the holidays, even if you don't go abroad (I have no issue with this at all-this is one of the perks of teaching and there are many downsides, I am sure). For me, one of the major issues is that I am only this year allowed to take my holidays out of the school holiday periods, which means that if I don't take ds1 out of school I don't have a holiday with him, as he'll be in school when I'm off, and he'll be in holiday club when he's off.
BTW I wouldn't be taking him out if he had SATS or was in secondary, but I will be reading with him, he will be learning new sports, we will be visiting cultural sights etc, and at 6yo I think that will counter-balance any lessons he will be missing.

gordyslovesheep · 06/01/2011 17:24

Not essential for human survival at all - still going to take one - in term time :o shoot me now!

BerylStreep · 06/01/2011 17:24

How is it crass?

If we as a family spend our earnings on ski holidays rather than summer ones I can't see how it is a 'gagging matter' for anyone else.

camaleon · 06/01/2011 17:28

Xenia said 'It's part of our entitlement culture. The responsiblity to attend school and follow the rules trumps lying on a scruffy Spanish beach getting drunk at less cost than it woudl cost to do that in August.'

What a generalisation!!!

No, it is part of our culture to believe that those who do things differently do it for the same reasons, or because they are lazy... If you have plenty of money and can afford holidays whenever they exist, or if you do not have to pay thousands of pounds to see your family every 4 or 5 years, or if you have a job that allows you to take holidays coinciding with school holidays... If you are not very successful is because you are lazy or irresponsible parent or you do not take education seriously...

By the way... I have not taken (yet) any holiday during school term. So not trying to justify myself either.

BuzzLightBeer · 06/01/2011 17:30

Its nothing to do with entitlement culture and it doesn't mean those who do it don't value culture. Its because I have decided what is best for my child, thats my job as a parent.

I'm still waiting for an answer as to why you care whether my child is in school or not? What business is it of yours?

EatBreakfast · 06/01/2011 17:30

As a career-changer the biggest shock to me has been the working hours of teachers - having only ever seen it from the parent's point of view before I thought teachers had quite a charmed life! I love the work though, so am happy with the hours, knowing that you do get a chance to recharge in the holidays. However the main issue here should be the holiday premiums we pay, but as long as people will pay these, the holiday companies are not likely to change their pricing.

GMajor7 · 06/01/2011 17:32

"It won't stop us though. (Although we did decide that 2 ski holidays was probably too much )"

Riiiiight. Agree to disagree on that one.

Of course there are 52 weekends in a year! When I was a child we didn't holiday, but at weekends we went to the beach and visited museums and parks. I had a ball!

susiedaisy · 06/01/2011 17:34

not all of us take our kids to a Spanish beach and lie there getting drunk, being drunk in charge of children is completely irresponsible IMO, but that's a whole different thread

BuzzLightBeer · 06/01/2011 17:35

How nice for you GMajor. My Dh works weekends and his holiday allocation next year is for MAY, that is ehen he can take a holiday and only then, and the dates are in term time. Perhaps my children should never have a holiday or go anywhere at the weekend? God forbid they might miss a few days work on 2+2 or the letter R. That'll make sure they go to college.

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