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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
theoriginalscummymummy · 06/01/2011 14:00

TBH, lessons should be planned well in advance by teachers, so it wouldn't be hard for a teacher to at least give an overview of what your child would be missing so you can do some work with them. Unless they didn't get enough time to do it...

I can imagine the following:

Parent: DC was soooo ill, she had to have to weeks off and we had to move in with grandma, we needed the help.

Teacher: Oh dear, where does grandma live?

Parent: Sydney...

vintageteacups · 06/01/2011 14:01

Again - we are a forces family and so far, our schools have all understood that it's not always an option to go on holiday in term time. TBH, we don't usually have a family holiday at all (because of moving every other summer and when we do, we usually go to Center Parcs in the winter.

I also think that all schools should have a policy of 1 week (not 2) with written permission. One week is a long enough time to spend on holiday with family in the UK or further afield (obviously not Oz).

I agree too that the govt should be c racking down on holiday companies, such as Center Parcs not doubling/tripling their prices to catch out parents of school kids. It's just not fair.

notpartofthelifeplan · 06/01/2011 14:02

It is made clear in our area that under no circumstances will term time holidays be tolerated. Since ds started school we haven't had a holiday. I think this is unfair when we have holidayed in the past ds has learnt loads.

I received a very stern letter last year because ds had been off school for 3 weeks with chicken pox, the doctor said it was one of the worst cases of cp that he had seen. I was told that the attendance officer expected an immediate improvement in ds's attendance. He had never even taken one day off school prior to his illness. I lost 3 weeks pay when ds was ill as I had to take unpaid leave, I was tending to my ill child I wasn't removing him from school for the hell of it. Hmm

I'm sensing a dictorial approach from the government/schools at the moment and I don't like it. Hmm

vintageteacups · 06/01/2011 14:02

I also think it will increase child 'sick' abscence. My neighbor used to go away for long weekends every now and then and would just call the schools and say the kids were ill. Yes, it's encouraging lying but at least, you wouldn't be fined.

For the majority of children, I don't see why the school couldn't give extra work to do on the holiday, if appropriate that links in with the school work.

vintageteacups · 06/01/2011 14:05

In the city school my SIL teachs at, they charge £25 a day for holiday time, although I'm not sure how they make people pay it!

They have a large Polish community and every year, famiies go back to poland for about 6 weeks and just take the children with them. They do not have to pay the fine so I really don't understand why 1 week off in term time hurts.

textpest · 06/01/2011 14:06

I am a teacher (I work part time at the moment and am not mumsnetting with a class of 27 watching a DVD) :)

I am not bothered about children who take time off for holidays as I know as well as anyone how much costs are bumped up during svhool holidays. I don't think the odd week or two matters at Primary level as most things are repeated (at a different level) at other times in the year. It irritates me when children miss two weeks for a holiday then x number of days for other things as it can really add up over the year.

Also Julienshoes if your child is registered at a state school there IS a minimum level of attendence (around 95%) and if it drops below this the EWO is involved.

SixtyFootDoll · 06/01/2011 14:06

GMajor7
As I pionted out week in Egypt in JAnuary will be our only family holiday in 2011 as I am unable to take any annual leave in the school holidays.

I am not bragging at all, and I think a family holiday no matter where it is spent is time well spent.

Not everyone works Mon to Friday and gets time off when they want it.

RustyBear · 06/01/2011 14:12

Of course, the problem with the Government 'forcing' travel companies not to put up prices during summer holidays, is that the travel companies will simply claim that they don't - but that they are actually offering a discount during term time, to fill up planes and hotels that would otherwise be half empty.
The only thing the Government could then do would be to outlaw these so-called 'discounts', which would mean that everyone would pay high prices...

fedupofnamechanging · 06/01/2011 14:14

Lucy88 it's all very well to say that holidays are not a god given right and if you can't afford to go during school holiday time then tough luck, but you can afford to go during school holiday time. Lots of people can't.

A case of I'm all right jack...?

I think a good point was made earlier about private schools having different and longer holidays so rich Tories can tell us proles how we should be living, but none of that applies to them of course!

busymummy3 · 06/01/2011 14:16

and what about all these inset days that always seem to be tagged on to the beginning / end of holidays ie no school here opened until yesterday why couldnt they open on tuesday like everyone else going back to work ?
yet if you ask for one or two days holiday to add on to the beginning or end of a half term holiday you are declined???

Mum2Luke · 06/01/2011 14:16

I will not take my 8 year old son out of school on principle - they get enough holidays a year for him to go away either in this country or another.

We haven't been abroad for 4 years now, we have just been to Haven and to my parents' caravan in Anglesey as we just could not afford an expensive one as we have a 20 year old and a 17 year old too and 4 adults cost a fortune.

I value my child's education and I make sure he turns up each day whereas the child I mind turns up when he or his parents feel like bringing him. When he goes to senior school he is in for one big shock!

gordyslovesheep · 06/01/2011 14:20

I don't worry too much about their education - they are both doing well

I think if they where struggling that would be a different matter

maybe if they staggered school holidays here like they do in France then the whole 'raising the prices' issue wouldn;t be so bad?

vintageteacups · 06/01/2011 14:22

how is the french system done then gordy? I didn't know they staggered it.

Scotland get much longer hols than we do in england too - annoying.

Also - what about Home Ed kids? I bet they have people checking they are 'at home' every day. I bet loads of parents of kids doing home ed, take them off for hols in term time. As long as they aren't behind at school, then I don't see the problem.

gordyslovesheep · 06/01/2011 14:25

I remember the travel writer chap (name escapes me - a bit weedy looking lol) saying on BBC News that in France they stagger the school hols - that is the extent of my knowledge!

I guess different regions take different weeks?

GMajor7 · 06/01/2011 14:26

sixtyfootdoll I wasn't referring to you when I suggested thst there is much braggery on this thread. More so those posters who are parenting the intelligentsia Hmm

One thing is true. No one, child or adult, NEEDS a holiday FFS!!!!!!

SixtyFootDoll · 06/01/2011 14:28

WE all need a break though from the same old same old, even a week at home.

littlemissindecisive · 06/01/2011 14:29

Anther irresposible mummy here then Hmm DD will be out of school in at the beginning of july. Nothing to do with cost - it would have been cheaper to go half term but dh's partner is away then and someone needs to run the business. Also no-one available to cover at Easter.

It's not all about money but family/work issues. When i used to work for a very large corporation, teams and depts had to pull holiday leave out of a hat to ensure there was sufficient staff cover. Same is true with emergency services and shift workers, you can't all be off for half term or the summer hols.

Also like to agree with the point...it's more than 10 years of school if you have more than one child....or should i have thought about that when i planned my family Hmm

FWIW DD's school have been fine about authorising it. 100% attendance so far and doing well academically. Fine for schools to chuch in INSET days whenever and we have to sort out childcare, dvd watching blah, blah, blah blah

And i'm an ex-secondary teacher - taking kids out during GCSE's/exam time is another issue!

vintageteacups · 06/01/2011 14:30

I will google gordy - great idea though if counties all took different hols and staggered it more. I also think 6 weeks in the summer is bonk! Think they're changing it though aren't they - so it's more evenly spread throughout the year?

BuzzLightBeer · 06/01/2011 14:31

and no child NEEDS to be in school every single day to the detriment of the rest of their lives, especially at primary/junior school!
Are your 7 year olds learning Japanese and reading war and peace? Seriously, lighten up!

If you think your child would suffer from taking a week off, don't take a week off. How is it any of your business if my child takes a week off? Why would you care?

Mowiol · 06/01/2011 14:32

AngryPixie - agree entirely. I teach secondary and when you potentially have several pupils in different classes (or sometimes the same one!) being taken out of school at different times for 1-2 weeks of holidays it is firmly down to them to catch up.
We can't be expected to then spend one-to-one time with each individual in order to get them up to speed.
And I don't know about primary but classes continue doing work right up to the bitter end in secondary with only the last day being set aside for "fun" stuff. Even before summer hols classes are still doing curriculum work after timetable change. At least that's the way it has been in the schools I've been in.
Even then, old meanie that I am, I make sure it has educational worth (e.g. subject bingo, pictionary using subject terms etc.).
If all parents decided to take holidays during term time, as someone already stated, we would never have a full class.

It really should be about ironing out the price increases - sadly I can't take advantage of cheaper rates either! Grin

vintageteacups · 06/01/2011 14:33

Exactamondo Buzz

littlemissindecisive · 06/01/2011 14:35

And to those who say don't have a holiday...cheer up and don't be so grumpy!

I can't wait to spend time with my DH (who'll hopefully chill from work a bit!) and kids,having a change of scenery, watching the kids having fun in the pool, the younger ones learning to swim, running on the beach, trying new food, seeing new sights.....

goingroundthebend4 · 06/01/2011 14:35

I shall be taking dd and ds3 out for week in June to go to Butlins .that time of year ds3 (Sn) find easier to join in activties clubs etc they can be more flexiabld about accomadting him.

For him it is a experiance.But ds1 at collage and ds2 (year 9) won't be coming won't pull them our at senior level .

And yes we will go camping in summer but more limited for ds3 then

vintageteacups · 06/01/2011 14:36

If primary schools took all of the extra bits out of the curriculum (the airy fairy curriculum enrichment bits) and just taught them without having a so many day trips/school fairs in school time/carol concerts etc, in school time, then I think if you added up all of that time, it would be a good few days!

vintageteacups · 06/01/2011 14:38

I for one know that when DH returned from 'sandy climes' after being away for 6 months, he was in desperate need of a week's holiday with me and DCs. He was given leave and off we went - in term time. were we supposed to wait a whole 3 months until xmas and then go - when he couldn't warrant much time off work anyway???