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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think School Governors should set a good example.

14 replies

york1978 · 09/01/2012 10:21

Ds goes to a school where there is pretty much zero tolerance for term time holidays. All requests are declined. Yet a Parent Governor regularly takes her 3 dc out for short breaks.
AIBU to think this is not settimg a good example.

OP posts:
AKMD · 09/01/2012 10:23

YANBU. If you think the school holiday isn't being applied fairly then you should compain to the school.

imoanruby · 09/01/2012 10:25

YANBU My dc's school does not allow term time holiday for any reason, if i found out one of the governors was taking their children out of school i would be very cross and would want to find if it is being authorised or taken as unauthorised.

BeerTricksP0tter · 09/01/2012 10:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TroublesomeEx · 09/01/2012 10:25

The school governors will be instrumental in agreeing to the school's policy for taking holidays in school time. I know, I was one.

The Head will go to the governors with their position and then the governors agree/disagree to the school's stance on this.

How do you know this is happening?

mishtake · 09/01/2012 10:26

Nothing to do with "setting an example" and everything to do with rank hypocrisy.
I personally think all this "no term time breaks" thing is bollocks so it is up to you whether you allow it to bother you or not.

york1978 · 09/01/2012 10:27

I suspect holiday is being taken unauthorised. I know it's happenning as her dd is in same class as my ds.

OP posts:
seeker · 09/01/2012 10:29

If this is true, then it is outrageous. I am a parent governor and I would not be allowed to do this- well, I wouldn't even ask to. Complain. But make very sure you've got all the facts. It would be very embarrassing for you to discover thwt she has another child in a hospice that they are visiting, or something like that........

york1978 · 09/01/2012 10:29

Mishtake I think maybe you hit the nail on the head. Maybe I am just letting it bother me too much and she isn't.

OP posts:
IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 09/01/2012 10:33

If its unauthorised, then that is the parents choice to make. The school are not treating the governor any differently if they are doing the right thing and declining to authorise the requests.

Any other parent is free to ignore the lack of permission as much as the governor is.

But I do think the governors should be setting an example, I can't believe that anyone who has so much disrespect for education would be elected in the first place.

Are you sure there are no special circumstances that mean they need the time off school?

seeker · 09/01/2012 10:41

Governor should have the best interests of the school in her mind- and adding to the absence statistics is not doing this. I bet there are special circumstances of some sort.

redskyatnight · 09/01/2012 10:44

I also know a parent governor who takes her DC out of school for holidays (no good reason). It does go down as unauthorised, however I also felt it seemed a bit hypocritical. The parent governor says that she personally doesn't suppport the no-holiday in term time rule (which is kind of obvious) - but a majority of governors did. However I do think you if you are in that sort of position you should make an effort to follow the "rules" even if you personally don't agree with them.

ScorpionQueen · 09/01/2012 10:44

Before you complain be very sure there are no special circumstances. Someone in the family could be very ill and they may be taking what quality time they can get. Things are not always as cut and dry as they seem.

If they are just taking holidays, however, they should not be a Governor. Governors should be seen to support school policies.

countrybump · 09/01/2012 11:41

If the absence is unauthorised then the governor isn't getting any special treatment, so there is nothing to complain about surely?

The governor in question might have a very good reason for taking term time 'short breaks'.

Unless they are encouraging other parents to take unauthorised absence as well, surely this is a personal situation and not one that needs your envolvement? Of course if not taking unauthorised absence is in the governors code of conduct for your school then that is a different matter.

countrybump · 09/01/2012 11:41

involvement - sorry!

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