To take our kids on hol in term-time

[zozzle]

We are taking our kids out of primary school to go abroad in term-time (end of June) and have been surprised at the slightly shocked/negative reactions I have had from other friends (mums in the playground). DCs are 4 (Reception) and 8 (yr 3).

My friends seem to tow the line more than me though, and admit they don't like breaking the rules. Breaking the rules has never bothered me though if I think the rules are unreasonable!

It will be the first time we will have been abroad as a family since DC were born and it's also partly to celebrate my 40th. We have holiday'd in the Uk for the last 8 years and fancied a change this year.

We can't afford to go abroad in the school holidays and the possible £100 fine we will incur from taking the kids out of school (although DC 2 is only 4 and doesn't legally have to be in school yet - so fine will prob only be applied to DC1) will still make the hol much cheaper than going in the school holidays.

Won't the hol be an educational experience in itself for the DCs? Wouldn't do it in SATs years or exam years. It is a v. middle class school with quietly pushy parents.

I just don't get what the big deal is!

I personally wouldn't do it but accept I'm in q minority and others don't agree. But I've never really got this they learn more on holiday than they do in school. Maybe the dds should be issuing travel vouchers to state school choldren?

Ironic thing it was suggested I take ds3 on holiday while his year did their sats !! But no go as Ds 2 has exams

YABU. If it's OK for one family to go on holiday in termtime (and yes we all want to save money!) then it's OK for everyone to go away when they feel like it. It feels ungrateful to take education for granted, when there are people in the world who don't have the opportunity to go to school at all. And it's not as if the teachers have the choice to go away during term - they are preparing and delivering lessons for your DC.

I'm taking mine out for the last week of the school year for DS1 (yr12) and the last but one week for DS2(yr10). We chose this week because we knew that that was when the residential trips are on. We didn't known if DH was able to come because of the Olympics and I didn't want to go when it was crowded if I were to go on my own with the boys.

We have taken our DSes out in term time a few times, but DH is in the RAF so he is not always in the country in the school holidays. And IMVHO it is too easy to say that we knew the connditions when he joined the RAF, or he could get another job. Life is not like that.

Despite them having had term time holidays I do not have a hard time getting my DC to school now they are teens. Infact, today school put on a revision class for the AS psychology exam on Tuesday. DS1 was the only one who turned up. That is not the first time that has happened either!!

GO GO GO! YANBU. The children will catch up and the family will have time together where mammy and daddy are not working, there will be laughter, ice cream, language problems and it will all be well worth it. We did it every year as a youngster, up to 16 yrs. None of us failed and we have great memories. The children will be gone for long enough, grab them now while you can! Am envious, enjoy your holiday and do NOT FEEL GUILTY.

Teachers get school holidays off - WE DON'T.

I do not take education for granted, (we pay for it through taxation, hence we do have the opportunity to go to school) - but schooling is a small part of the overall education of my children.

We have taken DCs out of school a few times over the years for up to a week. Now DC1 is secondary age, school strictly forbids it and I now work term-time, so we are back to school holidays only.

Yes, it's a bit naughty, but we had some fab, fun AND EDUCATIONAL holidays. DC are able and haven't suffered as a result of those few days missed; quite the contrary. LIfe's too,short to not seize these opportunities.

Enjoy your hols OP!

*life's too short

"What a load of old bollocks from teachers! Their sense of entitlement is legendary".

nothingoldcanstay you've clearly never tried teaching

"The likelyhood of "loads" of kids being off for this reason at the same time is minimal and reasonable people surely know this."

How do you work out that it's minimal?

Given how many people on this thread think it's fine to take children out for a couple of weeks in every school year, I think it is actually quite likely that in the kinds of schools such people attend there will be lots of children off at certain times of the year.

Hopefully my children won't be at that kind of school.

I'm pissing myself at the idea that it's 'unfair' for holiday companies to charge more for holidays outside term time.

WTF do you expect them to do?

If they charged the same for the 1st week of July as they do for the 1st week of August, it would become a lottery to get a holiday and they would have to increase the off-peak prices dramatically to compensate for lost revenue.

There are the same number of planes and hotels available off-peak as there are at peak times so it's just bizarre that people expect to get a holiday for the same price regardless the demand at the time they want to go.

I know, Shelly, but it comes up a lot on these threads that something must be done :o

Simple economics of supply and demand isn't it ShellyBoobs. Clearly some of those who got taken out of school as children missed the economics lesson.

Another way to look at holiday pricing is this:

A holiday costs £1000 per week, per person, every week of every year.

At certain times of the year, the holiday company has a sale because they're struggling to sell the holidays - low demand, you see - so they offer a 70% discount and sell them at £300 per person, per week.

What's wrong with that? It's EXACTLY the same thing that any other company does when there's low demand for its products, but we don't see people on the soapbox bemoaning DFS for selling sofas at 70% discount.

Bizarre. Utterly bizarre.

well surely the Departtment for Education should be subsidising holiday prices for families during the school hols?

If everyone goes on holiday in term-time then the holiday prices will be the same all year round!

These threads always bring the sad little school prefects out of the wood work. Always following the rules but strangley following sad little average lives.

eviltwins you really have no idea do you?

Some families can barely afford the cheapest holiday there is going during term time. It not a question of 'choosing a cheaper holiday'.

I don't have a sad little average life.

What a horrible nasty thing to say, just because I choose to send my kids to school when they're supposed to be there and not take holidays in term time.

Yes trestle there should be more of it!

And I really don't see how taking YOUR child out of school affects the education of everyone else that strongly, other than a bit of inconvenience for the teachers.

This thread has in fact been done to death. It never fails to get me going though :) I agree the school prefect types always advocate following the rules. There is equally a type that doesn't, of course :)

Oooh thecrackfox what's so exciting about your life that makes it way above average? Please do tell. Maybe we could learn from your obvious wisdom

And yes there are rules and they should be adhered to MOST OF THE TIME. But sometimes, just sometimes it's good to break a few rules for good old-fashioned family bonding. Whether that means an occasional late night on a school night or a holiday taken during term time. What lovely memories that will create - 'remember when we were a bit naughty and did x, y or z, didn't we have fun' etc. Who wouldn't want that for their family? We KNOW education is important, children KNOW education is important, God we drum it home to them often enough....but other things are important too.

All you goody two-shoes...time to let your hair down sometimes

I didn't make it to prefect sadly. I got expelled instead. But I still follow the school rules. What does that make me then?

Reformed