I think I am above some rules, yes. The rules that take away my judgement, as a parent, to make choices for my family. I am a fairly educated woman. I know that a week away from school isn't going to fuck up my child's chances in life. I am using my judgement on this to say yes, I am above this rule instead of just blindly following it because I am told to by fuckwits in office
This probably sums up the view of the 'average man on the street' who cannot see how a short holiday affects their child's education. And that's because, clearly it doesn't. Provided the child otherwise has good health and good attendance, coupled with support at home, the child will progress through education without any adverse affect.
Although the absence is just a 'one off' for that family, there may be many, many more families thinking the same way and also thinking that their child's absence won't have any affect, that the rules are a nonsense and can be ignored.
In reality, this causes lots of problems for schools who are under enormous pressure from government to achieve targets, set by the government and seen as unimportant by parents.
The Ofsted criteria has recently changed, and one of the criteria that schools are now being assessed against is attendance levels. Ofsted do not care whether a child is absent for a holiday or to hang around smoking on a street corner. Absence is absence. If a school that is currently Ofsted rated 'good' cannot increase their attendance, or maintain it above 95%, there is a strong possibility that at the next Ofsted assessment they will not receive a 'good' status
Parents and school staff probably share the same view but head teachers have had discretion taken out of their hands. Gove is poised to swoop in and make all sorts of changes that inevitably will have an adverse affect on parents.
For example, acadamies will be able to set their own holidays. So if you have two children in two different schools, their holidays may not match. The upheaval to family life is just about to start and it will matter much more to parents than it does now.
I'm thankful that my youngest only has two more years of school to get through because the future of education is looking very uncertain.
The system is ludicrous. Parents don't like it, teaching staff don't like it. Teachers have tried to fight back against all sorts of government changes. I think it needs a parental campaign. Not to make holiday companies charge less - that won't happen in a free market - but a vote of no confidence in Gove might make the government sit up and take notice.
It's only when their jobs are at risk that ministers make changes that the public ask for.