To wonder why it's deemed acceptable to take children out of school for cheap holidays?

[shrunkenhead]

Am I the only one who thinks it's not on to make your child miss school for the sake of a cheap holiday???

[MrsTaraPlumbing]

I want to comment on the cost of childcare in the school holidays.
In my area the savings made on going on holiday in term time are considerably greater than the cost of school holiday childcare.
Depending on the holiday a family could be easily be saving £500-£1,500 per week in the Sept-December period on a budget type holiday.
I expect the savings are greater on "luxury" holidays

[Retropear]

Our authority is like Tinkers,things are just the same as they've always been.Lot's of kids go on holiday in term time,no fines.Attendance clearly isn't an issue as said school has just had Ofsted and got good.

[BigBoobiedBertha]

The problem with the old system is, as Suburban said, that people assume that they are entitled to 10 days extra holiday rather than it being at the HT discretion. I know at DS2's school they used to get two or three requests for time off every week which was a lot of work for the HT and the office because people always wanted to talk about it, assuming they were unique. The new rules make it easier for the HT to say it is out of their hands which must be a good thing from their point of view.

Those requests have almost entirely dried up now. People don't tend to ask unless there are indeed exceptional circumstances and not just booking a holiday on a whim because it costs a bit less, which has taken the pressure off the head especially as all requests get run passed the governors too.

I was also wondering where the cost saving comes if you take your children out of school for a cheaper holiday but then have to pay for holiday child care instead because you have used up all your holiday allowance from work. If you are saving so much that it is even more than the cost of the child care then perhaps people shouldn't be so entitled and scale back their expectations of what they are going to do on holiday. Why not go in the holidays if you have that much money to throw around?

[Tinkerball]

gorionine

I can only speak for my local authority but there is not such an obsession with attendance and figures, Ofsted has no say here. If you want to take your child out of school for any reason a note to the teacher suffices. Fines don't exist. And the education system doesn't grind to a halt.

[SuburbanRhonda]

The OP is about any child. I presumed your anecdote was posted to counter the OP, otherwise I can't see the point of it.

It's not a blanket "no". It never has been. But schools have to be careful about what they authorise because (a) they have to justify it to Ofsted and (b) honestly - with some parents, you give an inch and they take a mile. Some parents even believe it used to be a "right" to have ten days off a year

State school rules, before anyone jumps on me

[SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker]

where have I said "any child"? I'm saying a blanket no is a bad thing which is what it seems to becoming.

[SuburbanRhonda]

spoony, I think we've debunked the myth that just because some children are kept off school and go on to be successful academically it makes it ok to do the same with any child.

As I said upthread, I have had more conversations than you can shake a stick at with parents making all sorts of claims to justify keeping their child off school. As far as I'm concerned, just do it, don't lie, don't try to justify it, then if it's not authorised, it's out of the school's hands and into the hands of Education Welfare. Makes life a lot easier for us!

[SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker]

Another example I have. A friend of mine has two kids. She is Mexican by birth, her husband is German. When the kids were small she took them out of school a couple of weeks early every year and took them to Germany where they spent a month in school. They are now trilingual.

Again, I refuse to believe that missing two weeks of primary school at the end of every year was detrimental to these children. The eldest daughter is now ready to go off to University. She has good grades and has done very well.

[SuburbanRhonda]

Touché, brdgrl - glad to see you got your sense of humour back

[brdgrl]

"You're not reading English, I hope"

[brdgrl]

Think I'll move on, Rhonda, you're not even making the slightest bit of sense anymore.

[gorionine]

How is it in Scotland Tinkerball?

[SuburbanRhonda]

I can see why you'd have a difference of opinion from me about why I would even be bothered to comment about your child.

But you would wrong

[Tinkerball]

Thank god we don't seem to have the same system in Scotland.

[RonaldMcDonald]

Head has just left and we clear off to Croatia in a few weeks.
I'm sure I'll find out at some point. I'm v clear about out travels
I am unmoved by all arguments to the contrary.
Holidays are good for the kids and me...I think Gove is wrong on this

[mummymeister]

ronaldmcdonald - is your head still fine about it this year? have they authorised leave? I really saw nothing wrong with the old system. the h/t still had the discretion to say leave was authorised and to report it. the new law from Gove is very divisive. I absolutely hate the new rules with a passion. I write to Gove often about it and my MP and anyone else in Govt I can think of. I really hope there is a change of heart on this. all it has done is pitch parents against each other and h/t against parents in our local area any way.

[RonaldMcDonald]

They mostly fuck about for the last month anyway
We always go away in June. Head is fine with it

[andsmile]

pretencious

[andsmile]

exactly sunshine some people are soooo pretencioud and precious about the whole thing

[sunshinecity17]

I don't think a holiday is a luxury.Yes I think everyone is entitled to at least on weeks holiday per year.
And do people really and honestly believe the difference in attainment missing 5 days school makes is anything more than Jack Shit .Especially before Y10
Some people are so gullible!

[andsmile]

I think people are entitled to a holiday why not? saying people are not as was said up thread it just ridiculous.

It is serisouly unhealthy to work and not take a holiday and the are a good opportunity of quality family time without the distraction of dometic routines and other commitments.

Our HT authorised up to 10 days until the last changes, now they will do two if it is next to a official school holiday. It means you can save a bit if you are clever.

[brdgrl]

Rhonda, The post from me that you were (to judge by placement and content!) replying to was this:
As a parent, it is my responsibility to determine the best interests of my child in regards to her education and guidance. (See, I even italicised my)

Not sure where I posted this statement. Do let me know. Or rather, don't as this point is starting to get a bit tedious now.
I said: And those people would be wrong.
You said: No, brdgrl, those people would have a different opinion from you.

I agree...it is very tedious indeed. You want to argue and pick over words...until you don't. ;)

Why on earth would I make a statement about your child?
My point exactly. Why would you? I think that is what I and a number of others on this thread have been asking.

[SuburbanRhonda]

This was the bit of your post from way back that I was responding to:

The best interests of the child shall be the guiding principle of those responsible for his education and guidance; that responsibility lies in the first place with his parents.

Why on earth would I make a statement about your child?

So, not wrong, just a different view.

It is curious that you think that "being wrong" and "holding a different opinion" are incompatible.

Not sure where I posted this statement. Do let me know. Or rather, don't as this point is starting to get a bit tedious now.

[brdgrl]

Some people might argue that if you are taking your child out of school for a cheaper holiday, you are not acting in their best interests.

And those people would be wrong.

No, brdgrl, those people would have a different opinion from you.

No, Rhonda. They would be wrong. Some "opinions" are so uninformed as to be actually wrong, you know. I can claim that water is not wet, and say that it is my "opinion", and it might be my (very uninformed) opinion - but it would also be wrong.

The fact is that I am acting in my child's best interests when I keep her out of school. I know this, because I am privy to the relevant information. The "some people" to who you refer, are not.

They can have a different opinion about the abstract idea of whether it is a good thing to keep children out of school or not - but as the post you are responding to was about "your child" (very specifically established, my own child), they cannot make an informed judgement about that. And I am quite confident in saying that they, and you, would be quite simply wrong in your statement that I was not acting in my child's best interest.

It is curious that you think that "being wrong" and "holding a different opinion" are incompatible. It is the opinion of a great many people that evolution is untrue. They are wrong. (Of course, that's just my opinion...)

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

... am surprised people use days in term time that could be used to cover the school holidays so you don 't need to use childcare

Maybe there were other family members who were prepared to have the children during the holidays ??