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???

shockers

In our school, your DS's absence would have been authorised. We have lots of young carers, so it's important to us that they get the breaks they need.

I think it is unacceptable to think that education only happens in the classroom.

Also although I do think that strong family bonds should come before formal education (which family holidays together can help foster). I do understand that having kids off all the time and missing stuff makes things difficult with the current education system, I do think there are other ways to help children learn (n.b. not teachers teach) than the current system which are more flexible and can be just as if not more effective.

What are families that can't take off school holidays meant to do? I know a family whose family business is teaching kayaking to school age kids. There is no way they can take time off during the holidays (we paddle year round here because we have a gentle climate). Should their family never have a holiday together? Should they never see their family who live abroad?

I do wonder why people who think their child will learn more on holiday send their children to school at all. I mean, what sort of message are you sending? That's not to say that children do not gain important memories and experiences from holidays, of course.

Selfconfessed

Yes, they should go without holidays as they aren't essential, but a luxury. I am having the 2nd holiday abroad with my dc the eldest is 22.
If you can't afford it in summer holidays, or work then, you do without the luxury of a holiday. I didn't get to see my family who whilst lived in this country were the opposite end to me.
Its life, you have to suck it up until the opportunities present themselves.

spoony, I have to say I think it's odd that both parents in a family would choose jobs which never allowed them to take holidays with their children except during term-time.

I think it is unacceptable to think that education only happens in the classroom.

I'm not sure anyone on this thread has said that.

However, children learn all the time, including, as I posted upthread, while watching TV and playing computer games, but I'm sure we're not advocating time off for that

We could do this in school hols as you suggest would usually be the case, but as we aren't tied to this, took advantage of cheaper prices

And that's surely fair enough; you chose to home educate and fully accept the benefits and (maybe) small disadvantages which go with it. Of course there are benefits and downsides in school education too, but if that's the deal which parents choose they should at least keep to the basic rules involved

I also agree with you that if holidays can't be managed then you don't have them, and with Rhonda's implication that its up to parents to sort out their own family circumstances

My DD's too young for school so we don't currently have this dilemma, but I wonder why it is acceptable for holiday places to inflate their prices ridiculously at peak holiday time?

Missing a week or so of school is really no biggie in my book, unless it's close to exam time. I don't see why I a holiday should cost £200+ more per week just because it's the summer vacation period.

Our local primary, the school and teachers have done their own events to raise funds for someone that gives children that wouldn't have the chance to go on holiday a holiday...So I am guessing the teachers and school do recognise the importance of holidays.

I also think the focus should not be those who take a few days holiday but the kids who are regularly not in school at home for various reasons

As for the person who said Reception missed out on 100% attendance because one child had a day at Alton towers....So what? Children at that age should only be learning through play anyway?

Some years ago I was sent a letter (as was each of their children's teachers) by parents who took their children out of school for two 2 week holidays each year.

We were informed by said parents that we (the teachers) would be responsible for their children catching up on any work missed.

The response of the head teacher (we brought it to his attention) was simple. If their children wanted to catch up he would give them extra after school classes.

The children never turned up as the parents had better things to do than "panda to the school's travel requirements" (their words).

Their passing missive was a letter to the governors complaining about the way the school had treated their children's education.

Rhonda, the father was an olympian and wanted to share his experience and help kids have some of the same opportunities that he had. He has coached current olympians. It isn't just a job.

My eldest is going off to college in the fall. He was accepted to some fantastic schools and it was partly because of the amazing extracurriculars he has had the opportunity to take part in. I know that if he hadn't done them he would not have been accepted to some of the schools he was.

Yes children learn everywhere, however holidays mean that they can learn stuff that is difficult to learn in other situations. I believe that a week of trying to read signs in spanish/french so you can figure out what to order, using your school spanish to greet people, figure out what a french word meant based on the spanish you have learned did a lot more for my son than spending a month in the classroom. He finally really truly understood why learning a language was useful.

I don't think holidays are luxuries... well skiing in Chamonix for three weeks is, but taking time to spend with family and friends and experience life outside of your own little bubble... whether that is a day trip to Calais or a tent in South Wales is important for kids to experience. It makes them a more rounded person.

Why do I send my kid to school? Because they learn things there that they don't learn at home, or on trips. It gives them a richer experience.

FWIW, when my kid has been on trips during school time

1. he has had the full backing of his school, they have recognised that the opportunity he was given was a once in a lifetime one and more valuable than 2x+3=7.
2. he has taken work to make sure that he hasn't missed anything and the school has had funding for the days he has missed. Here it is called "contract" and if you are going to miss more than three days you can get one. He skyped when their was group work so his group didn't miss out on him being there.

Rhonda, the father was an olympian and wanted to share his experience and help kids have some of the same opportunities that he had. He has coached current olympians. It isn't just a job.

What is it if it isn't a job?

And great, that he's passionate about his job / vocation, whatever you want to call it, but the fact remains that he made a choice that meant he couldn't take holidays when his children are on holiday from school. I just don't know why you would do that.

panda to the school's travel requirements" (their words).

Rhonda

"Panda" was/is their spelling not mine, it always makes me laugh though when I think about it.

Yes, I realise that, boney

That's what made it so funny. Seems like the parents might have been non-attenders, too!

I dunno, maybe because he thinks that getting kids passionate about exercise is important.

Maybe because he only had a one year old when he started the team and probably didn't think too hard about that. A one year old who is now at a good university studying something he is excited about despite having :gasp: ruined his class attendance record.

I think so as well :)

My eldest is going off to college in the fall. He was accepted to some fantastic schools and it was partly because of the amazing extracurriculars he has had the opportunity to take part in. I know that if he hadn't done them he would not have been accepted to some of the schools he was

Interesting. US universities place much more emphasis during the application process on community service, life experiences and leadership than UK universities do, from what I've seen. I wonder if this is one reason US schools are less stressed about children travelling during school term time.

I missed around 12 weeks of school in year 10 due to diabetes, still managed to get 9 As in my GCSEs. So I don't think a few days missed makes that much difference. I think there should be a policy of allowing up to 5 days grace before fines.

eh, I went to a UK college. It was a frigging Russell group university blah blah. I also missed four months of my 5th year because my family was abroad.

Wobbly, yes, maybe so. For many of our schools it is a funding issue. They lose money if kids are not in school unless they have a contract and it is returned completed. I remember being in Ireland when my son was 5 and helping him write a daily journal and draw maps of where we flew and other activities he needed to do to fulfil his schoolwork.

I missed January - May of Year 13 and still got AAAB to meet my Oxford offer. Not sure a couple of days in Y1 could possibly be that big of a deal???

Anecdotes, though interesting, don't really support the argument to give parents the right to keep their children off school.

As boneybackjefferson said upthread, some parents will always think it's their right. So if you say everyone can have five days, you will get parents asking for more.

Best to make your case to the HT, suck it up if it's unauthorised, don't lie if you're actually going on holiday, don't pretend it's educational when it isn't, and be prepared for your DC to possibly miss out on things like team sports and school productions if they can't be relied upon to attend.

Not sure a couple of days in Y1 could possibly be that big of a deal???

You're not reading English, I hope

What I'd like to know is this... it never used to be like this for English schools. It was discouraged, but not fining and shaming. Have educational outcomes risen since the change? Are more primary children literate? How about other benchmarks?