day off school for family day out

[ghostspirit]

would you let your children have a day of school for a day out?

Branleuse you seriously bunked your kids off school because it was 30 degrees? Its hot weather, many people go to school most of the year in hot weather, you just have to go to school and suck it up, your not going to die.

I recall sitting in hot classes with no air con in a stuffy uniform sweating like a pig at that temperature (mainly maths last lesson). I would not have been at school most of summer if my parents took that attitude. As much as I would love to be at the beach, I had to get on with it as I would loose about a term of education.

"I do dislike people deciding that there's nothing important happening at school at the moment"

Same here. DD has just started year 11 and is working at full tilt. Even at primary school they didn't start winding down until the last couple of days. Maybe that is why her old primary school has been consistently outstanding for years and is in the top 20 primary schools in England.

NannyOgg. I don't yet have any children. I doubt I will ever pull my kids out for a day trip. I'm just saying I would do. I was giving my opinion from a person who works in education.

"I bunked them off school one day last year as I thought it was too hot (30 degrees) and we went to the beach. I find school hideously restrictive, and if I had the guts, I would just unschool them, and may well do so at some point."

Are you one of those people who like to stick two fingers up at authority? When you say unschool do you mean home school or not bother with educating your children at all?

At work people with your attitude get sacked.

Yes, I did it, and whilst I wouldnt say that I stick two fingers up at authority. I generally accept it much the same as most people; I dont revere authority unquestioningly either, and it was fucking hot, it was the end of term and we had a blast. When I say unschool, i mean, unschool. You can google it if you like. I mean an unstructured, interest led, form of home education. I think it would work really well for my guys. They have complex needs, but its a big decision.

Obviously I couldnt do this if working for your company bunbaker, unless I got sacked :)

Somewhereibelong - all those things you describe will have taken staff hours and hours of their time to organise, and will be planned to give worthwhile experiences to the young people - learning isn't just sitting in classrooms. I'm amazed that is viewed as a waste of time - sitting watching DVDs on the other hand..! But ime that happens for about the last three days of term only.

funny the preconceptions people have about the type of people that might choose to do something else for one day instead. Obviously knowing EXACTLY the sort of person I or they are

Couldn't agree more Branleuse.

I simply can't get on board with the blind obedience and idea that an occasional diversion from The Rules makes one a bad, dishonest and thoughtless parent which seems to be the implication on this thread.

No one kept to the rules when it came to ensuring my child could access education in this country, in fact much was done to ensure he couldn't (he has ASD). Maybe when you've experienced that kind of shirking from the "authorities" who are demanding that the rules be kept at all costs or dire consequences will follow, maybe you see it all for how flimsy and "flexible" it can be?

I have taken my son out of school for the following:

to go abroad to see family
Legoland
Extra day camping when it was really sunny
For religious holidays (Jewish)

Holiday abroad...

All of these done with the head's permission and without ANY repercussions to his education or motivation!! Time off can be really valuable, and chances are that your child will not miss so much in the day or two that they take off. Mind you, this was all in primary. I wouldn't take him out of school now that he's in secondary. So even more reason to do it when they're young!!!

Education can happen outside of school too...

I wouldn't for a theme park but would if it was an event that was unmissable and could only happen in term time. Dd's school has already stated they would authorise a term time holiday for dd on the grounds on our needing specific holiday accommodation because of ds's disability so I would feel I was taking advantage if I asked for another day off. I wouldn't take dd out of school and lie about the reason why though just because I wouldn't want dd to have to lie as well which she would if I called her in sick when she wasn't.

Have already been flamed on different thread for saying this so feel free to flame again if you wish. I let DD have one day off when it was Eid. Majority of pupils were off and on the first day DD went in and they just watched DVD's etc so let her have the second day off as she could do the same at home. If the school had been maintaining curriculum then she would have attended.

People should take their kids off school whenever they like. It is the parents right to do this, not a governments!

Luckily I dont live in the UK but until my children are 14 I will take them off whenever and wherever if the reason is right.

School time really is not that precious. I went to a crap school in the UK and got all As at GCSE and A-level. All you have to do is read the stupid books. One of my good friends only turned up at school half an hour before leaving time so we could go to the pub - he also got straight As

The best education is directed education not hours and hours listening to some mediocre teacher droning on. Get out of the prison and live!

By the way, my friend and I have great jobs too. I work remotely wherever I want in the world on a very good salary and he works for Google. As long as someone has the talent then its actually much better to be anti-authoritarian then someone who blindly follows the rules. That way employers leave you to get on with the job

mijas99 Reading stupid books to catch up is all well and good if you are bright and self motivated. Not everyone is like you though. You have hit the nail on the head by saying "as long as someone has talent".

I don't blindly obey authority by any means, but as I have a year 11 daughter, missing a day off school for a jolly isn't something I would consider.

I have in the past taken her out of school for a week's holiday, but that was in primary school and only up until age 8 (and before they tightened up the rules).

NickyFury, exactly. Ive had to do way too much fighting already for my childrens education, including fighting for my eldest to get into a suitabe school (SEN) They werent particularly fast working or worried about his education when he missed 8 months, and the time off didnt stop him learning, in fact Id say he learnt more in that 8 months than he had in the previous 2 years. If I wasnt so concerned about my own mental health, then I would take them all out.

A day off for a family outing would be beautiful

Bunbaker - I did say up to 14 years old. After that it depends on the child. I actually wanted to go to school once the exams were there to aim for

But up to 14, if a child is unmotivated then missing a few days of school won't matter anyway :)

If a child doesn't like studying then why force them? It's setting them up to be miserable. Maybe they would be happier doing something practical?

Whatever the case, the decision should be that of the child and parent. Certainly not the school or council

I would, and likely will next autumn. But then, ds1 is disabled, and cannot cope with crowded venues, so if I'm going to take him somewhere that is even vaguely considered a "place to go" then it has to be during times it is less likely to be packed with people or he cannot cope with it. Thankfully, he does to a specialist school and they are understanding. Ds2 is HE'd so no worries there.

Sadly, in the UK without GCSE maths and English you would really struggle to get a job, a place on a course at 6th form college to study practical subjects or an apprenticeship. Too many 6th form colleges these days end up with 16 year olds retaking maths and English umpteen times to enable them to move on and continue their education or even get a job.

I agree that the system is far too much of a SATS/GCSE factory these days, but that's how it is in the UK.

I wish I knew what the answer was.

Friend and I are contemplating doing this with out 4.5 year olds in the next couple of weeks.

Depends.
DS (14) came home from school yesterday having had 4 'free' lessons. The Great Annual Video Watch has begun even earlier this year. As a result, I have no qualms about pulling him out next Friday and Monday for a weekend away that I've wangled by doing training on non-working days and having time in lieu (part time teacher)
I wouldn't do it at other times of the year.

At DD's school they start the new academic year at the end of June. They get a little bit more relaxed at school during the exam period, but when that finishes it is back to working at full steam. They only get more relaxed on the last day of summer term.

I think that's a great idea Bun. If DS was actually being taught, I wouldn't take him out of school for 2 days.

People should take their kids off school whenever they like. It is the parents right to do this, not a governments

I don't see how this can be true...don't parents have a legal obligation to either send their child to school or home school? Parents can't just pull their kids out whenever they want!

Bun - they say they do the same here -but DD will miss 12 out of 20 days due to all the other stuff- so whilst they say they are getting a start on GCSE coursework, and that the children MUST not be absent that goes down well in the prospectus they are not ACTUALLY doing it.

I was just going to post to say don't expect it to be quieter but pp have beaten me to it. Quite a few schools go there for end of year trips.

Formerbabe - whether something is "the law" or not does not make it right or moral

I couldnt give a shit what the law says about anything. I take my own moral judgement on everything I do, whether it be lawful or not, that is what a moral, just and wise person does - sic. Socrates or is that Shakespeare ;)

Whoever it was, they wouldn't have taught something like that at the school I went to, and I doubt they do now