To think the Welsh Government are brilliant for doing this

[Newenglandinthefall]

Common sense prevails in Wales over term time holidays.

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/parents-can-take-children-holiday-10727130

It's a serious question. If a teacher's OH is not a teacher that teacher may want to take term-time holidays - which would do the pupils no favours. What is the answer?

Teachers have a contract of employment. Pupils don't.

I'm really pleased about this. We live in Wales and last year had to take a holiday during term time. I'm disabled, physical disability that limits my ability to spend time on my feet, strength etc Don't want to elaborate further). I'm also a single parent and this means that to go on a holiday I need a certain degree of help. My mum works in a job which although I don't want to specify means many people per day depend heavily on her and my father has his own business. I can only go on holiday when they can get time off work to come with me. More often than not this is in term time. Despite me detailing this last year we were actually warned that we would be fined which led to me being extremely worried. I can understand this but surely my children deserve a holiday, and one that can be to their needs as well as mine? My youngest has 100% attendance and so would my eldest if he didn't have so many hospital/children's centre apps due to some SEN. It is also the parents responsibility to ensure that the child doesn't fall behind etc I was actually told by the TA that surprisingly my eldest son hasn't fallen behind despite the weeks holiday he's been on. I think it should come down to individual circumstance and attendance.

GoblinLittleOwl Oh YES!

I wish they'd be clever enough to get rid of Welsh medium education.

Promote the language, yes, but don't make our children's education be a martyr to it.

Makes me so angry that my children will have a sub-standard education (proven) just to pacify the nationalists.

So let's hope someone's brave enough to raise that one some day...!

My DD is at Welsh medium primary and it's brilliant. Fuck all to do with nationalists.

"It's absurd. It's teaching children to place a higher value on leisure than on work."
I think you're overstating the case. I'm also guessing you're not self employed in tourism. It's pretty common round here that parents will be working long hours seven days a week in school holidays. Taking an occasional week off in term time gives them a chance to actually get some family time.

(To be fair, my LA is one that very, vary rarely fines - probably for that reason.)

It is though. Millions and millions are spent ensuring that children go through school learning Welsh, a language with very limited vocabulary and useless in the wider world.

So much is sacrificed in schools to give Welsh precedence over everything. And results in Welsh medium schools are well below national averages - fact.

I do support the Welsh language, and do believe that it should be taught in school, but I think it's an exercise in vanity to force it as it currently is, and puts the children behind their peers.

But rather than hijack this, maybe I'll start my own

I wish they'd be clever enough to get rid of Welsh medium education.

Promote the language, yes, but don't make our children's education be a martyr to it.

You are aware that many Welsh children have Welsh as their first language, and that many people choose to speak Welsh rather than English? It is in no way a dead or dying language, and I cannot understand why Welsh medium schools would be seen as a bad thing? I'm guessing SockBalls is a fan of the Welsh Not...

"And results in Welsh medium schools are well below national averages - fact."
Not in this county, they aren't! DD goes to the predominantly english medium secondary, which has distinctly worse results than the welsh medium option that would have been her other choice.

And results in Welsh medium schools are well below national averages - fact.

Not quite true:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-29727935

I am well aware that many children don't speak English until school, dwin siarad cymraeg a ma gwr fi yn cymraeg, a plant fi. Ond dwin gwbod yr ysgolau 'Welsh medium' yn hollol cachu.

BECAUSE I have extensive, living knowledge of the Welsh culture and education system, and the stats, I know that it really is doing the children going through it a great disservice. I know so many 16 year olds who go through school and can barely string a sentence together in English.
They apply for the prestigious unis - but don't get in as they can't communicate successfully in English. Its a crying shame.

I know that the language is very much a living one, and I know it's going nowhere. But I really really think that based on official stats and strong anecdotal evidence, the Welsh medium education is failing children.

I couldn't give a toss about national averages - I don't expect DD to only lead at school though. At 5 she's thriving and absorbing the language so much more easily than I did later on in life (second language GCSE and a level). She's 5. I am a little nervous about the local secondary Welsh medium school (not all of the great teachers speak Welsh ) but hope that a Welsh medium primary education will make it easier for her to learn other langauges later and give her options should she stay here in Wales. (I worked in London for many years and Welsh was actually an advantage there too.)

Primary school children from English speaking homes who attend Welsh only schools are less likely to be top performers in maths, science and English than English-medium pupils

First sentence from that link.

i know so many 16 year olds who go through school and can barely string a sentence together in English.

. How many 16 year olds think "should of" is acceptable?! Or "Chester draws"?!

I'm not talking about finer grammar.

DH and I have 3 maths A levels between us. DH has a BSc. I'm studying a BSc. We're a scientific household. My parents were a high school teacher and a university lecturer. I'm pretty sure DD will be fine.

I'm not anti Welsh - that's just laughable.

But I don't know why I shouldn't say that I believe they're throwing good money after bad in forcing the language down schoolchildren's throats? Based on what I've seen.

First sentence from that link.

"But they are also less likely to underachieve, according to Welsh government figures"

Second sentence from that link.

If parents opt for education conducted in Welsh - and a growing number do - how is that "forcing it down their throats"?

Problems in our local schools include -

Welsh being put before EVERYTHING ELSE.
The Welsh language having a poor range of vocabulary.
Anti-English sentiments being taught.
Children being disciplined for speaking English.

The last two points are particularly concerning. And there's nothing to be done because if you say anything then you're 'anti-Welsh.'

Perhaps the area I live in is especially bad.

There's literally no other choice where I live Disappointed.

"Hollol cachu"
Ma dy gymraeg di a dy ddealltwriaeth di o addysg ddwy ieithog yn uffernol o wael.
Darllen yr ystadegau am gyrhaeddiad disgyblion sydd yn medru dwy iaith can gwenud sylwadau gwallus.

And as someone who has experience in the sector and has visited numerous Welsh medium schools anti Welsh sentiments are not taught.