To think this mother is right. Holiday in term time.

[derxa]

Normally I think children should not be taken out of school for holidays but this mother may have a point.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3559089/Mother-four-fined-60-truancy-taking-youngest-daughter-term-time-holiday-Government-free-meant-children-s-Easter-breaks-different-times.html

Good sad face as well

I am getting dizzy from all these circles...

no they don't. they just might fine you if you going skiing with your child during 90% of the season.

No, it is just that they might fine you if your child has an unauthorised absence from school. That is the only thing you might get fined for in relation to schools and holidays. The skiing is totally irrelevant.

No, it is just that they might fine you if your child has an unauthorised absence from school.

yup. and this is what half of us object to.

I think all of you objecting to these rules would be the first to object if the school decided to pick and choose which rules of provision it were to follow.

You all want to have your cake and eat it.

Lurked Actually the current system does pick and chose. Religious holidays and being persistently absent don't incurr fines. Some LA's fine straight away and some have a policy of percentage absentism.

I hate skiing and won't be taking DS out because of it. But should some rich relative offer to take him I'd happily pack him off term time or not. It's an opportunity. I may still get a fine as it's a holiday. What a nonsense.

How do you know persistent absence doesn't incurr fines? However, there does tend to be many issues with school refusing or families with long term absence problems, many of whom will be connected to social services.

Religious holidays are exempt from all of this, its one of the things you can actually have a day off for. Imagine some schools if you didn't grant Eid or Diwali or Greek Easter or whatever festival off? They would be instantly under the government attendence targets.

There is a difference between both of these and people choosing to take their kids on holiday during term time. The school has to meet certain standards, the government have applied the fines to deter people from taking the mick
.
Most schools don't pick and choose they apply the same policy do everyone, many manage it well, some don't, but its is not the schools who set the rules and people here seem to be attack them.

Oh my word "a right to go skiing". What??!

Oh my word "a right to go skiing". What??!

why, precisely, is a skiing holiday not on par with a religious day? and this is the crux of the matter: it's not for anyone else to decide what's important to my family. If I want to go watch paint dry and take my child (well, perhaps someone could argue abuse in this case, but you take the point), it should be no one else's business.

I think all of you objecting to these rules would be the first to object if the school decided to pick and choose which rules of provision it were to follow.

As I said above, the target is the government.

A skiing holiday is not the same as a religious day.

"it's not for anyone else to decide what's important to my family. If I want to go watch paint dry and take my child (well, perhaps someone could argue abuse in this case, but you take the point), it should be no one else's business"

Then home educate. If you want to have all the decisions and have no interference. You can't choose to educate your child through the state and the choose the terms of engagement too.

lurked, I think the frustration comes because it is not as simple as saying You can't choose to educate your child through the state and choose the rules of engagement too.

The state is democratically elected so should be listening to the people. And the rules of engagement were changed.

The rules were changed in 2013 though its not exactly new.

Then home educate.

why not push for more reasonable rules? At what point would you disagree with rules enough that you would find that an acceptable alternative to taking it on the chin? Would you just accept anything the government throws at you? Surely you have boundaries too. Mine is being bloody authorized to take my own child out of school.

A skiing holiday is not the same as a religious day.

why exactly? and why do you get (or the government) get to decide that?

(i know the answer, the trouble is the answer is ridiculous).

Of course I have boundaries, I just don't think being encouraged not to take your child out of school during term time is the big civil rights thing you seem to, there are far bigger fish to fry.

As previously stated so many people took the mickey with the "reasonable" rules and they took up so much time.

Its like the tax on cigarattes, the government would prefer you not to do it, so increases the cost, you can choose to do it anyway of your own free will, but you are aware of the consequences.

As previously stated so many people took the mickey with the "reasonable" rules and they took up so much time.

Did they? The stats don't seem to suggest so.

Persistent absence (the kind of absence that actually makes a difference to a child's learning) has not gone down.

And interestingly the amount of absence through 'sickness' has gone up. Coincidence?

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/509989/SFR10_2016_text.pdf

Pupil absence stats 2014-2015.

Well that data shows that fewer days are being missed for holidays so.. is it working?

I agree that it is difficult for families, but its also difficult for heads.

I also think I get a bit peeved with the "my right" types, because in my experience the "my right" types are also the ones who will be reporting you to the head/OFSTED if you bend the rules a little.

Yes, less days taken officially as holidays and a coincidentally similar amount taken as 'sick' instead.

Well that data shows that fewer days are being missed for holidays so.. is it working?

seems to me the difference is pretty minimal from the report. The big problem (as we all know) is persistent absence (taking up a quarter of absences).

I agree that it is difficult for families, but its also difficult for heads.

was it so hard? It's hard because they had to sift and authorize. Don't get them to do that. just get them to deal with the persistent people.

Its like the tax on cigarattes

the difference is quite obvious though. First, I will say that I am suspicious that sin taxes are more of a politically popular tax grab than a sound public health policy (although, my impression is there is a good amount of evidence it works, though I am dubious of the methods). But the difference is taking your child on a holiday, which may be 10 x more educational then another day or two at school, is not a sin! It may be incredibly beneficial for you child.

sick'

yes, I wonder how many sick days take place right before and right after half term.

Its like the tax on cigarattes, the government would prefer you not to do it, so increases the cost, you can choose to do it anyway of your own free will, but you are aware of the consequences.

No it's nothing like it because cigarettes aren't illegal.

I personally get sick of people who feel that we need legislation for everything, this should be the choice of families.

FWIW I don't actually agree with taking children out of school for holidays and would never do it. But that doesn't give me or the government the right to fine people for doing so.

No it's nothing like it because cigarettes aren't illegal.

It's just like it. Because, just like smoking, taking your child out of school for a week or whatever is also not illegal.

And the government has every right to fine people for whatever it wants to fine them for, providing it doesn't breach their human rights. That's why they were elected - to make decisions on behalf of 'the people'. If you don't like those decisions, you'll get a chance to elect someone different in 2020.

No it's nothing like it because cigarettes aren't illegal.

It's just like it. Because, just like smoking, taking your child out of school for a week or whatever is also not illegal.

And the government has every right to fine people for whatever it wants to fine them for, providing it doesn't breach their human rights. That's why they were elected - to make decisions on behalf of 'the people'. If you don't like those decisions, you'll get a chance to elect someone different in 2020.