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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

444 replies

derxa · 26/04/2016 12:14

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

OP posts:
BarbaraofSeville · 26/04/2016 13:29

No, Red, you're not Grin.

A holiday abroad is not a right or the only way to have quality time together as a family.

If she didn't want to or couldn't afford to pay for Ibiza in the school holidays, they could have had a short break here while they were off for Easter weekend or gone away at end of May Bank Holiday etc.

Ibiza seems a waste in early April anyway. You aren't guaranteed good weather and that's usually a big part of going abroad.

NotMeNotYouNotAnyone · 26/04/2016 13:29

£60 isn't much compared to the cost of even a cheap holiday, surely you just include it in the cost?

Nobody has a right to go on holiday. Not adults, not children, not people with kids, not people without kids. It's a luxury not a necessity. Education is a necessity.

justmyview · 26/04/2016 13:38

I suspect if all the holiday dates were the same, then she would have been moaning that demand pushes up prices and it would be better if holidays were staggered

cleaty · 26/04/2016 13:40

I suspect that those who say no holidays during term time ever, can all get time off during school holidays as a family. There are people who can not get annual leave off during school holidays. It is not about a holiday abroad, it is about any holiday as a family. And IME, teachers rarely believe that you can be in this position.

Valentine2 · 26/04/2016 13:41

What else was she supposed to do if that kind of holiday schedule is implemented by different schools for the same holiday season? How is it her fault? To the teachers here who have said it runs them mental because it increases workload, please make sure that the schools around a least a city or local authority have holidays on the same dates. It's not her fault and fine will most probably be overturned in court.

kaitlinktm · 26/04/2016 13:42

I used to be a teacher in secondary (before this fining system started) and holidays in term time were a problem. It wasn't that I begrudged the family a cheaper holiday, it was that on their return most of the entitled little dears thought it was my job to run around catching them up with notes etc whilst the rest of the classes (who had not been on holiday) waited.

They used to be Shock when I asked them to come back in their own time (break/lunch - my own time too btw) for work and very frequently didn't bother.

Some of them asked for work prior to leaving and I could sympathise more, but most of the stuff would be being printed in reprographics or might even be still and idea in my head!

TiverMeShimbers · 26/04/2016 13:52

I don't think she should have been fined for this. I really think that school boroughs should have synchronised holidays.

I'd be well pissed off if DC1's school broke up 16 days before DC2's. Apart from not being able to be on holiday together (and by holiday I mean relaxing together as a family whether in Tenerife or just at home), I would also have to find 2 extra weeks of childcare! I only get 5 weeks annual leave & it's bad enough organising dates to be off together & paying for holiday childcare as it is without the kids having staggered holidays.

ludog · 26/04/2016 13:52

Once again I'm thankful I don't live in the UK

SaucyJack · 26/04/2016 13:53

"What else was she supposed to do if that kind of holiday schedule is implemented by different schools for the same holiday season?"

Stay at home? Like everybody else who doesn't want to or can't afford to pay term-time fines does.

Acornantics · 26/04/2016 13:59

I've just had a whole month of covering DCs school holidays, each had two weeks, one starting after the other ended. I work from home (so thankfully could manage childcare) as DH is overseas with work a lot. We didn't have time together as a family, we didn't go away to see family as we would usually do because we avoid taking DCs out of school in term time.

Was it annoying? Yes. Did it mean we lost valuable time together as a family? Yes. Did we run to the papers? Err, no.

ChemistryHunt · 26/04/2016 14:01

I really think that school boroughs should have synchronised holidays

I don't think all schools should have to to synchronise.

As stated up thread having a competently non tradition term patter really suits one of my children, even though it does mean our holidays are split up.

However the trust that runs my sons school always have a one week overlap in Easter and 2 weeks off during the normal 6 week school holiday.

This means that there are always some weeks when all the children are off together. Of course it doesn't mean parents will definitely be able to take leave in these weeks, but the normal school holidays don't either.

I think this is a good compromise to be honest.

However from this woman story I think it was only Easter that didn't match up? So she had the choice of 3 half term weeks and a 6 week holiday she could have holidayed in?

donajimena · 26/04/2016 14:05

I'd happily take my children out in term time. Its my little darlings who don't want to miss school... Hmm

NewLife4Me · 26/04/2016 14:07

Rules are rules though whether you agree or not.
I don't agree with this holiday rule but know i'd have to pay a fine if my child went to state school and I did this.
I'm sure she's better off paying the £60 fine than possibly over 2k attending court and a possible prison sentence.
Maybe she thinks they'll not do this if she doesn't pay.
you can't have one rule for one and another for everybody else.

Lots of people have to wait for summer before they can go away.

slug · 26/04/2016 14:07

One is paid to be there, one is required by law to be there. Not remotely the same thing in fact.

If it's one parent's right to go on holiday during term time then why isn't it the right of another parent who just happens to be a teacher as well?

In my experience, the parents who take their children out of school during term time are just as sad faced and up in arms at the teachers who refuse to carry out extra unpaid work to bring their child up to speed with all the work they have missed.

Not jealous, no. Am no longer a teacher so in theory could take holidays during term time. But I don't. Because I have a child in school.

TiggerPiggerPoohBumWee · 26/04/2016 14:10

If it's one parent's right to go on holiday during term time then why isn't it the right of another parent who just happens to be a teacher as well?

Oh please, I hope you never taught logic! In her case its her childs school that was preventing the holiday (you know school, that you have to go to, no choice about?) and in your case it was your JOB, which you freely chose as a career, paid you to be there, and you could have left at any time to take holidays as you chose.
Not remotely the same thing. And you know it.

TiggerPiggerPoohBumWee · 26/04/2016 14:12

Rules are rules though whether you agree or not

Not really. You don't have to blindly follow every rule everyone ever gave you. That would make you a sheep, incapable of independent thought.
Some rules are stupid.

NickiFury · 26/04/2016 14:12

It always makes me laugh when people tell me that I am not "entitled" to a holiday and it isn't a "right". I am and it is and sam for my kids Smile

sonlypuppyfat · 26/04/2016 14:15

Rules are rules, what rubbish good job suffragettes didn't think the same

cleaty · 26/04/2016 14:17

Teachers can take holidays during school holidays. Some parents can not take annual leave during school holidays. So a term time holiday is the only option.

Branleuse · 26/04/2016 14:18

i dont see the problem. Do the holiday and pay the fine. Noones sending her to jail.

Why make a stand over £60 when youve already forked out for Ibiza.

Flamingflume · 26/04/2016 14:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BarbaraofSeville · 26/04/2016 14:26

Staggered holidays are never going to work because there's always going to be someone with DCs in schools on different schedules, or teachers in a different area to their DCs, or couples working in different areas having to fit in with colleagues etc etc.

zazzie · 26/04/2016 14:28

Ds's special school changed one of their holidays this year so we were able to go on holiday for the first time in 5 years. Everywhere is too busy in the school holidays. Having had that I think we would take him in term time now if we had to especially since as he gets older it will be harder to take him anywhere. I wouldn't do a sad face about it though.

Permanentlyexhausted · 26/04/2016 14:29

In her case its her childs school that was preventing the holiday (you know school, that you have to go to, no choice about?)

No choice about? Apart, obviously, from the choice of going to a different school, or home-edding. You know, you can just de-register your children at any time to take holidays as you chose.

Actually, I don't think the two are really comparable but, to suggest someone's logic is flawed and to then follow that up with your own flawed logic is odd.

Whathaveilost · 26/04/2016 14:32

it always makes me laugh when people tell me that I am not "entitled" to a holiday and it isn't a "right" I am and it is and sam for my kids smile

Nobody is saying that people aren't entitled to holidays. What I get fed up of hearing,( not this thread) but people we think it is their right and they are entitled to abroad for their holiday and then blame the holiday company who charge market prices that they can't afford to go. I will scratch my head for ever in bewilderment at that.
As I said before, when my kids were young all their mates were off to Florida, Morroco, Spain etc. I couldn't afford it but was well aware my human rights hadn't been taken away from me or that I was entitled to go even though I couldn't afford it. Sure I couldn't take them to the Epcot centre but they went white rafting in Slovenia and trekking in the Julian Alps instead and it cost me hardly anything.