To think children shouldn't be taken out of school for holidays?

[MidiMitch]

Just that really. An article today says four million school days a year are being lost by parents removing children for holidays. I am a teacher so probably rather biased on this but I think it's dreadful that children are taken out of school because of a cheap holiday. I definitely think that more needs to be done to stop the hiking up of prices in holiday time but I don't think the answer is to disrupt a child's education.

As a child I was taken out of school for holidays twice a year - beginning of May and end of September for one week each time. My parents had no choice as my dad's employers implemented a fixed shut down when all employees were off. Did this hamper my education? No because for the rest of the school year I was there every day. You cannot do a blanket rule, I think you need to look at each child individually.

Presumably, because they have jobs and lives (hence taking their children out of school at odd times) and other than signing a petition (which I have done) don't have the means to take on the government.

You don’t need means to take on the government. Ordinary working people are up petitions on Change.org every day. You could use some of your Mumsnet time.

Obviously it’s easier to do nothing and blame schools instead.

• set up petitions

@NickNacky. Yes, I do believe in what I say very strongly. If I were in the situation where it was a choice between a holiday or school, it would be school. Where, when and how I grew up, holidays were not a necessity. A good education was what opened the door to better things.

I’m so saddened by how little some people seem to value what they have access to.

Great idea.

Brilliant idea, pengggwn.

valentines - your post doesn’t make sense!
I don't know any adults who can ring and say I want two weeks off.

You don’t know any employee who books time off for any holiday?

Brilliant to know I have a job and that I’m an adult!

You don’t need means to take on the government. Ordinary working people are up petitions on Change.org every day. You could use some of your Mumsnet time.

You literally quoted me saying I had done

And I'm sure others have too.

Yes, let's give the parents who don't value education no fines etc because it's all about them not the children who miss their education, grow up with a poor work ethic etc and then end up with little choices in adulthood. If parents value education they won't have taken them out for holidays so those that do won't be paying for the GCSEs anyway under that proposal,

strawberry Totally agree. I make decisions for my families benefit, not for concern for government policy.

beetle I'm not willing for my kids to never experience the joy a family holiday brings for 20+ years just because of the career I chose.

I don’t know one parent who would prioritise government school targets over their childs happiness

It’s not a binary choice between those two things - how ridiculous.

Where, when and how I grew up, holidays were not a necessity. A good education was what opened the door to better things

But you're saying it has to be an either/or and it doesn't.

No I don't know any adults who can get two weeks holiday off that morning and don't have to get permission with some black out dates. That's true yes.

pengnnn I agree this is a really good idea. A very natural consequence. However, almost all absences are authorised (there are parents who lie about holidays or little days off here and there and say their child is ill). The number of unauthorised absences there are, are vanishingly small.

You literally quoted me saying I had done hmm

And I'm sure others have too.

You mean you’ve set up a petition about this? So why not post a link to it - you’ll get loads of signatures on here.

es, let's give the parents who don't value education no fines etc because it's all about them hmm not the children who miss their education, grow up with a poor work ethic etc and then end up with little choices in adulthood

If they're lucky they will get jobs and then they can go on holiday if they don't have children

valentines ?? That’s never been suggested by anyone as an acceptable way forward!

Hmm I think you if re read you will see I have signed petitions. That's how they work. If only one person writes and signs it 's just a strongly worded letter.

These are also useful and my local Mp can tell you he's heard my opinion on all things from transgenderism to schools to the local eyesore car park.

2 weeks out of school isn't for my children affecting there education, travel broaden our children's minds, and teaches them different cultures, and culture values, history, new sights and they experience different beliefs and traditions.

My children are fluent in Turkish, because the country has a special place in our hearts, me and dh speak the language but not fluently. However both DC spend at least 4 weeks a year at there relatives house, while me and dh work in the UK, as we cannot take time off together, during the summer holidays.

Education is so much more, than being in a classroom, and households cannot be made to feel guilty because there own household circumstances do not match a government idealism!

YABU. It triples in price during the holidays.
It's cheaper to pay a fine.

Actually in my post I talked about setting up your own petition, but here’s no reason why you can’t link to a petition you’ve already signed?

You get regular updates with most petitions so they’re easy to find even if you signed it a while ago.

Penggg yes I agree with you.