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.

@TellerTuesday4EVA in your case that will be linked to Halloween aswell - given how HUGE it is in the US everything around there quadruples in price!!!

Agree with pp that as long as teachers are not expected to give their time up to catch these children up and are not blamed for any poor results caused by holidays then as far as I am concerned parents can fill their boots (with holidays that is).

@ReelingLush18

My idea has always been that the Govt should give all school age children two weeks of 'flex' for term-time taken holidays, family weddings/funerals/special occasions, over the course of their entire compulsory schooling

OK seems reasonable - wouldn't apply to the children of teachers though.

Ah yes it probably will be @eurgh2018 won't it, that makes sense. Tbh I hadn't even thought about it being near Halloween - I was too busy breathing into a paper bag!!

Teller I know! Teachers can never benefit from an off peak holiday.

teller my dd and dn both had 2 weeks off in September /October in year 1(both year4 now) dd is achieving above but dn is struggling and dns had 100% attendance since then. It all depends on the child not the time off. (tip for florida September is really cheap, the parks are quiet and all the Halloween stuff is out.)
I usually take the last week of term before summer. No problems or fines. But next year(yr6) we are going away for 3 weeks. August is out of the question so we are taking 2 weeks either side of October half term. Our school has optional revision classes for SATS so if I feel she needs to catch-up for her time off earlier in the year she'll attend those. But after that it's secondary school so won't do any more term time holidays until after gcse.
In primary the children all learn at different paces and the work is regularly repeated so this makes it easier to catch up with the class, not so in secondary where the individual classes are in ability sets.

I'm a teacher in private and DD is in reception at a state. I.m taking her out at the beginning of July when I have holiday but she doesn't.
We can't afford a week away together otherwise and it's important to us. DH travels for work all of August so we can't go then.
I wouldn't take her out during an exam year but otherwise I'm not that fussed

Speaking as someone who grew up in a tourist area, it's not about hiking the prices up through in the holidays, it's about making sure you make enough to break even on the year.

The whole system here sucks

Can someone please explain why it’s no longer affordable to even holiday in the uk

The prices of self catering holidays here are shocking

We live in Scotland

Camping options are limited due to the weather

I just think it’s a crying shame that there’s no reasonable options in the uk

Suggestions ?

Developing an interest in the world around you is far more important than book learning and exam results in my view. I would rather have a child who had experienced different cultures and foods, and had an interest in the environment and world affairs, than one who could quote a few extra chapters from a book.

I was once denied a holiday request for one or two days at the end of the Christmas term, as a straight A student, for a trip to Africa. Funnily enough, we went anyway.

Mine have been taken out every 2 years for 2 weeks. They have Autism and couldn’t cope in school holidays with so many people, this way they get to have a relaxing quiet break. Both have anxiety issues around other kids, their idea of hell is a mini disco in a family resort.

To add DD1 achieved 8 A’s, a B and a C at gcse. DD2 is in Y9.

Every point made here holds true for this demographic. Engaged parents, supportive of education, taking children on holidays that broaden horizons.

That isn’t who the rules are aimed at. Most of those children will be able to say “we had term time holidays and i’m now a lawyer/dr/ chief” so what’s the harm.

It’s the children who’s parents don’t give a shit that need these rules. The ones who just want two weeks ai on the costa del sol, getting pissed while the kids entertain themselves. Those kids who won’t get caught up because the parents can’t or won’t help them. Ones who may not have ready access to a computer or the knowledge to educate themselves.

It’s also for those teachers who don’t have time to be catching up students as well as trying to deliver the curriculum. If every child in a class of 30 takes 2 weeks out that’s 60 weeks of work missed.

I was taken out of school as a child. I had big chunks of knowledge missing which did affect my exam results- i remember staring at a mock paper not having a clue what the question was about because it covered something i was away when the class had covered it. My mum left school at 14 and my education surpassed hers in primary. Without a computer at home I had no way of filling in those gaps.

The people who most need education will be the ones negatively affected by allowing term time holiday...

School is only a part of a child’s education.

School is only a part of a child’s education

In theory, if we all had decent parents, yes.

But if you come from an impoverished or abusive home, or even if your parents just don’t care or aren’t educated themselves, school may be your only education. Unless you count how to twoc cars and steal phones...

School is only a part of a child’s education

For some yes but for many it is their only education and sadly for some only when their parents can be bothered to get them there.

Not every child has involved parents, it's why school has to do so much more now than teach. We have to have pupil premium to try and bridge the gaps, TAs to support where children need extra support, homework clubs etc.

I work in a school so have never taken my own DC on a term time holiday. I have worked with children who have had time off for holidays and have remained above expected. I have worked with children who have 100% attendance who struggle with every aspect of the curriculum.
People have to decide what is best for their own family. I think the current rules are too strict and seem to split parents into people who will accept the fine and have the holiday/family time and parents who won't miss a day.
My DS1 missed 10 days of year 5 due to chicken pox, I always think of that when people talk about education missed. Why is 10 days for illness ok but 10 days for a holiday is so bad? He's year 10 now and I would say it did him any harm. I don't know what the answer is though.

I don't get the 'its the holiday company's'" fault' argument. How are holiday company's supposed to dictate what our own and other country's hotels, airlines, etc etc charge exactly??

Chocfudge they don't dictate suppliers prices but they DO dictate their own markup which is HUGE in holiday time, suppliers generally aren't paid that much more (friend in the industry)

Family holiday and travel being together, making memories are crucial. I think penalising poor people like this is hideous because rich people either have dc in private school with long holidays, can afford to risk fine or are not affected by raised prices.

Memories are vital, relaxing etc. I think the current rules are awful

I'm a teacher and I have no problem with pupils going on a family holiday in term time - not everybody's life fits in with school time. I'm excellent at my job - but I'm not so fucking marvellous that missing a few of my lessons in a year meant that you'd deeply affected your grade at GCSE/A level, frankly. And neither is anyone else I know. Pupils can catch up on work.

Also I work in an area where the only industry is farming or tourism - and so most families have parents who are working from March - October, some 7 days a week. Difficult to tell a kid whose dad works in an arcade for minimum wage that they should be taking their holiday in August...

My DH is from NZ. It takes 28 hours (min) to get there and his family spending time with our kids is very important to us. DHs family are only allowed to take holiday at Christmas into January (the equivalent of our August holidays) by the time we've paid £1500 each to fly there I am going to make sure we have enough time there to see everyone and get our money/ times worth. So I will take my kids out of school to allow us to that - the end.

It's not always about going to Benidorm for a cheeky all inclusive

I will take my children out of school for a holiday. It'll only be a day or so at the very start or end of term. Won't once they hit the exam years.

*Family holiday and travel being together, making memories are crucial. I think penalising poor people like this is hideous.

Memories are vital, relaxing etc. I think the current rules are awful*

Yeah. I can’t afford a holiday at all, term time or otherwise. Shame my kids are missing out on these “crucial” and “vital” experiences.

I wouldn’t consider us “poor”, we just don’t have spare cash for a holiday. The rules don’t penalise us or even affect us because we can’t go on holiday.

Holidays are not a neccessity or a right. They’re a luxury. Education is a right and a necessity. That’s why the government pays for my kids education but won’t fund a holiday for us all....

holiday companies and airlines COULD change their policies

Holiday companies can't. They buy in seats from airlines and rooms from hoteliers. If they won't pay more when demand is high the hoteliers will sell to companies in countries where no fool is trying to repeal the law of supply and demand.

In theory the airlines could, but not in practice. There are only so many planes and so many seats. How else can they be allocated? Some committee deciding who should be allowed to buy them?

As for the pp who say "of course I wouldn't do it in GCSE year": you had better hope your children's GCSE teachers don't have younger children, hadn't you?

I don't see an issue to be honest. It's not like it's going to affect their career.