To have requested 2 days off from school

[MozzchopsThirty]

For ds1 and ds2 (8&13)

Dd graduates in June and I want us all to go, it's a Friday so one day off

I also graduate from my MSc in July (end of term 19th) although mine is local so I've requested half a day

AIBU???
I'm worried now that the schools will refuse, fine me and I should've just lied!

I am not sure whether graduating holds the same value anymore.

My kids “ graduated” from pre school, gowns and all.

Some school hold graduation ceremonies to graduate from Primary school.

So by the time they are 11 they could have graduated twice just for being somewhere and not really understand the significance.

IMO it has belittled actually graduating and having to work at something.

The school I work at would authorise this as it is an exceptional circumstance

My children had a day off for my graduation and the Head was fine with it.

My two children (aged 4 and 6 at the time) watched my graduation (via a live-link to the SU). They loved being part of my special day and still talk about it years later. I hope you get it authorised ... and if not, I'd still take them anyway and let them celebrate with you.

My childrens school authorise holiday it all depends on the school what they accept as an exceptional circumstance.

There are some really mean posts on here.

It may mean nothing to you but it means a lot to us.
I left school at 16 with 4 GCSEs and didn't study until I was in my 30s.
To achieve my MSc as a single parent and also working full time is a huge thing for me, my children have been amazing when I've been tired or glued to the laptop or reading papers

Dd is my first born and deserves to have her family there supporting her after all she's been through

So it might be tedious, pompous or a waste of time and money to some, but to us it's a big thing

Thank you to people who have been helpful re absences and kind about the graduations

As long as attendance is good, I think you have a good chance of these getting approved.

Congratulations to you and your daughter. Enjoy your days :D

Fair enough you and DH going but a bit much to take kids out of school for. Could they not just go to the meal. However, if it's far away you may just have to take them out of school. You'll jut have to take unauthorised absences. As for yours, I wouldn't take them out of school.

Not quite the same
But I got invited to westminster because of some charity work I had done. I didn’t think we should ask the school to take the children but my husband did. The head called me and said we could go with his blessing. That sometimes things were important and it was a one off experience that could probably be once in a lifetime.
I was very grateful that common sense had triumphed! (It was primary)

There are always people taking kids out of school for various reasons. I think this is one of the better reasons personally.

School can authorise absences for exceptional circumstances and my school would consider a graduation to be an exceptional circumstance. How often is it likely to occur, well twice this year but then not til the next sibling graduates in many years time, it's not like it's an annual holiday.

Tickets could be the problem. My step DS graduates in July after doing his masters. His friends who graduated last year could not get additional tickets for the main hall, a couple secured tickets for the live screening but that wouldnt work in your situation I don't think. We cant apply until April but I think it will be DP & stepDS mum going only. Congratulations to you & your DD!

Do check to see whether you will be allcated enough tickets. I have yawned sat through three graduation ceremonies, and at each one each graduate was only allocated two tickets.

Why does it matter whether it's authorised or not? You request the time off, the Head probably says no, and then you take the days anyway.

No big deal.

(from a teacher)

I think it would be authorised. It's exceptional and can't be planned for a school holiday as you have no control over the timing. My mum was teaching when I graduated and she was given a day off work. Also I got an extra ticket when I requested it for my sister to come.

Hope it goes well op, congratulations.

You want them to go!
It would be different if they wanted to go.
I was bored at my own one, so wouldn't take younger ones. And anyway as others have said the allocation is usually only 2 tickets. You've going to feel a bit silly if your dd says that she wants you to come and her best friend.

Congrats Mozzchops - I would double check the ticket allocation. We've never been able to get more than 2 for family ones. (I had a couple of godchildren ones where I was asked if I would like to go but then couldn't because not enough tickets.)

If you want to take them out just pay the fine but graduations are VERY boring especially for children I would expect. I was bored at my own

OP, you seem to be ignoring the fact that universities normally restrict tickets to two per student.

Is it cool to sneer at graduations now? It's your last chance to see all your course colleagues together, and if you're going to twat around in fancy clothes once in your life, why not after you've completed this big, difficult work?

I loved my second graduation especially. As a bench science PhD student, I'd worked in teaching labs for three years and I had the same group of students for 2 years running. They graduated the same year as me but as I'd written up almost a year before and was already away working, I hadn't seen any of them, and it was brilliant hearing who was doing what.

My brother came to mine, and he was authorised by the school to go to it. It was an achievement I, and my family, were really proud of and that they wanted to celebrate with me. Congratulations to you and your daughter, OP!

People on here are cunts, OP. And getting cuntier as time goes by.

Don’t you know you’re not allowed to be proud of anything ever????

Congratulations to you and your dd!

Personally, I don’t know how you cope with sending kids to school in England. They nannying and draconian micromanagement of parents would do my head in!

I’d take them regardless of whether they were “authorised” or not. But do make sure you have tickets

Heads can authorise it if they want to. Depends on policy of the school. You won't get fined unless you have more unauthorised absences.

Why does it matter whether it's authorised or not? You request the time off, the Head probably says no, and then you take the days anyway.

No big deal.

This. It may or may not be authorised. They may or may not enjoy it. But there are unlikely to be any consequences so the decision is yours. Although I do agree that I found my own graduation ceremony terribly boring and think my 8 year old would struggle.

I think it’s a great idea.
It depends a bit on how good the graduation reception is I think. The actual ceremony isn’t always wildly exciting (I’ve sat through many, and they always make me cry about though), but if you get a good revroook put on, then children should absolutely go.

My four year old has come along to the last graduation I went to, and he had a great time. The gowns, and music and canapés were quite enough for him ;)

You’re right that academic success deserves celebrating, and that seeing a graduation is probably more likely to stick in a child’s mind than a dinner afterwards out of context.

You might struggle to get enough tickets, but I assume that most places also live stream the whole thing in a room close by? So you can go to the reception, if not the ceremony itself.