Thoughts?

[gentlyscented]

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/parents-to-be-fined-%C2%A31000-for-taking-children-on-holiday-during-term-time/ar-BBSuKFY?li=BBoPWjQ

Given that I have never understood why holidays seem to trump all, I can't get exorcised by it. Kid goes to school, school has term times. That's it! It's never been any different.

The only thing that has changed is the attitude of people who want to have a holiday more than they want their kid in school, sometimes.

Meh!

I’m having this issue at the moment
I really really want to take daughter on holiday.
She has been in hospital most of her life and we have never been able to get away at all
This year we could but it’s to expensive in the holidays for me to ever afford.
So our changes of ever going away is gone.

I can understand why some people take their children on holidays in term time because it's just so bloody expensive otherwise. But then on the other hand why does it have to be abroad? My friend has a eight and six year old and is taking them to Greece this week. Says they all need a break and the kids deserve it. Surely they'd be just as excited to go to centres parks, kids don't really care where they go as long as it's fun.

I think you should get one chance where it’s a lower fine, but then if it’s more than once it should be a huge fine. It will only discourage serial offenders if the fine is large enough to counteract the holiday saving.

I would also bring back the headmasters’ discretion rule, so that provision could be made in exceptional circumstances.

Education is too important to be as low on the priority list as it is for some parents.

You realise uk holidays are just as expensive it can’t to 1200 for Butlins when I looked last week in August
If your going to take them off school what’s the difference between uk and abroad anyway ?

I can also add that her education is not low on my priority list at all and I am a mum who would take her child out for a holiday
You know there is more to learn than sat in a classroom ?
Do you think it’s fair that only a certain income family would ever be able to experience a holiday ? But lower incomes have 11 years where they can not ?.

But then on the other hand why does it have to be abroad?

It doesnt have to be abroad, but why can't it be? Do you not think people should experience other cultures? Greece or Centre Parcs - an absolute no brainer really.

I think there's a lot to gain by travelling and it wouldn't hurt to say if a child had over say 97/95% attendance they can have five school days holiday to be taken any time in the year other than during exam period for older children, especially those last weeks of term where very little seems to be achieved in schools. It would also serve as a motivator to get children to school there might be fewer 'mum I've got a stomach ache' if they knew taking too much time off jeopardised their holiday.

I also agree with a PP, the current system just makes holidays the preserve of wealthier families who can either easily afford the fines or can afford summer holiday prices.

Lonely, I did say 'sometimes'

I do know there is more to life than sitting in a classroom, that's why I am no longer a teacher.

But it seems ridiculous to bemoan the unfairness of a system that has existed for c.150 years, or 30 if you only count post curriculum education.

Every single parent knew about the holiday timings before they had kids. These days they all know about the possibility of fines too.

So every parent should have factored that in. If they choose to go on holiday outside term times they choose to take the additional hit.

Moaning about one of life's certainties I'd a tad pointless!

My parents used to take us out of school for holidays. Made sure we were on track (if not ahead) with the rest of the class, asked for confirmation of the next topic to be studied so we could read up while away, and took us out in the last week of term when no one gets anything useful done anyway (so they said). I travelled to different countries and opened my mind, learned their languages, cultures and histories and learned far more than I ever would have sat in a classroom for yet another week. I got straight A's at school and speak 3 languages fluently (my parents don't speak any foreign languages). I consider experiencing the outside world to be an invaluable education in itself and I am deeply saddened by the thought I might not be able to afford to offer the same experiences to my own children one day.

But it seems ridiculous to bemoan the unfairness of a system that has existed for c.150 years, or 30 if you only count post curriculum education. It's only in recent years that you can be fined for taking a child out of school. Before then, there was a statutory provision that you wee allowed to take a child out of school for two weeks a year to accompany its parent on their annual holiday - a hang over from the time when many people had no choice about when they took their holidays. In factories, in particular, there would be a two week shut down when everybody had their holiday, and it didn't necessarily coincide with school holidays.

Mere You seem to have misunderstood my post whilst going on to outline exactly what I meant!

Regardless of the changes over the years there have always been prescribed holiday periods.

With or without fines parents have always known that schooling can restrict leisure time. What they do about that is their choice. I don't disagree with posters like BeanTownNancy I too think that there is more to life, learning and development than sitting in a classroom.

My point was that moaning about a long established system is a pointless waste of time and emotions. Use that energy to find a different solution!