Would you take 5 year old out of school?

[Savador]

family are saying I am being unreasonable because I will not take DD out of school for a family holiday, I don’t want a fine and education is important to me. Please tell me I’m not the only one who feels this way?

I used to feel that way. Then covid showed me that life is much more about balance and would happily do it until y6.

I'm very at parents taking out older kids, but I probably would at 5 if the holiday was important enough (and I could afford the fine).

Unless by 'family' you mean a DH, however, they should butt out and respect your parenting decision.

I'm a teacher and I woudnt thing twice about taking a 5 year old out if school!

Depends on the situation. Holiday of a lifetime to visit elderly grandma in New Zealand? Yes I'd go.

Week in Cornwall - no.

serious, you think I should do it? Maybe I am being a bit dramatic as she is only 5 but the fine thing worries me and I’m worried I will feel guilty the whole time I am away?

Most teaching is organised in blocks, so they may only have that block booked in to teach that particular aspect of the subject. It could be a phoneme, maths element, English grammar etc - if a child misses that block, that's it. Done for the year and there's no chance of being able to catch up because of the pressures on the curriculum. I'm not a teacher and someone may come along to correct me but it's an incredibly important aspect of why you shouldn't take kids out. Tbh I used to be pretty blasé about it myself but I would really hesitate now, and I think that asking the teacher to provide work or help catch up would be hideously unfair on the teacher.

Is a fine guaranteed? Sorry not sure how any of this works

We never took ours out for holidays in term time. I just don't agree with it, how disruptive it must be for teachers when kids are missing for random weeks. Also I wanted them to understand that education is important, I can't see how you can argue that they have to go to school when they don't want to, if they know you don't mind them missing it to save a few quid. So even though it meant years of soggy camping holidays in the UK because we could never afford to go abroad at holiday prices, YANBU.

When is she 5?

How long for? You wouldn’t necessarily be fined. I think at 5 they shouldn’t be in school yet anyway to be honest. I took mine out at that age for a week to go on holiday with an elderly unwell relative. We weren’t fined.

I was the same - until covid hit. If she can handle over a year out of school, then a 2 week break isn't going to do her any harm.

Even if you get a fine - it's around £60, but you will have possibly saved £££on taking a holiday out of term time

God yes. I am a teacher.

@Middledazedted are you saying you would go on holiday still?

I wouldn't. We go on holiday in the school holidays.

She’s 5.

You’ll have many more important school years where you really can’t let her miss school.

My mum was a ks1 teacher and it was always difficult catching up the kids who missed school to go on holiday. She hated it. I don't ever take mine out.

I mean for context there are 190 school days per year.

That leaves 170 non school days to do whatever you want with.

This is how I feel.

Fines are not garenteed, and less likely if you have good attendance otherwise, although some councils are stricter then others. Personally I would do my best to avoid it, mainly because I don't want to teach my kid school is optional. But if it was an important family gathering or holiday of a life time that couldn't be any other time I would.

I'd take her out, she's five not fifteen. X

We'll be taking DD out each year in primary, save loads on cost of holiday even adding the fine in.

I do get tired of the “but covid” excuses - it’s completely different to take one child out for a jolly while the rest of the class continue with the curriculum than it is to have most children at home, (not) learning at roughly the same rate as the rest of their class, in the context of reducing infection rates in a global pandemic.

No I wouldn’t take my child out of school for an cheap holiday. I might for a visit to a dying relative abroad, a close family wedding or in very exceptional circumstances (I have a friend who’s just pulled hers out for a term time week holiday because her DH has just been given a terminal diagnosis) - but not normally. We do have the luxury of being able to choose annual leave dates from work though, I can understand why others who are eg military might just have to go in term time sometimes.

YANBU to not want to, it is absolutely your choice, but IMO YABU in stating 'education is very important to me' as if someone who does take their 5yo out for one week off school doesn't care about education. Caring about education and taking a week off are not mutually exclusive.

I took my now 16 year old DD out until the age of about 10. I now have 2 younger DC and would take them out too. I never got fined for DD but my stepsons mum got fined for taking him out last year, he was 14 and in high school though so a bit older.

I took my 9 and 11 year olds out and have just booked again for next year. The memories and time together as a family are so important to me, and as a single parent I cannot afford to go away in the school holidays.
Also, one of my children has SEN and finds the school environment incredibly hard. It's changed how I feel about the importance of being in school every day. Getting enjoyment from life, gaining experiences and spending time with the ones we love are the things that are important. Prioritising school over everything else is not the best thing for every child.