To ask teachers if you just accept the inflated holiday prices?

[justoneofthoseyearsagain]

Is there any other way to bring costs down? Looking at a UK break at Christmas and it’s £1600 - the following week it is £600. Obviously not much you can do but does sting a bit!

As a single and childfree teacher, it really impacts me in that I never am able to go on holidays with friends. They (non-teachers, and childfree) are obviously going to choose to go away in term-time when it's much cheaper, and I'd feel way too guilty for asking them to wait until I'm free and pay a fortune more.

Luckily I'm leaving at Christmas for a different career (fingers crossed) so it's only an issue for a short time longer.

I probably shouldn't say this, but I fully understand why parents take their kids out of school during term-time, if I had kids, I'd do the exact same.

We have no choice, it’s just one of those things. The holidays are a pain for lots of people in the private sector too - my brother’s company have basically been told no one can have holidays in August to make it fair. Childcare is an increasing issue now as two adults have to work to maintain a decent standard of living.

If you don’t mind me asking, what career are you switching to? Best of luck whatever it is! I am giving it a few more years and if it doesn’t get any easier I’ll be doing the same.

DH a teacher, we’ve always gone to maybe slightly lesser favoured destinations?

we’ve holidayed in Poland, Holland and Denmark for example, and Berlin once 🙂 And Somerset

always organised own travel and accommodation so these were not all inclusive type holidays by the pool (never quite been able to afford that but I know it is many people’s idea of a “real” holiday)

@SD1978

Not just teachers- it's everyone with children in the same situation.

Not really as I was a teacher for 8 years before having children & always had to go away school hols & mine are a few years off no longer coming & I will still have to go in school hols. Presumably those in other professions can revert back to taking hols in June/September?

We used to have main hols in May half term when ours were tiny & go to France for a week in a tent & that was affordable at the time.

I'm not complaining as it's just how it is & not unexpected. I don't know why parents of school age children moan as surely there have always been 6 weeks summer holiday?

I don't hear teachers moaning about the inflated price of holidays.

@RamonaRamirez

Yes we tend to go to places like that too & some people don't seem to consider it a holiday unless it's all inclusive with water slides & entertainment in the evening?

Am I right in thinking teachers get 12 weeks paid holiday leave per year? I get 4 weeks and I don’t take the kids on holiday out of term time.

It's not inflated tho, it's the price. The holiday companies have to reduce the prices in the winter or no one would go. It's supply and demand. If you can go other times you can get a bargain. If you can't you have to pay normal price.

There is nothing you can do but accept it. Camping in France is your best summer option. Local camp sites not the massive ones.

No, you're not.

HTH.

Teachers are not paid for the holidays. Term-time pay is spread out over the 12 months.

No. You are wrong. Teachers get the standard 28 days paid annual leave, like every other job. The rest of the time is unpaid leave. HTH.

Scottish teachers get 40 days paid leave; the rest of the school holidays are unpaid school closure days.

I teach Monday to Wednesday so will often go away the Wednesday or Thursday before holidays technically start. It's still usually more expensive but not quite as bad as actual holiday weeks

I know a few teachers who have a small U.K. break in the 6 weeks and then go abroad in either the may or the October holiday.

Not with the ages of the children though … I mean, when they are 5 and 7 it might be quite a fun thing to do but right now it would be a nightmare!

It's the same for parents too, I just don't look at out of season prices so I don't see the increase! Youngest is 14 so a few more years of this yet!

you can get good deals if you go away when other countries are back at school eg end of august in Netherlands was a popular choice for us when ds was at school.

I don't go on holiday every year.

Yeah, in 18 years time....and then you're paying for university so still can't afford it!

One of the reasons I left teaching too! I’m also quite relaxed about term time holidays (within reason and I’m aware of caveats when there are safe guarding issues etc). Realistically most children can have a week off school ( up until about year 9 I reckon) with minimal ill effects, especially if it’s the end of term. I found most of the teachers I ever asked about this were also not that bothered, as long as they weren’t being asked to set work.

Camping in france is quite expensive, the price of mobile accommodation has really increased over the last few years and food cost there are quite high too.

No, you're not right.

@justoneofthoseyearsagain

Not with the ages of the children though … I mean, when they are 5 and 7 it might be quite a fun thing to do but right now it would be a nightmare!

We took ours at 6 months onwards to a tent in Brittany May half term. Also camping in UK when they were babies & toddlers.

Spare a thought for us poor school support staff, we still have to slog it out during most of the holidays (often working harder than TT) but get paid annually a fraction of what teachers earn 😂 (despite teachers’ holidays being ‘unpaid’)

Cue the back to school chat.. ‘oh, did you even have a break?!’ No Mr X, I took a week off as annual leave and couldn’t bloody afford to go anywhere!