To think my colleague deserves to be fined

[Awdry]

For taking his reception child out of school for two weeks a week after they have gone back for half term.

They have booked 2 weeks abroad. Their dd is struggling in school. She took ages to settle in September and and seems to have a complete lack of confidence when it comes to school. (My ds is the same age and plays with her. They already took her out for a weeks holiday in February (however she wasn't 5 then so it could be argued it wasn't compulsory.)

She is now the term after they have turned 5 and they see nothing wrong with it. They havn't even told the school yet and they fly this weekend. Both parents have totally flexible holidays (I know I deal with holiday requests and she isn't working at the moment). It is purely so they can get a cheaper holiday abroad.

Their parents have a caravan they could use in this country instead.

I have namechanged in case I am recognised.

She wouldn't be at school if she was living in Scotland, so it isn't that essental.

It's probably a bad idea to take her out again if what you say is true. But there is nothing you can do about it so try not to get het up,

And all this kids learn masses on holiday. They don't learn what they do in school. And there are plenty of weeks off. Nobody takes their child out of school for a holiday becaues they think it's more educationally beneficial. They do it to get cheap flights.

it costs a huge amount of money to provide a state education system, possible about 100 pounds per child per day, so those parents have taken up a place, then 'wasting' it for 15 days each school year. that's 1500 of tax money which is just being 'thrown away'. so, why shouldn't the govt try to claw back some of it?

i am quite sympathetic towards people who have family abroad, or have other 'exceptional circumstances', but just cos you want a foreign holiday? it's hardly a basic need of existence, is it?

Well you certainly sound jealous and a bit like a nasty gossip - all your family agree with you? Have been talking about this a lot then.

I don't see any cause for concern whatsoever, it is a couple of weeks when she is 5! Like it will make any difference at all in the long term.

I personally don't agree with taking kids out of school for holidays so wouldn't do it for any of mine BUT I think yabu a bit because each to their own.

I have friends who HAVE taken their LO's out and that is upto them - I wouldn't expect to have to justify why I wouldn't take mine out so I wouldn't expect them to have to justify why they would.

SG

Oh ffs get over yourself. School is not that important in the long run, and certainly not important for a 5-year-old. Maybe the child is not settling because the school is shit in general or simply has an ethos that doesn't suit this particular child, so her parents might want to look in to home ed or at least a different school, and in the mean time if they want a holiday there is no reason why they shouldn't have one.
'Fitting in' is over-rated anyway.

oh dear, you are very interested in your relative's life aren't you ?

get your own life, I say

kissangel - do you have any stats to back up that figure? They claw plenty of it back in my taxes, and I don't mind.

There are plenty of ways to educate a child indoctrination school is the only way to learn. Travel can teach you a lot.

I think people are being a bit intemperate. It is an interesting question about whether parents should be fine. I think it's harsh and almost certainly penalises parents oh low incomes. But I think children should be in school.

Travel can teach you a lot but you can travel in the school holidays. Cash is the usual reason for taking a holidy in term time.

of course its cash. but cash or no cash can make a difference between going or not going.

There are families who take their kids out of school and no harm done. Their kids are bright enough and hard workign enough adn teh parents are enough on teh ball for it not to be a problem.

But you will find if you looked at data that there is a direct correlation between low attendance and low attainment.

its reception? seriously not that important, we are still the parents of our children arent we? do we not have a choice? or has that been taken from us as well.

Infants and to a degree juniors should be about fun in learning, there is enough time in secondary school to get up to GCSE standard.

ont even get me started on the amount of homework years R, 1 &2 get rrrrrr

It actually costs £2300 per child per year so not £100 a day at all, get some prospective, it's a child having a holiday she will not become an academic failure or a social misfit due to 2 weeks in the sun which her parents no doubt feel will benefit them and make them more relaxed happier people for a fortnight.

They learn a lot in reception if it's a good school.

When is it not okay to take a child out of school? Many many people carry on doing it.

God when did school become the be all and end all ?
Why have we handed this huge responsibility to the schools and allowed them to convince us our children only learn within those walls ?

As someone said to me once:

They are 5. They're mostly spending the day colouring. They'll catch up!

Honestly though, if school is stressing the poor child out, then perhaps a break is GOOD!! They are still so wee at age 5.

Nobody has done that. I think I do a lot of teaching as a mother. But I don't teach my children the way a teacher does. I don't want to duplicate that. But just because I take them to all sorts of things that might be deemed educational, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate what school offers.

It is not ok to take a child out of school imo when
-it is near exam time
-it is near the end of the school year in final year at reception - last chance to be involved in end of year activities before moving on to different things
-first weeks of school term in sept when children bond together for the first time after a long break.
-if its because the child does not want to go, rather than to do a specific activity/holiday/event that will benefit a child.

primary, not reception [doh]

You can appreciate it, just dont rely to heavily on it and don't make it the most important thing in your life because if your child struggles with it, or gets bullied or just really hates it then holidays with the family can literally make that child's life worth living.
I do not agree that just because the state offers something that they deem to be a fit education, I have my reservations that they get to dictate my life/movements/holiday arrangements.

You see I think the exam week (SATs for example) might be worth missing. Learning on the whole is a building process. We learn to swim for example by doing it regularly and in a fairly structured way. Swimmign properly that is. If you take two weeks out regularly, you miss some of the stages.

Of course if you don't mind that then fine. If you prefer a home fluid home educated style then also fine. But it's wrong to pretend that nothing is being lost.