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Original poster

Do you think people will be more likely to take term time holidays next year?

189 replies

SunnyUpNorth · 29/05/2020 09:21

I’m wondering if people will be more relaxed about taking term time holidays next year partly because kids have missed so much school and will more than likely catch up over time, so a missed few days/a week is unlikely to do much damage. Or because people will have suffered financially this year and may not be able to afford term time holidays next year?

I was just looking at some flights for next year which would cost around £1k for 4 of us, but the week before would be around £250!

OP posts:
alwayswantchocolate · 29/05/2020 16:36

I would never have taken my children out of school before. Now I would. But our schools have been useless during all this, so perhaps I'm feeling a bit rebellious and fed up!

Pipandmum · 29/05/2020 16:39

I hope not. There always will be people who do this but I don't think they should and having missed school now is even more reason not to go during term time next year.

CallmeAngelina · 29/05/2020 17:05

My year 2 will be off for six months total in this current “crisis”, which apparently is completely fine all of a sudden

Find me one person, just ONE, who has said it is completely fine.
And why have you put 'crisis' in inverted commas? Are you disputing that the country, no, the whole world, has been suffering one?

FilledSoda · 29/05/2020 17:50

I think people will .
There will be people who have lost loved ones , been very ill themselves , maybe lost their jobs etc that will be adopting a more ' fuck it ' attitude to lots of rules that they used to take seriously.
I wonder also will many children be homeschooled in the long term after this. For those with the time and resources this is an opportunity to decide what type of education is best for their kids.

AgnesNaismith · 29/05/2020 18:10

Yes, we’ve had a properly shit couple of years for various reasons - the lockdown has made me realise the kids can miss a couple of weeks of school and be fine. Family is the most important thing and next year we’ll go away in May and have the break we will deserve!

AgnesNaismith · 29/05/2020 18:13

It has also highlighted the fact that neither the government nor the school will be able to care for my children in a crisis, that is down to me and DH. We are therefore in a position to choose what is in the best interests of our children.

CayrolBaaaskin · 29/05/2020 18:27

I definitely will but I did already as we are of a non Christian religion so it suits to take time off around our festivals. Dds are in primary tho - I wouldn’t take them out in secondary.

I agree that it’s utterly hypocritical to fine families for two week holidays and now we have months off with very little provision or support. It’s absolutely not true at all that all kids are in the same boat. Some kids have been in school all along, some have been taught in school, some have not, some have been getting zoom lessons (according to mn - no one I know) and some a few worksheets. Some have supportive knowledgeable parents, some the opposite. Children have had vastly different experiences in lockdown they are not in the same boat at all.

SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito · 29/05/2020 18:31

Oh hell yes. Either every day counts, or it doesn't.

I don't expect teachers to set 'catch up' work. DD will be in year 2 next year, she's already doing year 2 work in maths and English so anything missed will be topic work or stuff she can already do.

I wouldn't do it for exam years, but middle of primary? No brainer.

Bollss · 29/05/2020 18:35

Yep. If they can have 6 months off with no consequence then what's another week?

(I have been shouting about the lack of school but for the socialisation aspect rather than just educational aspect - that won't be a factor in taking a week's holiday)

SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito · 29/05/2020 18:47

Same genie. DD is bright, I'm a qualified teacher, with 1:1 tuition she's academically doing fine. But she needs to go to school because children need to be with other children.

Onone · 29/05/2020 18:50

Yes we have already booked for 8th June

Stuckforthefourthtime · 29/05/2020 18:59

You're aiming your anger at the wrong group of people here. If you feel strongly about it - write to your MP/start a campaign etc.

I get it though. We felt so worried 2 years ago about missing a day to travel to a big family wedding that was 5 hours drive away and required an early Saturday start, and got lectured about unauthorised absence.. Yet apparently the kids were fine with minimal contact and links to Oak Academy. Mine were doing all the work from the year (or for DS3, two years) ahead, others have done nothing... I'm absolutely fine to miss a few weeks.

Francina670 · 29/05/2020 19:00

Yes absolutely.

There is going to be constant disruption anyway. Every cold will need 2 weeks off for the child and their siblings. Teachers will also be off quarantining regularly. Might as well chuck a holiday in there as well.

Qasd · 29/05/2020 21:09

Not sure about a holiday but I def will have a more relaxed attitude on missing school yes. There is so many I. Here including teachers who tell me that missing basically a years worth of education doesn’t matter It makes a bit of a mockery of my attempts to avoid missing an afternoon by insisting on a post 430 dental appointment doesn’t it?

porktangle · 29/05/2020 21:16

At the moment all the children are off school and so they are all missing the same thing. When they go back they will all be at the same point.

But they aren't all missing the same thing are they? Some people are getting daily zoom lessons and are whizzing through the curriculum and some other children have done no work since schools closed either because they can't, parents won't or because they don't know where to start with a bundle of twinkle sheets 10 weeks ago and nothing since. Not exactly equitable is it.

OP - yes, I agree with you.

UnderTheBus · 29/05/2020 21:18

Yes. I cant believe the government used to fine people for missing 2 days of school whereas now its apparently fine for them to miss 6 months of school. And the argument that "they're all missing school so it's different" is bollocks - clearly some people are continuing education at home while others aren't or can't. The gaps between the haves and have nots will be massive on the return to school.

Mbc124 · 29/05/2020 21:30

Personally I think the children have missed enough school as it is. I’m also not 100% confident holidays will be the same going forward

Frozenveggista · 29/05/2020 21:33

It’s fair to say the DFE line of “every day counts” is crap. Children who do take term time holidays and do stay home when I’ll actually do better over all in their attainment. I really disagree with not being able to take term time holiday if I choose. Especially as parents who choose to do so who’s children are at private school do NOT get fined. If in fact the government really beloved it was detrimental to a child’s education why would they allow private school parents to do this? It’s bollocks.

Frozenveggista · 29/05/2020 21:34

When *ill

aliloandabanana · 29/05/2020 21:36

Yes. I've always been against term time holidays (for us) but now I feel that if our children's education is of so little importance that they can miss more than a term (as it seems mine will) and my MP is campaigning against any return to school before September, then what harm can a week off in June do? We could then afford to go abroad.

Figgygal · 29/05/2020 21:38

No
They’ve missed a lot this year but at least they’re all in same boat
There’s plenty of time they are off already

SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito · 29/05/2020 21:40

makes a bit of a mockery of my attempts to avoid missing an afternoon by insisting on a post 430 dental appointment doesn’t it?

Exactly. Not to mention what our school wants you to do, which is make sure the appointment is mid morning, so that they can get the mark in the register, get picked up for the appointment, then dropped back before the afternoon registration.

Boohooyouho · 29/05/2020 21:40

I’m actually less likely to next year as they’ve already missed so much school. We were planning a two week trip to Florida. But that won’t be happening now, they can’t afford to miss any more school

aliloandabanana · 29/05/2020 21:41

Also, my argument that we'd just have to pay more for additional weeks' holiday childcare no longer stands up. My organisation has stated that they want people to continue working from home even when things return to normal and, as my 9 year old pointed out, they (the children) have proved they can occupy themselves at home and leave me to work.

Crosswordocelot · 29/05/2020 21:57

If kids are not going to back until september they haven't missed 6 months of school. If my kids don't go back until september they will miss 14 weeks (ie just over 3 months) of being in school, bearing in mind we've had 2 weeks Easter holiday, a week of half term and 7 weeks summer holiday (state school)
I know that at junior level DS is not doing a days worth of learning each day - theres probably 2-3 hours of work each day...but even if he's doing half the amount of learning that equates to 7 weeks off. Of course I would be worried if he had had 7 weeks off under normal circumstances but nothing about this is normal. I'm not holding the school, or indeed the government responsible. Maybe they'll have to tweak the curriculum next year to "catch" everyone up.
Weve already got a holiday booked for christmas (booked before corona became a pandemic) and the DC will have about a week off. I probably wouldn't have chosen to do it after they've already missed school but we will likely still go.