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

[SunnyUpNorth]

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!

We don't get fined in Scotland, if I didn't teach I would take a term time holiday, I loved them as a kid. As long as you are willing to catch your kids up on return and not expect special dates for any missed events then go, enoy yourself and make great memories.

Please don't talk about the 'hypocrisy' of schools being closed for months (and as a result of having half of the children back in, the distance learning provided will have to suffer as a result), then say you're going to take your children for a term-time holiday.

I used to be a teacher and it's so difficult when children take time off school during term time, as you have to try to involve them in projects already started and catch them up, when they return. I can't see any ex or current teacher doing this, as they know how hard it is to deal with. I'm not going to ramble on about exactly why, but at the best of times, if have a huge headache at the amount I had to know, prepare and deal with each day. It also makes it difficult for other children, eg group working, slowing the rest of the class down. Now is different as all children are off at the same Tim's.

It's the schools that issue fines? Or local government?

Around here, it's actually the school. Local government is just the banker. Some schools issue fines whilst one across the road doesn't!

Oops a few autocorrects in my last message. Point being, if school not using fully differentiated learning method, it'll be difficult for both teacher and student/pupil

Why would they not catch up? I'm very willing to help DD catch up. She's mostly ahead anyway so far so not a lot of catching up required.

You have a very limited view of holidays if you think they are just 'a but of sun'

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.

I cannot fathom that anyone can think this is true. Shows how blinkered some people are.

Lots of people moan about holiday companies who’s prices are much higher during the school holidays, I do get that.
But they should also be careful what they wish for, would they rather companies increased their prices all year round??
Most people without school children go away during term time anyway as it’s both quieter and cheaper.
I don’t think I’d go abroad during the school holidays.

I wont be doing it. I don't want ds to miss any more school as he really does benefit from being there.

As long as it’s not too often, and not during an important time, I’d say it’s fine to take the kids away occasionally during term time.
Plenty of parents, including key workers cannot always get leave during the summer holidays anyway.

I don't think school will be back to normal in September. I can't see how they will be able to have all children back in school full time and accommodate any social distancing measures, and there will be much higher rates of absences if families are expected to isolate for 14 days everytime anyone in the household has a temperature.

So, schools are not going to be how we knew them, and holidays and travel won't be either.

I personally am reevaluating everything about how we spend time and money as a family and I can't be the only one.

I will no longer be tolerating the 'every moment matters' guilt trip if I want to take my children to an exhibition or family event etc. Life is for living and taking opportunities when they arise. We're going to be doing a lot more of that.

I was thinking people might be more likely to but more because of financial situations than thinking it’s ok to miss a week. Many people have been given vouchers from this years holidays and if firms push up prices to recoup losses it may be difficult to use these during school holidays. People may feel more inclined to book in term time to use the vouchers and not lose money

Surely the biggest challenge is going to be while the 2 week quarantine on return lasts? We have holiday booked in France at the end of August and so far they won't give a refund as it's still likely to be able to go ahead, but the issue is that we then couldn't return for the first 2 weeks of school, if that's going on. Though who knows what the rules will be by September! 🤷🏼‍♀️

It's two different issues but of course people are trying to twist it to their advantage. Schools shut because of a pandemic, not so that the teaching staff could disappear for a few weeks on holiday. The schools didn't choose to shut, they were forced to shut. Of course education is going to be affected, for this period in time. Schools have been trying to reassure parents that they will do what they can to sort this out once children are allowed back to school.

Taking your child out for term time holidays is also detrimental to some kids, but others not so much. Parents however, aren't forced to take their kids out of school for holidays. It's a choice. Schools aren't forcing parents to take their kids out of school either for holidays, and neither is the government.

One of these situations is about safety and a decision being taking out of people's hands, one of these is about parental choice.

And I would also say, that if you are one of the parents who has been whining about schools being shut because their kids desperately need their education (which is really code for "I need childcare") but you are also thinking of taking your children out of school for term time holidays next year then you are being massively hypocritical.

Unions and some councils are making a choice to advise schools to stay closed. Schools are making a choice to listen to the advice of the unions or obey the instructions of the government. So yes, a choice is being made.

Our council is making a choice (not based on safety at all only based on political point scoring) to not open schools here. The government is allowing it.

So when I take my child out of school for a term time holiday and they try and fine me I will be asking them to think back to 2020 the year when they by choice stopped hundreds of children accessing their education. They've also not made provision for kids with additional needs either which tells me all I need to know about them tbh.

They cannot take the moral high ground on this one.

I do love the way some posters are claiming I won't be paying the fine and huffing and puffing about they can't tell us we can't etc...

Do what you want, by all means, as regards holidays. I have no opinion either way. But be aware that in the real world if the council issue a fine against you - for whatever reason - it's not optional to decide you won't pay it. They will pursue you for it and you will have to pay.

Moral high ground...fuck me...I love the idea that you think arguing that you are right means you don't have to pay fines.

Oh I'll pay it. But they're wrong if they don't think I'll point out that they're raging hypocrites and how odd it is that they suddenly place such importance on education again.

Somehow I don't think they'll issue any fines because they know people will be absolutely furious at their hypocrisy.

I'll pay the fine, it's miniscule compared to the holiday cost. But I won't let the patronising, twatty letter from the school go unanswered.

I think it changes nothing. The people who took term time holidays keep on taking it. And those who wouldn't keep on not taking them. It's completely different circumstances. Now everyone's education is on hold. With term time holidays, those who missed school needs catching up.

It is absolutely not an even playing field. Not nationally. Not regionally. Not in the same school. Not in the same class.

Children have different needs, including SENs.
Resourcing and access to technology varies.
Morivation and learning skills vary (and despite being a qualified teacher, trying to home teach a child with ASD, dyslexia and dyspraxia without a learning environment and peers to rolemodel for him is a hiding to nothing)
Parental time and support varies
Quality of material set by teachers varies. Teacher A is sharing barely legible photos of her laptop, which are unsuitable for all let alone a child with SpLDs. Teacher B is setting much more usable work, but I haven't got easy access to new printer cartridges every couple of weeks. I gave up and used Bitesize after Easter. As long as my DCs can still cobble a vaguely cohertant sentence together by whenever they go back to school, I'm counting that as a win.

I always thought it was better when parents and schools could have a dialogue about time off. Blanket refusing all including parent's weddings and getting snotty about appointments has damaged home/school relations.

I never have taken out my DCs for anything more than a post-pm reg departure so we can catch a ferry on time for the annual visit to Granny so we could get the weekend with cousins. I don't intend to take my DCs out for holidays, but the pressure on schools to refuse all holidays and the rhetoric that every lesson counts is not as helpful as it sounds.

@beakyface it’s posts like yours saying parents just want childcare that cause some of the animosity on threads.

Tbh, if people think it's ok to take term time holiday, just do it. Sensible parents would make sure their children won't fall behind, and a week or two won't make any difference to those children. If their children is struggling but parents choose to take holiday during term time, it's their choice too. The children are the one that suffers. And if that's the parent's choice, what can anyone else do about it?
Personally, I don't think my dc suffer much even he was absent from school for few weeks. He is clever and ahead in most subject. But I wouldn't even think about term time holiday.

They are quite happy to let secoundary school kids miss six months of school so I am going to book next year for term time.