lets start a campaign! parents rights to take kids on hoilday

[jayne222]

just want to rant a bit how unfair that schools no longer permit family holidays, the authorised absence thing is ridiculous for infant and junior children, the letter following and "unauthorised absence is threatening and rude, the fines are insulting and I feel mad about it!! I want to take a a short family holiday when it suits my family, I want to be concientious and make sure my child doesnt miss out on schooling, but this no longer feels like a free country!!

You show a very selfish viewpoint in that taking your child out of school in term time is good for your child. It may well be good for your child but absences cause disruption for the rest of the class. Teachers have to spend more time bringing that child up to speed on what they've missed which takes time away from other children. Parents expect teachers to set holiday work for their child, mark that work when they get back etc. Show some consideration for the people your actions impact upon.

I hope those of you who think term time holidays are acceptable, will be quite happy when your DCs teacher takes a couple of weeks off to go on holiday during term time.

I get so irritated by those parents who think it's absolutely fine to take their kids out of school for a week or two, and then invariably have the audacity to complain about things and information they've missed out on. Not to mention questionning the achievements of their 'precious darling' and why didn't the school do more for him/her.

Oh, and of course, what sort of work ethic does it teach your child?

Sorry, but term time holidays are my pet hate no 1 at the moment! There are acceptable circumstances such as major family events and not having the ability to take holidays at the normal time, but otherwise, I think £1000 fine sounds very sensible!

You do not have a right to an overseas holiday! If you can't afford it in holiday time, then you can't afford it!!!

'will be quite happy when your DCs teacher takes a couple of weeks off to go on holiday during term time.'

I ahve never taken the boys out for holiday (I have to take part in arts events at a competitive level) BUT

7 changes of teacher this year as they couldn't afford a subby teacher

Seven.

Five teachers involved in that. Head admitted no progress made this year (year 5). NQTs being moved around to 'better suited' class groups; sickness leaves; maternity leaves... fair, they humans they are entitled but I am one of the few parents not going in screeching to high Heaven.

So whilst I will do what I can in a positive vein, have offered my time as a volunteer next year..... had I wished to take the boys out I would have not felt much concern over it. I certainly will not feel guilt when I take ds2 out for 2 days in the autumn for said arts event, as far as I am concerened it's a fait accompli.

Yellow have you read HumanCatapult's posts?

I know HC off board and can vouch for her story.

Jayne - will you also be campaigning for teachers and Teaching Assistants rights to take holidays during termtime?

Children are in school for 190 days a year- that leaves 175 days for holidays. Is that not enough for you?

It is a free country- you are free to educate your child other than in a state run school. You are also free to take employment in any industry you choose.

i agree with what someone further up the thread said - campaign to end the huge hikes in price that occur in the holidays.

I've read it now Peachy, on the face of it it seems a bit harsh.

We authorise up to 2 weeks holiday if the child has otherwise good attendance

I dont think the fine is high enough to deter people and it should be higher.

Children get 13 weeks holiday a year, plenty of time to go away in. Taking them out term time shows that its ok to break the rules and that school is not important.

If you choose to have children when you know your employment restricts holidays then you can hardly complain.

Most holidays are hardly educational, i've seen posts on here trying to justify disney land or a week on the beach.

The poor teacher then has to catch the child up whilst trying to look after the other children and the parents usually moan that they have mssed x, y and z and what are the school going to do about it.

...and the higher the level of unauthorised absence the more dim a view ofsted take of it.

Does doesn't it Yellow? Would love to know what's going on behind the scenes there!

I do think there are levels of merit- not all trips away / absences are the same (see my post above about teh child refused permission to attend international sports event) but life isn;t as easy as just don't have kids- I can imagine someone coming on here saying that their hubby just got made redundant and could ahve ahd another job but the holiday restrictions didn't fit their plans! We always managed to cope with DH being unable to take any time off in December but it was a PITA. He'd never have chosen that, but it paid the bills.

Teachers take their job knowing that they can't really take holidays in term time. Just like nurses know they won't get every Saturday night off. It is a one deal when starting the job.

So, where do I sign up!

Three kids, 2 schools, one authorised a day recently but for the very same reason, the other school had it as unauthorised! Under the dcfs guidelines ..... What crap! So much of it is to do with league tables.

10 days in an academic year should be the max. Number of days to have a child out of school. I has been that way for years and I would hardly say that education is getting better.

Parents send their children to school knowing that holidays in term time are not part of the deal.

They can always choose to home educate.....

school wind down doesn't happen in my DCs respective schools - they keep going up to the end of term.

ofsted report on the levels of unauthorised absence. Heads are under pressure not to allow holidays and those that don't do sometimes find that their levels of unauthorised absence go up...ofsted don't like that either.
But you can tell a good school without taking any notice of what ofsted say.

I am a secondary teacher and work right to end, no quizzes or videos. I have also had to give up lunchtimes and after school to catch up kids who have beem on holiday.

In my English class there are two pupils who have missed 4 weeks this year. It is obvious in their levels. Different if they are off travelling the rainforest or something, but most of ours go to Portugal or Spain. Holidays aren't a human right. I haven't been on one for 5 years.

I have sympathy for parents and to be honest can see both sides of the argument (secondary school teacher). However in my school it appears if you request time off, it tends to be refused and hence you are in the dilemma that the school knows when you were planning to go so you can't just go otherwise its a bit obvious. The other route is not ask at all which is what lots of parents do and risk the fine. My last school was very strict about holidays and one boy got asked to leave as his parents had taken him out 3 years in row for 2/3 weeks without permission. I thought the parents were taking the piss so it was fair enough.

However I had another parent who's son was a high achiever with outstanding attendance. They wanted to go skiing as the mum was a teacher in another school that had different holidays (both the feb half term and easter) so for them to go skiing as a family they had no choice but to take the lad out.
She asked permission but got refused. Highly unfair I thought.

I've got no problems with a child with very good attendance taking a week out (say attaching it to a half term etc).

So what do you do if your family live half way around the world???

go when it is the holidays, same as you would if they lived anywhere else.

Parents do lie about it and say that children are leaving early to go to a medical appointment, which is up to them but they forget that children do tell the truth.
parents come to collect the child, you get the child and say "I hope it goes well at the dentist" and they say "But I'm off to Bognor Regis for the weekend, I'm not going to the dentist"

There is more to life than school.

There's more to life than brushing your teeth, too. I'm still going to stress the importance of tooth brushing.

Ofsted report on levels of authorised absence too. And under the new framework it will be a limiting judgement. Schools will be in trouble if their attendance figures are below 95%, whether the absence is for illness, holidays or anything else.

School is important but so is family life and a wide range of experiences