taking children out of school for holidays is ILLEGAL

[zippitippitoes]

interesting news report here \link{http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2075270,00.html\ High Court Ruling}

so will anybody still be taking those unauthorised breaks and days off?

Will schools get tougher

and does your school say no at the moment?

"Also this has nothing whatsoever to do with kids in countries where education in unavailable, that is awful, if you feel really bad about it please give to a charity don't try and tie it in and make us feel guilty about being able to afford things as that would be a never ending spiral. or does that mean if you pay for private education you can take your kids out of school, but everyone else should be grateful for state schools"

I don't believe I said anyone should feel guilty for being able to afford holidays!??! I said I felt saddened that so many people in this country take education for granted and speak about schools and teachers in disparaging terms when there are children in other countries who are desperate to learn in yet do not have those opportunities.

I know of an independent Senior School where the HM never authorises term time holidays.

also,what about the cost of taking that woman to court? shouldn't that money be spent on improving some of these "sink" schools? or just punishing someone for the sack of making an example of them?

We are trying to do something to enrich our childrens lives but it looks like that is also illegal. Although as we are not in the state system we are very much at the descretion of the head. I would assume that if we followed the curriculumand could prove the kids did lessons when they were absent the judge might be lenient on sentancing!

But you don't need to go to Lanzarote to experience quality family time - if you can't afford it don't go!! Simple! There are plenty of 'educational' things you can do right here in the UK during weekends and 13 weeks holiday. There is absolutely no need to travel abroad.

"How dare the state dictate to me when I can or can't take my holidays" - well pay to have them privately educated then!!! A holiday is a luxury.
Why should the state pay to educate your children without some kind of rules being applied!!!!
How on earth can schools be seen to say "yes its ok for those who can afford it to take their children out of school to go to Disneyland but those who just don't turn up everynow & then are truanters"
You have to draw a line - why on earth should schools be flexible? They are not there for our convenience, they are there to educate children.

I'd better go out now. My blood pressure is rising.

I despair that there's no room for individuality and that we're all expected to learn to put our heads down and get on with it whether it's the right thing for us or not.

Bollocks to that.

I do think people are unwilling to commit these days. Sending your children to school is a commitment, and yes it does take some getting used to. DS is only in reception and I do find it quite restrictive with it's start and finish times etc but I will have to learn to live with that.

Our kids are privately educated but as far as I am aware the law still applies to us, and we could still be prosecuted. The head of our sons school never authorises term time abscence on principle, although I suspect they would not persue a parent unless this was an ongoing issue

If I choose to home educate then, which would mean giving up my work, will I get back the tax money which I spend which goes towards education?

Don't bang on about it being free. We pay.

spidermama - you can have "individual" holidays out of termtime. There is also such a thing as community and society.

I just don't get the 'individuality' stuff though spidermama

I can see you are very conflicted about hating your children having to conform and yet not having the time/understanding to home educate.

Personally I feel thats a bigger issue for you than a Mark Warner holiday.

No Spidermama, you will just pay twice, interestingly our fees are not much more than the state budgets per child, and our school has great facilities and small classes so where does all the state money go???

That's just silly - there are plenty of things we pay for as taxpayers but don't use. If you do use services, you have to accept that there are some restrictions - it's the only way they can run! You don't expect a bus or a train to turn up at the click of your fingers do you? There's a timetable and you just have to work round it.

PLUS .... My poor kids are getting about ONE hour of gym a week! That's a national outrage. They are 6 and 7. They need to run about. They spend far more time than that waiting to hang up their coats, wiating to ask Miss a quiestion with their hands up. waiting to file in to eat their food, waiting while Miss reads the register, waiting after the bell has gone .... Great education. Would be dreadful to miss a single day of that!!!

the law regarding attendance applies to all children registered in school, regardless of whether it's state or private and I think that private schools are probably more strict as they like absences listed on their stats even less than state schools do

and of course they have longer holidays anyway

1 in every 6 absences is a child on holiday

Thread meander: what exactly is a mark warner holiday? They always get mentioned on these threads and I always wonder, but never enough to google...

If someone explains, I'll know, if not, I'll jsut stay uninformed I guess.

I have no objection to paying taxes at all, but I think so much of the education budget goes on targets and testing and enforcing attendance that it seems sad that all the buildings are falling dowm and there is not enough money for teachers and books

Even though I am with Spidermama and Pashmina about a certain amount of discretion being applied, and do not feel guilty about having takne ds out for a few days (and will do the same next year), I suspect in the original case there was more to it than just taking them out for the two holidays. According to the Times article, "Other absences were attributed to medical causes, the mother’s car breaking down, or traffic jams that delayed their arrival at school until after registration had been taken." - so it sounds like there were lots of excuses for the children not being there and the relationship had broken down.

Bozza - I think that's a good point.

Imagine a family setting where the mother or father work evenings and set off to work when their children get home from school and get home from work after their children go to bed. Perhaps that parent doesn't feel like getting their two children up early to get to school on time. Perhaps the father wants to take them in at break time so they can spend the morning having a family brunch and playing in the garden. Should that be allowed?

I'm sure we can all find instances where the school timetable doesn't run according to our lives but I do feel like people have to conform to the rules of attendance.

Mark warner holidays - institutions for middle class parents - have done it myself once (shudder)

Mark Warner predominantly middle clas activity. child friendly nice place holiday

mark warner - upmarket holiday camp, kids clubs lots of sport (if you want it) full of fat lawyers and stockbrokers apparently

Taxpayers contribute to the entire infrastructure of the country, so yes, tax-payers do pay for all the services we recieve that are free at the point of delivery - such as state education.
If you want education that is free at the point of delivery, then you have to accept that there will be some restrictions. If you want freedom to do your own thing, that is fine, but make your own arrangements to do that in the same way that people who want to pay extra do for private education.
Individuality can be expressed regardless when you take your holidays.