Term-time holidays to be banned, with fines.....

[LilyBolero]

Discuss

There is a great big modern world(and country) out there and sorry all kids should get the same chances of experiencing some of it and growing up with the confidence that it's all highly accessible.

Things were different in the old days.In my grandad's day only the rich went to the seaside and classes knew their place. Thankfully we've moved on a bit now.

But surely it comes down to what we can afford and what we can't afford, doesn't it?

Some kids live in big houses, some don't. Some can afford music classes, dance classes, trips to football matches and some just can't.

Yet another idiotic Tory policy. I'll promise to never take my boys out of school if the school promise to not spend the last 2 weeks before christmas rehearsing and watching DVD's, maybe they could even do some reading! 6 weeks without a change of book this christmas just gone.

Mirage , With 2 children already in Private school, and a 3rd who will join them eventually, who is currently in a local primary school, we are not allowed to take them out of school during term time. We holiday around thier holidays rather than our youngest, as it is a cheaper option.

Holidays out of the school holidays are affordable to many,many more though,that's the point.Even camping is hellishly more expensive in August.This new rule will exclude all but the very rich and kids of the very rich already have far too much of a leg up in life.Why make life even more unfair when there is no need given all the reasons listed on this thread.

Hermione I agree the last month before Christmas is pretty much a waste of time given up to rehearsals,productions and Christmas festivities and don't get me started on the last fortnight in July-they don't call it worksheet fortnight for nothing.

Forrest I don't see how you're not allowed-you pay your teachers wages,what are they going to do chuck your kids out.I don't think so in this climate.I have friends with kids in private schools who always take their kids out,at the moment said schools are just grateful to have them there.

Also you break up a lot earlier and have waaay more time off school so will already have cheaper holidays.

..as I said earlier ....we will be sending Gove a postcard from Butlins.

a note along these lines from the head is included with our term/school year dates ..

I respectfully ask you to honour the term dates and not place your child, and me, in an embarrassing position by asking for leave of absence for holidays within term time.

Ive never asked, so have never been told differently. I should add while we are paying thier fees I have no plans to take them out to go on holiday.

yes it is cheaper to go on a summer holiday when they break up, rather than wait for our youngest to break up. (which is what we do now) Last year however thier Easter holidays were totally different!

Forrestgump, I don't get it. Why is requesting absence 'embarrasing' for the school and child? Do people in private school always communicate in this convulated way?

I guess it's so neither feel embarrassed by the request being turned down.

Then why not say 'no absenses will be authorised'? It'd be much clearer.

I suspect there are rules for some and different rules for others and this vaguesness leaves the door open.

And sorry I don't think for one minute they'd chuck the kids out,what give up £££££££££ just because a child is out for a week.I don't think so.

As I said previously all the parents I know who have kids in private ed take their kids out latching onto the maseeeeeve holidays they already can because errrr they can-they're paying!

what are they going to do chuck your kids out I know a private school that did this as the parents took the dc out for a two week holiday and when they came back from holiday they found a letter on the doormat letting them know not to return the children to the school on the following Monday morning.

This was some 20 years ago, but I guess the same sort of thing could still happen now.

Round here they're having problems filling places so I suspect things may be a little different now.

the private schools in my area are still very much over subscribed, so they can still dictate when where and how. I would have though in other areas where private schools have long waiting lists things are much the same.

Cod I like your idea a lot.Maybe we should all do a 'postcard protest' right now,so if the 'leak' was testing the water,they will certainly know how we feel.

I really hate this 'if you can't afford it, then bugger off and know your place' attitude. The issue is that many people can afford to travel abroad if it they could in term time.
Why shouldn't they? Of course its not a right but it's an amazing experience. It enriches life, broadens your mind and you do learn something and hopefully get a bit of a break from the humdrum of day to day life.

I have been fortunate enough to have been to a few different countries and have loved every single one of them. I can swear that my children have learnt loads during their visits too.

I prioritise experiences above material goods and if I could only afford to go on holiday during term time, then thats when I'd do it.

but although i wouldn't know, never having had a holiday myself, what fabulous experiences I have missed out on, I can't see understand the opposite pov which is pretty much that evryone has a right to a holiday.

holidays are luxuries.

it's just another example of the divide between rich/poor getting larger and larger

no holidays, no sahm's,

what next?

Personally I wouldn't take a child out of school out of choice for a holiday. The odd day or two is one thing, for example the circumstances I gave below. One or two weeks or more is something different. When you have children one of the things you know from the outset is that you'll be paying school holiday prices for everything. But then, like the previous poster, we really can't afford holidays - not anything worth paying for anyway - so the question doesn't really arise. A grubby caravan at the seaside for a week doesn't really appeal. I don't feel deprived as a result. I think holidays are a luxury and quality wins over quantity any time. We're saving up to take the children to the Alps in a few year's time - during the school holidays.

Private schools students can still take advantage of cheaper, out of season holidays because they have shorter terms. So I can't imagine any conservatives will object (not that the ruling would affect them anyway).

Where do Michael Gove's children go to school - couldn't find the answer on google.

not read the whole thread. but, my children will learn as much, if not more, by spending two weeks in USA with their american cousins, camping in mountains and learning about their heritage than they would in those two weeks of school. So, let them fine me. I will add it to expenses to take into account, along with travel insurance, exchange rate, travel to and from airport etc.

Another solution would be for Gove to ban holiday companies hiking fares during holiday times.. then parents would have the incentive to travel out of holiday time removed. Anyway, I doubt that the kind of families who want their children to enjoy a holiday abroad are the kind of families who are responsible for true truancy - the kind of truancy that leads to a disrupted, fractured education. They are more likely to be the kind of families where parents don't want their kids to miss out on sun, a break and new experiences.

I DEFINITELY think think that two weeks just about anywhere is preferable to being herded into the playground and watching snatches of Disney DVDs when it rains.

Anyway, if the reason is that a child's education will be disrupted then it's only fair to let children who can prove that they won't fall massively behind go on holiday (unfair, yes, but also logical).

I so hate this government that when I read about them, or see their poncy little pictures, and their weasly little faces, I feel sick. I never felt like this. Not even under Thatcher (she just made me angry - not actually ill).

Have this already at ds's school but I've noticed if that kid has family in say europe they are not given any chance to go in term time but if family has family the other side of the world they deem it as 'educational' and it's OK.

I'd like to apply to take ds to his dgrans in southern europe just to hear them say NO when others in his class are allowed for cultural reasons to go out of europe to see their families.

I was taken out of school regularly as a kid to go to family and it did not affect my education at all but it's different these days. More pressure I guess.

Yes, we fell foul of that. We were given a hard time for going to a family thing in Germany (incidentally DS1 actually attended school in Germany for most of that time, but apparently that doesn't count because it's forrin, and DS2 was too young for school in Germany at the time) but DS2's English classmate was allowed to go to Pakistan for six weeks in term time without any problems or criticism.