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

[LilyBolero]

Discuss

[edam]

I wonder whether it will only apply to holidays or all unauthorised absence. We've already had threads here about unsympathetic heads being mean about families where someone is terminally ill, FFS. What about people with family overseas?

[JasperJohns]

Coming back from US one day later last year saved us £650 on flights. It meant that eldest missed 1st day back to school after Easter break. I would not have got permission for this so he had his first ever 'sick' day. (His younger brother had an authorised day from his school).

This didn't sit particularly well with us, but as it is the only day he has ever missed since he was in y2 (he is now 13 and in y9), I don't feel overly guilty.

[Kayzr]

This will mean that my children will hardly ever get holidays.

My DP works away and last year he was away for every school holiday except for Xmas.

So we have no choice but to take holidays in term time.

[LtEveDallas]

Meh, if I want to take DD out of school for a holiday, I will. If the LA want to fine me for it, they can. As it was, so shall it be. I don't understand why this is news? Surely it's been this way for years?

[Svrider]

If this comes in, it will quite simply mean my children will not be able to go on holiday
On their last holiday they learnt about crab pools, fishing and ferries
We as parents are capable of combining education with holidays
I'm talking bout one week in a caravan in Devon
Do you really think my children should be denied this?
Also the last time my holiday application was rejected at school, (wanted last 2 days. To make a 5 day break) the school proceeded to host a beach day on the Wednesday, and DVD afternoon on the thursday. The morning was spent tidying up
Yup, glad they missed out on a holiday for that
Grrrrrrrrr
Ps both me and dh work, and simply cannot get leave in school hols

[edam]

"Headteachers will lose the ability to sanction up to two weeks a year of ?authorised absence? during term time. The discretionary absence is intended to cover illness, bad weather and bereavements, but many heads come under pressure to grant it so that children can be taken on holidays."

From the Mail. So does that mean the Government will be fining people for a death in the family?

[MrsHeffley]

Yousank the cost of petrol (which will only go up) makes days out just not cost effective or affordable. If you go on 7 days out over an hour away you'll be paying a small fortune in petrol let alone parking fees,entrance fees.

We're lucky we live in Devon and have masses on our doorstep,what about those in the inner cities?Even going to Bristol has to be only a once a year trip for us as it's the best part of £50 in diesel,we can only travel to London to see grandparents 3X a year and stay as long as poss to make it cost effective.We are supposedly wealthy,what about those on very low incomes in a high rise block of flats in an inner city?

Sorry the days of 'day outs' are long gone for many.

[GetOrfMoiiLand]

Agree LtEve. Lots of schools have been doing this for ages anyway.

If I wanted to go on holiday during term time, I would. Not to take advatnage of cheap hols, but because I was restricted often in when I could take time off. I wouldn't dream of doing it in GCSE years, however the rest of schooling isn't that crucial that a week missed would make that much difference.

[ledkr]

Terrible that you are going to be fined for doing something pleasnat for your child when so many get away with only providing borderline "good enough parenting" with no consequences. How about people who dont take them out of school but are always late,dont have the correct uniform or kit and never do homework or spellings with them,will they be fined?

I was made single parent through no fault of my own and having a family holiday as we had always done gave the children not only some consistency but a chance to relax and get their head around what had happened in their family. Not a human right no but nice and completely unaffordable in school holidays on one wage.

I dont take them out of school if i can avoid it but i will do should i ever need to again,they are after all my children.

[ByTheWay1]

We take ours out if needed - hubby's job etc... BUT only because they are at Primary school, we will make do without when they move up to Secondary.

[MrsHeffley]

I know Ledkr.

My kids are on time every single bloody day.I hear them read nightly and we give up a morning every weekend for homework.My kids are rarely if ever off ill.We support the school in everything.I'm soooo not being penalised yet again for poor bloody parenting elsewhere and to help a gov with it's figures.I thought the Tories were going to get rid of the nanny state,yet more lies.

Well Gov can kiss my arse and if I choose to give my kids valuable life experience the like of which kids of the rich enjoy several times a year I will< that's assuming £400 falls into my lap>

[Sparklingbrook]

There isn't a need for us to take our DC out of school in term time. I can appreciate that some circumstances mean that parents would have to if they want a holiday though.

[TheMonster]

It does annoy me because I'm a teacher and aside from the pupils missing education aspect of it, I cannot take holidays in term time. If DP can't get time off in the school holidays we can't go away.

[OneHandFlapping]

It's another one of those policies which are easy to implement, make it look as if the government is doing something, and achieve absolulely bugger all to solve the real problem (in this case truancy).

Ditto Tony Blair's stupid light bulb policy (which does fuck all to solve global warming).

[LilacWaltz]

Can't those with relatives 'overseas ' have them visit here instead? Or go in the holidays and stay in the relaives homes to cut costs?

[MrsHeffley]

Body in our school I know assistants and part time teachers who have taken their kids out so clearly being peeved because you can't do it isn't an argument.

Teachers don't have the holiday childcare bills many have so benefit in other ways financially.

[swanker]

So I'm sure none of you will mind when teachers also take holidays in term time?

FFS- they don't even get to see their children's nativity plays/sports days etc usually....

[COCKadoodledooo]

The fines will probably still mean the cost will be less than going in school holidays.

Dh is a teacher so we're tied to ridiculous holiday costs anyway and haven't been abroad in a gazillion years. Would love to, simply can't afford it. I'd prefer it if the holiday companies levelled the playing field a bit and charged similar prices all year round, rather than massively inflating things out of term time.

[TheMonster]

Eh?
I have DS in childcare for a lot of the holidays so I can be in school working.
I'm not arguing about it, I was merely saying that I think it's wrong.

[KalSkirata]

Gove can stick it up his bum. We dont do holidays but dd does get taken to a Children's Hospice. If we insisted on weekends and holidays we'd never get a go!

[TheMonster]

Good point, Swanker. I was luckily able to see DS's nativity play, but was unable to make parents' day as my school wouldn't allow me the time off.

[ihatethecold]

But BOE, you decided to become a teacher. You knew you wouldn't be able to take time off during term time when you chose the profession .
This isn't about teachers. It's about parents making a choice, or being TOLD what to do!

[ByTheWay1]

It annoys me in a way because our school one year CHANGED inset days AFTER we had all gone and booked the cheap hols (they put 3 straight after May break - bit of a result we thought..) and then had the audacity to tell us we had to APPLY for authorisation and then refused to give the kids who went away the full attendance certificate! They had many, many complaints that year.....

[Sparklingbrook]

Yes. I am sure that parents would be outraged if little Jimmy turned up to school to find the class teacher had naffed off to Florida with their family for two weeks swanker.

[COCKadoodledooo]

MrsHeffley that's cobblers. Our nursery charges all year round, save 2 weeks in the summer and 2 at Christmas. We have to pay whether he's there or not.