Term time holidays - Commonsense breaks out in Wales

[mummymeister]

Just in case you miss the thread on AIBU, here it is,

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/parents-can-take-children-holiday-10727130

I have my fingers crossed that this is the beginning of the end of the ridiculous Gove rule. we need to get commonsense back and we need to give the power to decide back to head teachers. they are the ones with the knowledge and experience of the individual pupil and they are paid a decent enough salary to be trusted to make these decisions. I am writing to my English MP to ask if he will support England following suit.

Head teachers already have the power to decide. However, given the evidence that term time absence damages a child's education and given the disruption it causes, many prefer not to approve holidays. It just helps them maintain a good relationship with if they say "I can't" when they mean "I won't".

Op many heads have also been in the media saying as always its the poorest in our society who loose out.

they dont have much and now even holidays no matter how humble have been stripped from them.

Op many heads have also been in the media saying as always its the poorest in our society who loose out

If they truly believe that they have the power to allow them to take term time holidays. Heads can still grant holidays in exceptional circumstances. But most term time holidays are not taken by the poorest. They are taken by families who can afford to take holidays during school holidays but choose to take them in term time to save some money. It might be instructive to check the behaviour of the heads making such statements. In my experience they are often among the toughest in refusing term time holidays.

Education is the best way for children to get out of poverty. There is a clear link between absenteeism and attainment. I am therefore pleased to see that since Gove supported heads in their desire to crack down on term time holidays absence is down 25% and persistent absenteeism is down 40%.

prh47bridge - no heads don't have the power. read the article. they are doing what they are told to do by their LEA's. they are doing what their head of governors tells them based on ofsted.

Of course absenteeism is down. but not long term underlying persistent absenteeism. no one will quote you the figures for that.

You work in education so my arguments haven't swayed you in the past and wont sway you in the future.

but you are wrong. education of the child is not the best way out of poverty. education of the parents is.

the clear link between education and attainment is in relation to children who have many many weeks off ending up with lower GCSE's. No shit Sherlock - you have 2 months off and your education attainment suffers, who knew eh?

no heads don't have the power

I prefer to read the legislation rather than rely on inaccurate press reports (which, in any case, refer to Wales where the law is different). Heads do have the power. For LA-controlled schools the LA won't be happy with them if they ignore directives but the LA can't sack them. Of course they may have problems if they breach any policy set by the governors. But that doesn't alter the fact that they have the power.

no one will quote you the figures for that

Read my post again. I quoted the figures for that. They are published by the government every year. Persistent absenteeism is down 40%.

education of the child is not the best way out of poverty. education of the parents is

I said education is the best way to lift children out of poverty. I didn't specify who should be educated. But schools can generally only educate the children.

the clear link between education and attainment is in relation to children who have many many weeks off ending up with lower GCSE's

Do you class 2 weeks per year as "many many weeks"? That much absence will cost the child half a grade at GCSE. If a child misses 17 days per year that will cost them a full grade at GCSE.

Absence impacts attendance, particularly for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. I don't want schools or MPs to encourage anything that creates an even bigger divide in society