To ask if you agree with term time holidays to please sign this petition...

[TermTimeHolidays]

here

It needs 100,000 signatures before it can be discussed in parliament.

bad do people under the age of 16 have to memory at all

Like I said uk has beautiful places but u didn't want us to be so limited. The world is an awe inspiring place to see and I wanted dd to see it through a child's eyes. Don't get me wrong these trips were the usual touristy day ones and I spent a lot of my time on my arse by the pool but the oppertuinity was there.

I don't want to be told when my dd can spend quality time with me. I don't want to be held to ransom on what I can afford at a specific time. I don't want to spend a week of mine family's time stuck in a tent.

It's all very fucking grey.......

"I didn't go on a foreign holiday until I was 13. It certainly hasn't left me psychologically impoverished. As an adult I have saved and travelled extensively and appreciated every moment of it, as I have had to work for every penny I spent."

How about we look forward, broaden our thinking and strive for more for our children instead of looking back with the old attitude of 'well it never did me any harm'.

I kind of agree with this petition but only because I loath someone telling me when I can and cannot take my children on holiday, they are MY children and I know what's best for them.

However, I'm the same about this bullshit rule in what they can and cannot have for lunch for the same reason. I'm not a fan of being told how to look after my children but I get that it's a blanket thing to make sure all children are catered for.

I strive for my son to get a good education. We will travel as much as finances allow during holiday time but there are plenty of other ways to broaden horizons which don't involve exotic travel.

And you can take your children away whenever you want if you are happy to pay the fines and have your child marked as truant.

We don't go abroad, we holiday in the UK. Are some poster seriously suggesting that my partner who works with disadvantaged children and busts a gut doing so actually, frequently coming home with bite marks and bruises etc should use the little holiday time he gets helping out at our children's school so he can see them...except the can't as parent volunteers are not allowed to help in their child's class and at high school (elder two) they dotn have parent volunteers anyway. Its not just 9-3 as my elder two leave at 7:40 and aren't back till after 4pm due to buses and then there is homework etc. Little two leave at 8:10 and again not back till after 4pm. They are tired etc so hardly 'quality time' and then are in bed by 7pm. We take one week, not every year and go somewhere in the UK to spend time as a family. We dotn have most weekends or evening as my partner is at work, family time is really limited.

I don't pect the teacher to put the breaks on, we will help them catch up if necessary but actually they are all doing well, ahead of 'targets' etc ds2 got level 6 in his SATs, ds1 is predicted a* and a's at GCSE and we always work with the school. Five bloody days every couple of years isn't too much to ask, we avoid exam years and ask when is best and try to fit in with that. Given the school close at the sign of a bloody snowflake and our schools even close for the county show they have each year! So I will take our five days, the school has said they will not fine us and the ht wished us a good holiday, I have a letter fro, the school saying enjoy your well deserved break (which I am keeping hold off in case the local authority get arsey).

There at lots of families such as police, forces, social services affected by restricted leave, do you think their children should never go on holiday ever? How about your give up your annual holiday and go and help in a school or a Pru. See how ,much of a break that feels like.

Sirzy are you of the opinion that a 'good education' comes only from sitting in a classroom? Of course there are other ways of broadening horizons other than foreign travel. It doesn't follow that foreign travel or domestic travel should be denied.

Why should we be fined because leave restrictions mean we can't take a holiday in the school break?

snowmummy you are still not explaining how your children pointing their skis down a mountain is educationally valuable, which you keep insisting it is! If you don't want to take your DC skiing in the available holidays of Christmas and New Year, February half term or Easter (plenty of opportunities), how do you justify it in term time? The slopes are less busy, well yes, that's because the children are all in school, as it's term time!

If it is quality family time you want surely you get that in the evenings, weekend and school holidays? How is that not enough time?

bowlers like I have said many times, skiing is as valid an educational, physical activity as any other. You explain to me how kicking a ball or hitting a ball with a racquet is educationally valid. They do that in school you know. What exactly do you not understand? Or are you being deliberately obtuse?

I choose to go in term time because its less busy, and less dangerous

Not at all snowmummy. There is plenty of time for other things out of school hours, during weekends and during holidays

YABU
I am not signing.

DragonMamma
How can you book a holiday in September for 10 days and not think about the children being required to be in school?

snowmummy of course playing sport at school is educational. You play a part in a team along with your friends and colleagues. You learn how to be a team player. You learn how to be gracious in victory and sporting in defeat. You learn sharing and sportsmanship ie passing the ball to your teammate so s/he gets the goal and you don't.

Now explain to me how pointing your skis down a slope benefits your DC in an educational way, rather than sort of a holiday-with-your-family sort of way?

We dont get evenings as dp works shifts and that includes evenings and overnight, he only gets one weekend off a month. Is often called in at short notice as he is on rota support. Doesnt get bank holidays, works Xmas etc regularly but yes he should just volunteer in a school on his time off and screw spending time with his own family.

I don't think some people are aware o the reality of lots of jobs, particularly those who do shifts and work in the care system or forces etc.

bowlers hello! is tennis a team sport?

Signed.Ex teacher here who never found a few term time absences a problem.

My parents paid for us to go to France this year with our 8 and 9 year olds(has been a long time as even camping would be waaaay out of our budget).

Omg I was utterly staggered at how beneficial it was- they were entranced.Previous to this they all hated their school French lessons as they didn't get why they were doing it.Half way through twin 1 said "I wish I 'd listened more in a french at school". They picked up masses and learnt loads of history,geog and the culture. Dtwin 2 used to cycle for the bread in the morning himself,speak French and use Euros.

More importantly we had a lovely relaxing time as a family on our foreign adventure.

It makes me bloody angry that so many kids will never get this and some selfish parents want to keep it for themselves whilst others want to deprive children out of envy I guess.

The more kids getting experiences the better,even if mine can't go I have no prob with others taking their kids out.

The sad fact is many of us can't even afford school in secondary so some kids will never go abroad if this rule isn't changed.

I'm a teacher. I won't sign.

Kids get the chance - I'd be sacked if I did the same!

I think it is different in cases where work rotas genuinely don't allow any flexibility for time off in holidays. That is different than "I need to go skiing" type arguments.

snowmummy yes if it's doubles. And when are all practicing together. And hello! why are you avoiding my question?

bowlers can you really not see the educational value of skiing? Can you really not accept that it is as valid a sport as any other (team or otherwise) that is taught in school? Do you not realise that it is on the curriculum in other countries. The only reason it isn't here is because there are not the opportunites. I choose to provide those opportunities for my children. If you are really not able to understand that I am astounded.

Oh and given that my dc don't start real work until next week and the last month of last term was full of DVDs,sheets and sport events they just sat and watched Gove can swivel as I am sooooo taking my 3 out the last week of term next year.

bowlers can you really not see the educational value of skiing? Can you really not accept that it is as valid a sport as any other (team or otherwise) that is taught in school? Do you not realise that it is on the curriculum in other countries. The only reason it isn't here is because there are not the opportunites. I choose to provide those opportunities for my children. If you are really not able to understand that I am astounded.

It isn't a straight choice between being allowed some holidays during term time, and never having a holiday when your children are of school age, though, is it?

You could have no holiday one year, and save up the money to add to the following year's holiday fund, so you could afford to go during the school holidays.

We haven't had a holiday for the past 2 years, and won't get one for another 4 years, whilst we are funding the dses through university - our contribution to their maintenance amounts to £42,000 over 6 years. I know we are lucky we can afford to scrape this money together each year, and we are coping just fine without a holiday.

You can make plenty of good memories with your children without going away - days out etc - what matters is spending time with your children.

I am not definitely not avoiding your question.

Tennis and badminton are also taught as singles. Justify that.