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.

"The lack of self awareness on this thread is amazing."

Boo hoo.

Depends whether you have a child with sn/sen or not I guess marmalade.
Reported.

I am truly stunned at some of the responses on here. So most of you are happy to have the government dictate that you must not take your child out of school for a limited amount of time each year for a family holiday.

The new rules are based on the premise that every day of missed school is a missed learning opportunity. How arrogant to assume that it is only schools that are educating children. My children are also educated by me with all the enrichment activities we do on holidays and elsewhere. Education is not confined to the activities that take place inside the four walls of a classrroom.

We like to take our children out of school to go skiing each year. Its educational, skiing is physical education but schools do not have the means to teach it so why can't we choose to? Yes, I could take them during holidays. The main reason we don't is to do with safety - the slopes are dangerously busy.

Travelling, anywhere, broadens horizons and is inherently educational. It should be encouraged.

I love the responses banging on about how 'we coped without a holiday when we were kids'. What a ridiculous argument. Things move on. We learn. Do you really want your children to miss oppurtunites just because you coped without?

Take time off if you want. Take as much as you want!

Only:
Don't ask for work to take away. You won't do it and your child needs to learn it in class really.
Don't expect me to repeat work missed.
Try not to go in April/May as I'm trying to get assessments done.

The head having discression is hardly the same as a blanket everyone can have ten days off. I imagine most heads were given a decent explain action of why the child needed to be off. I also imagine the word no was used a few times.

I am lucky enough to have been taken on holidays by my parents as a child and I'm not in favour of the old policy.

I just think if you want something you either have to A) be able to afford it B) save up for it or C) you cut your cloth accordingly. I am currently saving up to take dd to Florida. She is 2.5 and I plan on going when she is 8/9. If I was prepared to take her out of school to do it I'm sure it would save me a fortune but I don't think it's right to do that. I'm also not prepared to go into debt to do it.

Signed :)

Simple, as far as I know, means low on intelligence/not very bright.

Are teachers allowed to take time off in term time - like the week before GCSEs or SATs or the 11+ ?

If they are not, why are the pupils ?

Get a life.
Its only between the age of 4 and 17

Panzee you're a teacher? You think learning is confined to the classroom? Are you bothered about a child holistically, his/her life opportunities or are you just bothered about the curriculum you have to get through and the impact holidays have on you?

Oh FFS.

Its only between the ages of 4-17. Oh yeah just most of their childhood. How dare they have opportunities other than those offered in the classroom.

The LEA don't give a shiny shit if your kid misses a week out of the curriculum. They aren't worried about any impact on future education. They are worried about OFSTED reports. They don't give a shit about your child.

Exactly how is a skiing holiday educational snowmummy? Apart from the fact you learn to ski. Hardly an essential skill, I would have thought.

You have hit the nail on the head whenshewasbad. its about choice. you can choose to take the child out of school hols or choose to take them in school hols. you can balance it up and come to a decision. many, many people cannot. they are like me, cant take hols in school holiday time or they work for an employer where they are allocated the dates for their holidays with no discretion. I now have no choice. I cannot take a family holiday with my DH and children.

If they arent educational, why do schools go on skiing trips

Bowlersarm - surprised you need to ask really. Its as educational as any other activity they do in Physical Education. How is football/rounders/tennis an essential skill.

Just so I'm clear, it is now offensive to tell someone that they're coming across as a bit thick?

Thanks for the heads up.

and actually you get to learn a lot of scienec skiing with the right family, geography, DS was learning about ferry ports from a book, but it isnt educational to learn it in Real Life

Our school only have ski trips in holiday time. Because it isn't educational, I should imagine.

I've stated my view. Take what holiday you want but don't moan if - and only if - you miss out on a vital part of the curriculum.

oh well said medhand.. skiing trips, enrichment week (waste of bloody time week at our schools) school sports day, training for DoE, I could go on.

Skiing is as educational as any other sport or physical activity some of which are available in schools!

Skiing is as educational as any other sport or physical activity some of which are available in schools!