Term-Time Holiday

[Soar Fox]

I've not got any children myself, but how do people with children feel about this.

http://news.sky.com/story/1195816/term-time-holiday-fine-parents-ordered-to-pay

[ozleicester]

Beyond a joke, the state is close to taking complete control over children. Childcare, enforced immunisation, forced schooling, withdrawal of benefits for non compliance.

 

If you sit back and let the government raise your kids... you get what you deserve.

 

Its time families took a step back and decided whats more important another house, another holiday or the upbringing of your kids, One parent should be staying at home instead of chasing the $ and leaving the almost complete education of their kids to the state.

[Leicester_Loyal]

Its time families took a step back and decided whats more important another house, another holiday or the upbringing of your kids, One parent should be staying at home instead of chasing the $ and leaving the almost complete education of their kids to the state.

 

Sorry but most families need to have both parents working in order to keep up a standard of living. I know for a fact that if one of my parents lost their job, we'd have to make serious cutbacks in order to afford the mortgage on the house.

[FoxesAreBlue]

I don't have kids but a bloke at work was telling me that to take his wife and 2 kids to Greece at the start of the summer holidays was £2000 for flights alone. Take them three days earlier and it dropped to £800 for the flights. I'm sorry but that is a fvcking joke, the airlines should stop being a complete rip off.

[MooseBreath]

Missing a week of school is hardly the end of the world.

I wonder what message this sends to the kids themselves? Your parents don't really own you, we own you

[Mickey O'Neil]

I don't have kids but a bloke at work was telling me that to take his wife and 2 kids to Greece at the start of the summer holidays was £2000 for flights alone. Take them three days earlier and it dropped to £800 for the flights. I'm sorry but that is a fvcking joke, the airlines should stop being a complete rip off.

That's what Skegness was invented for!!!!!!!

Seriously though, I understand where parents are coming from with price hikes at certain times in this country (just like weddings when you want some £15 flowers...you tell the florist they're for a wedding and all of a sudden, the price triples). I'd be pi$$ed off if I'd booked before the law changed and got a fine. That all said, I don't think we should allow kids to miss school.

[jonthefox]

The last week before a holiday they do bugger all at school anyway. Its just another tax on hard workers if you ask me.

[linemakers]

I work in the sports marking industry, and our busy time is when schools are on holiday and during the summer. The school my youngest has been good regarding this but the last time they did say they could not authorise my holiday. However they did not report to the council so I did not get a fine. I don't know how they will be next time so it could mean the end of our family holiday or I take a fine

[cambridgefox]

Priced up Greece in August £4000!!!

Can do Sri Lanka for that 4 of us.Anybody been?

Take the kids out of school week before half term usually for skiing as they don't do too much that week.Apart from that stick to hols,although with the daughter now taking options I might bite the financial bullet.however,the school closed for a strike the other term so I will pro rata my fine accordingly if it occurs!

[Guest MattP]

Priced up Greece in August £4000!!!

Can do Sri Lanka for that 4 of us.Anybody been?

Yeah I went to Colombo and Galle last year, absolutely beautiful.

A bit run down obviously but the nicest people you will meet and it's so cheap it's ridiculous.

[Harry - LCFC]

So why didn't they go in the summer holidays? The parents were quite capable of picking a time that didn't overlap the school term and didn't - would've been very easy to have their holiday and maintain attendance. Sends a bad message to the children too.

 

I wouldn't fine them for it but I'm not impressed by their behaviour at all.

[FoxesAreBlue]

Ting is his kids are so young that missing a few fus at the end of summer is going to mean fvck all.

As someone who grafts for a living and can afford (the cheaper - non rip off flights) then I don't see what the problem is. He certainly won't take them to shitty Skeggy.

[Alexikokopops]

Ting is his kids are so young that missing a few fus at the end of summer is going to mean fvck all.

As someone who grafts for a living and can afford (the cheaper - non rip off flights) then I don't see what the problem is. He certainly won't take them to shitty Skeggy.

 

Woah woah WOAH. Leave Skeggy out of this

[Ric Flair]

This is farcical, i'd just tell the school that all my kids have got the shits for a week. Sue me.

 

I've got similar problems as my missus only gets holiday during school holidays as she works in the industry and I priced up a little weeks gig somewhere fairly warm for February half term and I was astounded. A week in Egypt where it's currently only 21 degrees is £700 each but a week before or a week later and it's about £250.

 

Cuba and Mexico and you're talking over £1000 per person but about £400 less if you went a week either side.

 

I dread to think what it's like in the summer.

 

My kids are gonna be well thick

[hairy]

Because my kids had such a good attendance we were never discouraged to take them out for holidays if we needed to. We were always told that it was not a problem. We never took them out for a week but for three days at most.

 

I do however think that if you take the kids out for holidays etc they will start to think attending school is not important and will be more likely to bunk off later in their education.

[Raj]

There would be outcry if teachers started taking holidays during term time!!!

As a parent and married to a teacher i can see both arguments...but its up to parents what's more important...education or a week in mAjorca!!!!!

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

I can see it from both sides, but personally I side with the law

• The airlines and holiday companies do take the piss a bit with off-term prices, but they're entitled to as it's supply and demand. More demand means you charge more and seats/rooms will still be filled where other times of the year small losses are easier to recuperate.
• The parents should be aware that paying extra for holidays is one of the cons of having children, which is a choice you make that isn't forced upon you by anyone else. If you can't afford the extra costs of going abroad during designated holidays, then you still have options: go somewhere more local; go less often; go wherever the f*** you want whenever the f*** you like - chances are you won't go to court. Just don't make a big deal of it if you are fined.

The same rules apply to everyone who use the public-paid schools system. It's pretty fair to ask everyone to follow the same rules

[davieG]

It'll only get worseif you've got kids going to different schools when schools in the same area will be allowed to set up their own term times,

[Brenfox]

For some families though it's the difference between having a holiday & not having one. Low income families simply cannot afford to pay the over inflated prices.

[Dan]

Disgraceful. I wouldn't pay that either.

 

I wouldn't be completely against having an annual leave system like they have for workplaces to be honest.

 

Always said it's more important how much is actually learned in the hours you're there, rather than how many hours you're there for. If they can catch up with their then fair play - if not, suffer the consequences.

[Jon the Hat]

For some families though it's the difference between having a holiday & not having one. Low income families simply cannot afford to pay the over inflated prices.

No, it is the difference between having a foreign holiday and not having one.  You can get a holiday very cheaply in the UK.  The sun offer holidays for £10.

I think once you get to school it is unacceptable to take kids out without authorisation.

[Soar Fox]

No, it is the difference between having a foreign holiday and not having one. You can get a holiday very cheaply in the UK. The sun offer holidays for £10.

I think once you get to school it is unacceptable to take kids out without authorisation.

Have you seen the terms & conditions for them Sun holidays?

After just having a quick look it would be cheaper for a family of 4 to go abroad than have a week at centre parcs.

[Raj]

There's cheaperoptipns for holidays in this country you know...its what we Dudu for 3 years when our eldest was an infant

[ozleicester]

no one seems to consider the value of holidays to children, the best education anyone can get is experiencing the world, seeing other cultures.

 

Fvcking shitty little governments ramming standardised curriculum (curricula?) that fit their current  ideology down kids throats isnt education anyway.

 

fvck you school and government. I WILL decide what is best for my child!

[leicsmac]

no one seems to consider the value of holidays to children, the best education anyone can get is experiencing the world, seeing other cultures.

 

Fvcking shitty little governments ramming standardised curriculum (curricula?) that fit their current  ideology down kids throats isnt education anyway.

 

fvck you school and government. I WILL decide what is best for my child!

 

You see here, I'm caught between thinking "another pushy gobshite parent with no idea of the education system thinking they know best" and "he's bang on about seeing culture and government influence in education".