Term-Time Holiday

[Itsthejoeker]

People were also being denied days off to attend funerals or have a day off before they start cancer treatment.

[Jon the Hat]

You of course should be free to decide what is best for your kids.  However you should not be free to decide to do something which impacts the schooling of everyone else's kids, and teachers having to help your kids catch up for missed time at school will do that.  It is a selfish thing to do, and it should be punished.

 

Ref funerals and days off for cancer treatment, clearly a totally different situation. 

[kingcarr21]

You of course should be free to decide what is best for your kids.  However you should not be free to decide to do something which impacts the schooling of everyone else's kids, and teachers having to help your kids catch up for missed time at school will do that.  It is a selfish thing to do, and it should be punished.

 

Ref funerals and days off for cancer treatment, clearly a totally different situation. 

 Kids can be given the work that they will miss to take with them. Thats what happened to me and it never did me any harm. Then if there were any questions i had or there was more work to do then i was given it as extra homework so as to not disturb the rest of the class. I will ensure that my children put in the effort to catch up during there own time. Simple solution is to make holidays cheaper during school holidays but this will never happen.

[Jon the Hat]

 Kids can be given the work that they will miss to take with them. Thats what happened to me and it never did me any harm. Then if there were any questions i had or there was more work to do then i was given it as extra homework so as to not disturb the rest of the class. I will ensure that my children put in the effort to catch up during there own time. Simple solution is to make holidays cheaper during school holidays but this will never happen.

 

Well done you.  What about the idiots who wont take it seriously?

[cambridgefox]

Not doing it this year as my youngest is taking his SATS and then off to senior school ,and my eldest is taking her options,so an important time for them both,however in the past I have taken them out for skiing and Thailand.on all occasions I have taken them out the last week of term when things seem to " slow down" I have never been fined,probably because I always word it as an educational trip to Asia/France etc.My daughter could have gone on a school trip to Asterix theme park (France)with the school a couple of weeks before us skiing in France,I know which trip she would speak more French on.It's about timings in my opinion,which causes least disruption to all.Not being boastful but Thai holiday 8k,skiing each year 5k ,a few hundred quid would be nothing compared to adding over a grand in price in the holidays.However as I'm an awkward sod and they have taken 1 strike day and are planning another I would of course pro rata the fine.Not having a go at teachers but I think that's fair.

My daughter has had 0 days off since September and my son 1.

[kingcarr21]

Well done you.  What about the idiots who wont take it seriously?

Well then thats there problem, As far as im concerned the parents should agree with the school that there child will do any work the school sets them so as to not fall behind and if they fail to do it whilst on holiday then they should be fined. If parents are willing to get there kids to do the work whilst on holiday then they shouldnt be punished.

 

And yes well done me for wanting to make sure my kids get the best of both

[Jon the Hat]

Well then thats there problem, As far as im concerned the parents should agree with the school that there child will do any work the school sets them so as to not fall behind and if they fail to do it whilst on holiday then they should be fined. If parents are willing to get there kids to do the work whilst on holiday then they shouldnt be punished.

 

And yes well done me for wanting to make sure my kids get the best of both

 

Being a bit facetious, but the fact is not everyone will take it as seriously as you or I would, and hence our kids suffer as a consequence and overall standards will drop.

[kingcarr21]

Being a bit facetious, but the fact is not everyone will take it as seriously as you or I would, and hence our kids suffer as a consequence and overall standards will drop.

which is a shame as i believe every parent should want there kids to be the best they can be but i suppose there are some strange individuals out there.

 

Not too worried bout my son yet as hes only 2 months old and he going to be leicester star striker when hes older anyway

[Haydos]

How come school field trips can be deemed educational but not family holidays?

 

Because going to a museum is obviously more educational than going to a beach in Spain....

[kingcarr21]

Because going to a museum is obviously more educational than going to a beach in Spain....

i dont know about that. You take kids to beach in benidorm you can learn about contraception and smoking

[Itsthejoeker]

Because going to a museum is obviously more educational than going to a beach in Spain....

 

When I was at secondary, there was a school trip to Greece for the year 11's, every year, for the past 20 or so years. They go to three museums in the week, and the rest of it is spent on the beach in the day, and getting pissed in the evening. 

 

Real educational...

 

Plus the Skiing trips sold on "foreign language" and Florida trips for god knows what.

 

So what about the children who can't get on these trips? Do they just not have a week off?

[cambridgefox]

Because going to a museum is obviously more educational than going to a beach in Spain....

But a 3 day trip to Asterix theme park where you hang about with your mates and have 1 day in the park is classed as educational ,whereas going skiing in France,going to ski school with the majority of kids being French,parents making them order in French and reading signs is not.You see it all depends where you go and how your parents as individuals act.My daughter would have learnt much more skiing than a theme park guaranteed,however if we had gone to Disneyland with no cultural or language barrier I see your point.its swings and roundabouts.

[Haydos]

When I was at secondary, there was a school trip to Greece for the year 11's, every year, for the past 20 or so years. They go to three museums in the week, and the rest of it is spent on the beach in the day, and getting pissed in the evening. 

 

Real educational...

 

Plus the Skiing trips sold on "foreign language" and Florida trips for god knows what.

 

So what about the children who can't get on these trips? Do they just not have a week off?

 

So they still went to 3 pretty cultural and education places in a week.

 

The thing is, these trips don't disrupt the kids learning. They're planned into the curriculum. It's not just each kid taking loads of different weeks off.

 

But a 3 day trip to Asterix theme park where you hang about with your mates and have 1 day in the park is classed as educational ,whereas going skiing in France,going to ski school with the majority of kids being French,parents making them order in French and reading signs is not.You see it all depends where you go and how your parents as individuals act.My daughter would have learnt much more skiing than a theme park guaranteed,however if we had gone to Disneyland with no cultural or language barrier I see your point.its swings and roundabouts.

 

I guess some children's holidays are going to be more beneficial than others. I agree, there's going to be loads of scenarios but the one that stays the same is the one I just mentioned above about the school trips being organised.

[davieG]

Ski company offers to pay school holiday fines

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-26561435

[Rincewind]

Sort of beats the purpose of the fines. Another way of offering a discount but hoping to attract those that do not see it as that.

[cambridgefox]

Sort of beats the purpose of the fines. Another way of offering a discount but hoping to attract those that do not see it as that.

its a very clever piece of marketing.Free media cover and I wish them all the best.

[The Doctor]

You of course should be free to decide what is best for your kids. However you should not be free to decide to do something which impacts the schooling of everyone else's kids, and teachers having to help your kids catch up for missed time at school will do that. It is a selfish thing to do, and it should be punished.

Ref funerals and days off for cancer treatment, clearly a totally different situation.

The rare time I will agree with a tory - taking a holiday during term time and dragging your kids out of school for it is very much a selfish act. Ruining their education and causing other students to have their education compromised getting your kids back up to speed so you can save a couple hundred quid is not on. You don't have to have a holiday abroad, so arguments about having to pull your kids out doesn't hold water.

[ADK]

Hopefully if I have kids, by that time I'll have earned enough money that being fined by the nanny state won't be a factor in deciding when and where to go on holiday.

[cambridgefox]

The rare time I will agree with a tory - taking a holiday during term time and dragging your kids out of school for it is very much a selfish act. Ruining their education and causing other students to have their education compromised getting your kids back up to speed so you can save a couple hundred quid is not on. You don't have to have a holiday abroad, so arguments about having to pull your kids out doesn't hold water.

Depends when you take them out and What you are doing.

[The Doctor]

Hopefully if I have kids, by that time I'll have earned enough money that being fined by the nanny state won't be a factor in deciding when and where to go on holiday.

The nanny state? Absolutely absurd comment - this isn't nannying, it's for the good of the country in the future - education, particularly science education, will be key in keeping us at the cutting edge. It strikes me though that you're the sort of person against this. One happy to disrupt a childs education for your own leisure, but set to moan about how teachers are shit when the kids start falling behind the rest of the world.

Cf - it does depend on what they're doing, yes, but let's not pretend that the kids are being pulled out of school for museum trips, it'll be for a cheap, foreign beach holiday most of the time

[ADK]

The nanny state? Absolutely absurd comment - this isn't nannying, it's for the good of the country in the future - education, particularly science education, will be key in keeping us at the cutting edge. It strikes me though that you're the sort of person against this. One happy to disrupt a childs education for your own leisure, but set to moan about how teachers are shit when the kids start falling behind the rest of the world.

Cf - it does depend on what they're doing, yes, but let's not pretend that the kids are being pulled out of school for museum trips, it'll be for a cheap, foreign beach holiday most of the time

 

I think you're wrong on most counts. Yes it is the nanny state, trying to take power away from parents. I think that is very nanny like. I'm a liberal, so that means trying to work from a point of personal freedom and then applying sensible constraints. I believe a holiday with family is likely to be more beneficial to a child than time spent at school, so long as it is done sparingly and not a critical time in the child's education.  (ie during exams).

[cambridgefox]

The nanny state? Absolutely absurd comment - this isn't nannying, it's for the good of the country in the future - education, particularly science education, will be key in keeping us at the cutting edge. It strikes me though that you're the sort of person against this. One happy to disrupt a childs education for your own leisure, but set to moan about how teachers are shit when the kids start falling behind the rest of the world.

Cf - it does depend on what they're doing, yes, but let's not pretend that the kids are being pulled out of school for museum trips, it'll be for a cheap, foreign beach holiday most of the time

Perhaps I'm different ,I've done it 3 times,all last week of term skiing x 2 and Thailand.Kids are with French kids and do speak a little and we do make them speak it in shops etcThailand was so educational,yes there was a bit of beach,but I can't just Lay down sunning.Temples,jungle treks,plantations a Thai boxing!!

[Strokes]

Because going to a museum is obviously more educational than going to a beach in Spain....

Obviously but who says you are going to the beach every day? When we were kids we used to go see landmarks, museums, tours along with a few days at the beach. I learnt more at a week on holiday than a month studying a rigid curriculum. Travel is one of the most educational things you can do, we don't all laze about on beaches and waste out time off.

[Haydos]

Obviously but who says you are going to the beach every day? When we were kids we used to go see landmarks, museums, tours along with a few days at the beach. I learnt more at a week on holiday than a month studying a rigid curriculum. Travel is one of the most educational things you can do, we don't all laze about on beaches and waste out time off.

 

I have put in another post I think that it's a blanket statement but I really don't think what you've put is the case most of the time. I agree with your sentiment, just not that it exists in most cases

[davieG]

Perhaps if parents were to produce a planned itinery of educational content then they should be given permission at agreed times