MMD: Should you take the kids out of school for a holiday?

qjess

I'm a primary school teacher - at present I teach Year 1 but have taught all primary ages.

I think it's ridiculous that parents can't take their children on holiday during term time - family time is very important and many parents just cannot take time out during the school holidays.

I would say that any more than 2 weeks is a bad idea as is taking time out in September when a child joins a new class. In addition, if a child has special educational needs and is already behind with their learning then missing 2 weeks would have a detrimental impact on their learning.

The cost of holidays during school hols is ridiculous - my husband and I had to pay an extra £700 EACH to go to The Maldives for 10 days last Easter!!!! - Yes teachers get a lot of holiday (50% spent preparing for school) but we can usually only afford to go away in alternate years!

If people were allowed to take their children out for a max of 2 weeks perhaps it would help spread the demand.

The only thing I would say that it should be up to the parents to provide any "work" for their children on holidays rather than teachers having to provide "work sheets" - as this is no longer how children are taught while they're in school so it would mean extra work!

rob467

My wife and I have taken our kids out of school to go on holiday, but we don't take it lightly. Sometimes it enables you to give your children experiences that they may not be able to get otherwise. For example, we took our children skiing a week before the official Easter holiday began and saved 40% of the costs. Our children gained from experiences with mixing with other foreign children and learning about the local culture.

Loss in education is debatable. I can see difficulties with taking a 2 week break, as this would have an effect on continuity. A week, I'm not so sure, this can be caught up pretty quickly.

What I would really like to see is the different LEAs altering the term start/end dates and shifting half terms around a bit more. Would it make a difference if half term was the first or last week of February?

purpledaffodil

Children who are taken off on holiday like that are invariably "on holiday" in their minds for weeks before and after the actual holiday. They disrupt their own learning and that of those around them. Their parents will usually salve their own consciences by asking for "holiday homework" which is almost never done- how often have you seen children practising their reading on the beach?. Any family bonding can be done during school holidays surely? Foreign holidays are not the basic human right that some people seem to assume.

And yes of course I am a teacher who managed to have very rewarding holidays with my three children- we may have been in a tent in France or Devon and not all inclusive in Majorca but we enjoyed them.

aplegjnf

FloFlo wrote: »

I think we should bring back the responsibilities of parents many now think its only the school and teachers jobs to educate their children including teaching them how to dress and how to hold a knife and fork. I seriously doubt any teacher would promote that education of children should only take place during school hours all the teachers I know would love more support from parents.

Whether a childs education is harmed by being taken out of school for holidays completely depends on the child. The children who seem to be out the most are those that need lots of support with their learning - none of which comes from home. I am not saying that the holidays caused this but that they don't help if the child has learning needs that only the school are supporting.

FloFlo
I think we arealmost saying the same thing:p
I am just questioning how we got to this point, and my conclusion is the increased nanny state; as i said: parents are increasingly being undermined in their skills, including (keepin it on topic) being told that they are not able to discern if it is appropriate to take their children outof school for a 2wk holiday. In my opinion,some of the responses fromteachers on here have goneto perpetuate that falacy.We know if anyone is told something often enough, they will eventually believe it.Hence I believe because parents have been told only professionals can educate their children, they don't think they have any input; that goes right down to teaching them to eat! Of course there are other social problems that impact on parenting too.

As I said before, I know there are uncaring parents who are not even thinking about their childrens needs when booking a holiday; but I would give the benefit of the doubt to most ofthem.
BWs
P.

megsimmy

Very topical for me at the mo as my little one's school (max age of 7!) has just banned ALL term time hols. I have a 12 year old too and have only taken her out for 2 days in all her school life so I don't really like the idea BUT we're being ripped off by holiday firms. I know many say cost shouldn't be the reason but I just can't afford holidays in peak periods. Holidays abroad are invaluable life experience for children and I do believe there are some things you can't learn in a classroom. I wouldn't deliberately look for term time hols but if one overlapped into a term I wouldn't say no. We have a big family holiday in December which eats into the term by a week - even the senior school head is ok with it, so how can an infant school head get all heavy about these things? I think discretion should be used by the heads instead of one rule for all I'm afraid. Does anyone know where we stand legally on this, as my local county council won't give me a straight answer!

HalfPint

barrwalk wrote: »

Here we go again. "It's education of a different sort". What nonsense! The kids don't know if it's BLACKPOOL or Barcelona. They are not involved in the culture for the most part.
When oh when will school be the most important part of a childs life in our country.

My kids know the difference between Blackpool & Barcelona, cause I take the time to teach them. Culture can be found almost anywhere if you look hard enough.

As other have said, life is an education and it's not all about what is learned between 9 and 3 term time. Life is also about having fun and a good balance of both = happy children & happy parents.

FloFlo

aplegjnf wrote: »

FloFlo
I think we arealmost saying the same thing:p
I am just questioning how we got to this point, and my conclusion is the increased nanny state; as i said: parents are increasingly being undermined in their skills, including (keepin it on topic) being told that they are not able to discern if it is appropriate to take their children outof school for a 2wk holiday. In my opinion,some of the responses fromteachers on here have goneto perpetuate that falacy.We know if anyone is told something often enough, they will eventually believe it.Hence I believe because parents have been told only professionals can educate their children, they don't think they have any input; that goes right down to teaching them to eat! Of course there are other social problems that impact on parenting too.

As I said before, I know there are uncaring parents who are not even thinking about their childrens needs when booking a holiday; but I would give the benefit of the doubt to most ofthem.
BWs
P.

Its just so frustrating I work so hard to support the children who need extra support and the parents make all the right noises, do absolutely nothing to help and then take them out of school more than once in a school year for holidays. I am a worrier and I can't believe some parents are so blaise about their children's education. Children who don't need extra support I have no problem with taking term time holidays. Some days the less in the better, lol.;)

aplegjnf

FloFlo wrote: »

Children who don't need extra support I have no problem with taking term time holidays. Some days the less in the better, lol.;)

FloFlo, we definitately *are* saying the same thing now:rotfl: :rotfl:

pbeswick

Typical teachers reply from Fudgecat! How many holidays do you get a year again? whilst the parents are still working and now finding alternative arrangements to look after their children! Where does this pathetic government help there? But yet we cannot take our kids out of term time. Well i'd quite happily take my kids out of school in term time for the simple reason that my Job only allows me 2 weeks leave a year, after that I don't get paid. So I'm not being told by any teacher, welfare officer or idiot education minister that I can't take my kids on holidays when I want to and not when I'm told to. I finished school 20 years ago and I thought we lived in a free country?
I always tell my children that we will be going away on the understanding that they catch up when they return within a week. I feel this teaches a child a kind of responsibility and a goal to work under slight pressure(which exam time brings) and lets face it the state of society now, does this curriculum really teach our kids about everyday life? My eldest girl who is 13 can't even do simple sums without using a calculator, I find that astonishing. I end up teaching my kids after school so they can understand what they are supposed to do, so is missing 10 days of school really that bad? No definately not as long as the parent is responsible enough to set their child a goal and for the child to accomplish it within the set time limit.

FloFlo

No teacher will tell you that you can't take your child out of school it isn't up to them, they may advise if your child has additional educational needs but its up to the parents to prioritise. How do children catch up the next week if the rest of the class has moved on or do you expect the teacher you are running down to do this in their own time. You're stating that you take your children out of school for holidays and they can catch this time up in a week, then you say your daughter can't do simple sums?