School Term Time Fines

bluenitsuj

Moonchild wrote: »

I find this all quite interesting as I never went abroad when I was at school (in the 90's!) because my parents couldn't afford holiday prices in the holiday times.

That was it, certainly no consideration of taking time off during the term time when it might have been affordable, it certainly wasn't a consideration at any point. This was confirmed by lots of other people my own age. Only the families went abroad because they could afford it!

I believe that overseas travel is often more beneficial to a kids education than school.

However, I do not believe that overseas travel should be a 'right'. This seems to be such a new way of thinking. School should always prioritise over holidays, always. If all parents took the belief that 'I should be able to take my kids out for 10 days during term time' it would cause massive disruption to teaching and schools.

Quite simply if you cannot afford to go away during the school holidays, I do not think you should be allowed to take time off. Why should you have the right to disrupt the status quo? Why does everyone go on about 'they just watch DVD's and have supply teachers' etc - this is just trying to justify to themselves something which is fundamentally wrong. Go to the Lakes or the Peak District instead.

Time off school to go to Disney Land? It's actually an absurd and selfish proposition.

:rotfl: :rotfl:

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, unfortunately yours is very narrow minded and your " because I missed out... so should you" attitude is quite frankly laughable.

I will take my children out of school if I so wish. I myself have family in Africa and South East Asia. You are probably one of those that believe that when it is Summer in England it is also Summer everywhere in the world.

Sometimes it is not practical to go on holiday in the school holidays.

I stated in an earlier post that it should all be on an individual basis rather than a general overall attitude that we are all going off to DisneyLand.

Moonchild

bluenitsuj wrote: »

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, unfortunately yours is very narrow minded and your " because I missed out... so should you" attitude is quite frankly laughable.

It might be narrow minded, but it's not as narrow minded as believing that anyone should have the right to disrupt their and other childrens learn should automatically have the right! To paraphrase numerous bad comedians, it's tantamount to anarchy!

Actually, my opening paragraph could be misunderstood. I actually spent a month every two years in Indonesia from the age of 11, always during the summer school holiday as that is where my dad lived. It was the most amazing, education experience. I would have gone every year, but we all know what happens to flight prices during the school holidays!

I think we should stop being in denial. Taking your kids out of school is inherently selfish. It's not just their education, it's disrupting the planning of their teachers and affects their classmates. Whether you can justify it with the fact the holidays are cheaper (it's you that needs the holiday, not your kids), that it's a better educational experience that being in class (and surely Disneyland is the worst possible example), or you pretend that they would only be watching DVD's put on by supply teachers, that's all fine, whatever you're happy with. We only live once, that's fair, so there is nothing wrong with being immensily selfish. But just don't deny the facts or gloss over the real reasons why kids are being taken out of school.

pulliptears

My experience is very similar to most others here in that the last week before a school holiday my daughter does nothing but watch DVD's!

You keep citing Disneyland as "The Worst possible example" yet a parent rarely travels to any Disney location and stays in the park. I took my kids to Disney (over the summer holidays I add) and in the 3 weeks we were in California we spent a total of 4 days in Disney, the rest of the time was spent exploring California, Nevada and Arizona. I can tell you now out of my daughters entire school she is the only one that has ever stood on the south rim of the Grand Canyon and she can tell you all about the area, animals that live there and how it was formed. Now that was an education.

Topdogfran

we took our two boys to America (3 days in NY, then 2 weeks around Orlando, including NASA and the weird upside down house on I Drive).

They were both at the same school, one was given permission, one wasn't. The one who was given permission, wasn't allowed to take the class mascot to record the trip, the one who wasn't given permission, was allowed to take the class mascot. Guess which one was actually studying America as part of their cirriculum?

Yep - the one who wasn't given permission...............

richardw

Wonder how many teachers who refuse holidays don't understand the Physics of how an aeroplane flies?

PolishBigSpender

Whatever happened to the parents being the authority over the child?

In Poland, if you want to go on holiday, you tell the school that you're going and that's that. Obviously it's wise to make sure that the child doesn't go at the end of semester tests - but apart from that, you simply tell the school that the child will be away for two weeks and that's the final word.

Nanny state, I believe?

pulliptears

richardw wrote: »

Wonder how many teachers who refuse holidays don't understand the Physics of how an aeroplane flies?

That was the other thing, when we flew in to L.A the flight was all Americans, and because we flew into the much smaller John Wayne Airport rather than LAX we were a bit of a novelty to cabin crew being English.
One lovely flight attendant regularly pointed things out on the ground to DD, like mountain ranges and the ground was littered with big circular things that DD learned were for irrigation. Completely fascinating.

Moonchild

pulliptears wrote: »

Thats where I disagree, given that the locations for Disneyland are Los Angeles, Florida, Paris and Japan I feel there is much to be gained from visiting these countries.

Different cultures, currencies and food are all educational.

I completely agree with everything you write, especially the last bit.

But many people don't make it past the front door of Disneyland.

Considering how stunningly beautiful parts of Florida are, how amazing the history is, and the environmental lessons that can be learnt from development there are far more interesting sights away from the park.

For anyone going to Disneyland Florida, this is great educational reading, especially the part about the death penalty. Oh, it's by a local writer, not some pie in the sky hippy!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Team-Rodent-Library-Contemporary-Thought/dp/0345422805/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232026217&sr=1-21

Rosie75

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

Whatever happened to the parents being the authority over the child?

In Poland, if you want to go on holiday, you tell the school that you're going and that's that. Obviously it's wise to make sure that the child doesn't go at the end of semester tests - but apart from that, you simply tell the school that the child will be away for two weeks and that's the final word.

Nanny state, I believe?

No one is saying the parents aren't in charge of the child, nor is the child being forcibly kept in school. The school simply levies a fine for unauthorised absence. I think this is fair enough, given that the state pays for a child's education - those costs are still incurred whether the child is in school or on holiday during term time. Why should taxpayers be expected to pay for a child's education during a period when its parents have chosen to take him or her on holiday? This is the same principle whereby I, as a university lecturer, am asked to keep a record of my students' attendance, since they too (despite their belief that their fees entirely cover the cost of their education) are subsided by the government, a right which they can lose should they not maintain regular attendance.

pulliptears

Moonchild wrote: »

I completely agree with everything you write, especially the last bit.

But many people don't make it past the front door of Disneyland.

Considering how stunningly beautiful parts of Florida are, how amazing the history is, and the environmental lessons that can be learnt from development there are far more interesting sights away from the park.

For anyone going to Disneyland Florida, this is great educational reading, especially the part about the death penalty. Oh, it's by a local writer, not some pie in the sky hippy!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Team-Rodent-Library-Contemporary-Thought/dp/0345422805/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232026217&sr=1-21

That book looks very interesting! I do intend to visit Florida one day, having visited California twice now I would like to experience the East Coast, though mainly for the Everglades and NASA rather than Disneyland.