School declined holidays and branded the kids truants

malkie76

That they miss something they'll never be able to repeat in the same fashion. Could be something completely random which plays an important part in later life. It's just not worth the risk.

I refuse to tell you how run your life nor be drawn on your personal circumstances and life choices. It's none if my business, and runs the risk of pulling the debated points into personal ones.

thommy

malkie76 wrote: »

Whats the other POV ? If something 100% avoidable, then why risk it?

wouldn't it be interesting if we put that principle to the test by, let's say, crossing the road.
okay everyone, there is a calculated risk that you will be knocked down if you choose to cross the road. however, the good news is that this is 100% avoidable. so, please, for goodness sake, do not cross the road tomorrow.
should be interesting, everyone stuck at the pavement's edge....wonder if the world will still go round...sorry, malkie, you need to read back through the thread. you, with respect, are deluding yourself if you think nobody is coming up with anything to counter your principal argument.it's there, in black and white, with a bit of green thrown in for good measure. you just choose not to see it because, rightly or wrongly, you are entrenched in this one principle.
there. i've lost the will to live. i'm leaving this thread now. my education didn't prepare me for it. i'm damaged goods....

poet123

malkie76 wrote: »

That they miss something they'll never be able to repeat in the same fashion. Could be something completely random which plays an important part in later life. It's just not worth the risk.

I refuse to tell you how run your life nor be drawn on your personal circumstances and life choices. It's none if my business, and runs the risk of pulling the debated points into personal ones.

Would you mind addressing the points in my post please?

malkie76

Sorry, what did I miss, and I'll attempt to clarify.

poet123

poet123 wrote: »

You also failed to address a direct question, which was do you have experience which would give you something to back up your confident assertion that a child is harmed educationally by having a term time holiday?

poet123 wrote: »

Surely life is about the risk v benefit calculation? as a parent (which I assume you are, being that you make such confident assertions that you have the definitive answer to a parental dilemma) we weigh up risk to our kids every day, and decide where, on balance the risk actually lies, or even if there is a risk.

Do we allow them to walk to school, or take them by car to ensure they arrive safely? do we allow them to go on a school trip (is Alton Towers educational enough to take the risk of harm for?) etcetc.

So, imo, and from a postion of strength (having had 3 graduates go through the system and come to no great harm from my parental risk v benefit calculation) the risk of harm coming to the educational achievement of my child by having a well timed term time holiday is negligable, and one I am perfectly willing to accept when weighed against the holistic benefit of travel to my child,to places which may be out of reach at peak price time.

Nobody is failing to see what you contend, we just disagree with the contention, and wonder at your inability to see the other side of the coin, or provide any supporting evidence that the risk is "actual" and not simply "perceived". ....from experience.

malkie76 wrote: »

Sorry, what did I miss, and I'll attempt to clarify.

The issues and points contained in the two quoted posts above.:D

malkie76

Sorry, but I've already clearly addressed the point in the first quote.

The second quote is offtopic fluff - there's no relevence in your questions to the discussion at hand. However, purely to humour you; there is no benefit to taking children out of school, whereas there are obvious benefits to walking to school or a trip to Alton Towers (of course not all parents will agree the risk is acceptable).

Where's the benefit of taking your child out of school?

spiro

Given that the cost difference is not going to change between term and holiday time because the same happens across all of europe then people with children are going to have to pay more unfortunately.

If children keep get taken out of schools for holidays I can imagine that what will happen is that the fines will slowly increase until the point that they wipe out any saving.

There were plans to even out the school holidays over the year over the period of a few years so that each main break and each half term were of the same length and evenly spaced. This will reduce the summer holiday to a maximum of 5-6 weeks with more time off at xmas and easter holidays. If and when this happens this will only increase the cost differential because of the shorten period.

vodkachick68

kelloggs36 wrote: »

What is wrong with saving up over a longer period - ie going the following year? The places aren't going anywhere!

Because myself and my husband work very hard all year and feel that we deserve a ONCE a year family holiday! If that means that we take our kids out of school then so be it.

vodkachick68

malkie76 wrote: »

There are no positives - certainly none which have been raised in this thread. If you disagree please highlight the positives which cannot be achieved during the school holidays.



Complete nonsense. If you disagree then please provide specific examples.



Can you please highligh the post where I claimed that a childs education would definitely be harmed by taking them out of school. All I've posted is that there is a risk, and surely any risk, no matter how small is not worth taking when your childs education is the subject.

You do disagree, are you comfortable taking risks with your childs future?

I keep repeating myself as no one is getting the simple point here - leave your child in school, then take them on holiday during the school holidays. If that isn't a financial option every year then consider going on holiday every other year.



What figures or statistics is this claim based on? I'd be interested in reading more if there are studies which prove that term time holidays have no impact on the future abilities and successes of school children. If you don't have such figures or statistics then you can't really make that claim.




Why are so many people struggling to grasp the simple point I'm making? Why take any risk where your child is concerned? Why not stick to summer holidays ? I'm failing to see any counter arguement there in the slightest.

To be honest i don't have any statistics to base my claim on. All i will say is that my kids are now 14 and 10. When they were younger (daughter now at secondary school) i used to take them out in termtime with the schools permission. Luckily the headmistress was quite flexible with this and understood why some parents may need to holiday in termtime. My daughter and son are both doing very well at school and have NOT suffered at all by us taking them out for 2 weeks for a family holiday. I certainly would not do this if either child had exams or long term sickness record. As i have mentioned before my reasoning for taking them out in termtime was financial and i don't feel guilty about this. I could not afford the extra £1000 it costs to go in the school holidays,and i feel that myself and my husband both work very hard for our money and we all needed a family holiday ONCE a year!

Zazen999

malkie76 wrote: »

Not at the expense of their childs education.

Is this thread still running. :eek:

Stop me if you think you've heard it before; but at my last reckoning, formal 'education' lasts more than 10 years and informal 'education' lasts a lifetime.

So, exactly how does taking a child on a holiday impact on the whole of their education?

It will probably be the ONE thing they remember about it!!!

'Do you remember the fortnight we took you out of school to Florida'

"Yeah, best two weeks of school I ever had'

As someone who moved schools and missed school due to circumstances beyond our control; it didn't affect me one iota and I [shock horror] even got O levels, A Levels, HNCs, Degrees, and [wait for it.....wait for it] POST GRAD QUALS.

This whole 'taking kids out of school and fining the parents' is a red herring - the issue with schools is the bureaucracy not the parents taking their kids on a holiday. And the standard of parenting outside of school, but that's a whole other thread......