Holidays with kids in school time, have you done it?

kelloggs36

zoeleigh wrote: »

Right ok, so when the class were being shown pictures of the pyramids and the items in the Egyptian museum while my son was actually there, my son was disadvantaged? Or the rest of the class were disadvantaged?

Considering that the school authorised it and told us to have a wonderful time I don't think neither the teacher nor the head thought 'that mother obviously doesn't think her child's education is paramount'.

Maybe it's not a case of I can't afford to go in school holidays, maybe it's a case of I could take them to another country once every year rather than once every 2 years!

but if you can't afford it, you can't afford it and would have to go every other year - it isn't a great sacrifice really - it is pure selfishness really - I want it so I will have it, regardless of the disruption it will cause to anybody else. How much maths, science, Literacy will they be doing whilst on holiday? I doubt very much.

kelloggs36

Mrs_Arcanum wrote: »

:mad: We had no holidays for 7 years before this one and none since. And the time was AUTHORISED by the Head Teacher.

That holiday took us over 3 years to save for as it was. Three years later it would be more than three times as expensive to go in the school holidays (with DD being classed as adult and DS charged adult rates for the parks). Even the same period a year later was £1,000 more. So NO the prices would go up faster than the savings could keep up, so it was a then or never situation.

BTW DD is expected to get A or A* in all her GCSEs so she lost nothing academically from missing two weeks shortly after the start of a new school year.

Regardless, had I been you I would have accepted that I was not in a position to afford such a holiday, and wait until the children left school I'm afraid. I just would never consider taking an expensive holiday if I couldn't afford to do it when I was supposed to. We went to Florida during the school holidays 3 years ago, and that was only because we had come into a lump sum of money. As much as I would loved to have gone before that, we couldn't afford it, so we didn't go - it is very simple.

Zoetoes

kelloggs36 wrote: »

but if you can't afford it, you can't afford it and would have to go every other year - it isn't a great sacrifice really - it is pure selfishness really - I want it so I will have it, regardless of the disruption it will cause to anybody else. How much maths, science, Literacy will they be doing whilst on holiday? I doubt very much.

As I said earlier he is top of the class, must be down to my selfishness teaching him at home I suppose :rotfl:

Zoetoes

kelloggs36 wrote: »

Regardless, had I been you I would have accepted that I was not in a position to afford such a holiday, and wait until the children left school I'm afraid. I just would never consider taking an expensive holiday if I couldn't afford to do it when I was supposed to. We went to Florida during the school holidays 3 years ago, and that was only because we had come into a lump sum of money. As much as I would loved to have gone before that, we couldn't afford it, so we didn't go - it is very simple.

But the holiday is to benefit the children also.

Zoetoes

kelloggs36 wrote: »

but if you can't afford it, you can't afford it and would have to go every other year - it isn't a great sacrifice really - it is pure selfishness really - I want it so I will have it, regardless of the disruption it will cause to anybody else. How much maths, science, Literacy will they be doing whilst on holiday? I doubt very much.

Bit of maths in converting currency.

Bit of science in learning about the papyrus, lotus flower etc

Bit of literacy in reading a book and doing some writing on the flight.

How much do you think he missed in a week??

Zoetoes

kelloggs36 wrote: »

Regardless, had I been you I would have accepted that I was not in a position to afford such a holiday, and wait until the children left school I'm afraid. I just would never consider taking an expensive holiday if I couldn't afford to do it when I was supposed to. We went to Florida during the school holidays 3 years ago, and that was only because we had come into a lump sum of money. As much as I would loved to have gone before that, we couldn't afford it, so we didn't go - it is very simple.

But you could have saved up for a few years couldn't you??

Zoetoes

kelloggs36 wrote: »

the point is that the other children didn't ONLY learn about the pyramids whilst your children were away, so your children missed out on what the others learned - also, if they had gone during the holidays, they could have related what they had learned in the classroom to what they were seeing for real.

We didn't only go to the pyramids, we also went to the museum with a guide who gave an informative talk on the items and the history etc

shellsuit

What about parents who work hard and welcome a break with their children, regardless of whether it's in the school term or not?

Some people can only book certain weeks off work.

When we go on holiday as a family, it's fabulous because it's just US as a family for the duration of the trip.

No cooking, cleaning, school, work, friends calling, internet, mobiles, visitors, just us to entertain each other and we have good QUALITY time together.

How anyone can think that is bad for a child I don't know.

If that means the only break we can afford has to be in term time, then so be it. (so long as it's not exam or revision time or years 9-11 which I said earlier in the thread).

My Mum and Dad worked hard and were just too busy for family time. We never went on a family holiday EVER (not even a weekend away), never had days out as a family, I never had a birthday party and I was determined not to have my kids be the same and not have happy family time memories. (The only ones I have are Christmas Day!)

And anyway, if the headteachers have no problem with allowing the time off, it's got fek all to do with the teachers!

Spendless

This thread is reminding me of a tale my 87yo Grandmother tells, when she went to Grammar School. Her Dad asked her what she'd been doing one day, and she told him, they'd gone to a building site, to be shown new builds and then they were to do sketches of interior desgins. My G-Grandfather was appalled, 'learning should only happen in classrooms behind a desk' he said.

bestpud

gratefulforhelp wrote: »

Using all the tools available to ensure the greatest academic success. You personally may not be bothered about exam' results, but lots of people are.

Yep, that'll be teaching to the test then.

Oh exam results are important but, for me, it's about them having an education above and beyond the exam syllabus.

You've just summed up all that is wrong with education today! They can leave school with an arm full of GCSEs but it says absolutely nothing about their ability as they've been coached through them by teachers who think it is a skill to second guess the exam board and 'teach' them what they need to pass.

Doesn't do it for me, I'm afraid. My child will take GCSEs but will know it was her knowledge that got her through and not her teachers ability to manipulate the system.