Real life MMD: Should I ask the school for compensation?

theuglyone

wozza2k wrote: »

Really? People value a holiday over education?

Tenerife - Volcanic landscape, different culture, chance to see another part of the world

vs.

yet another week in a classroom.

Depends on your definition of education I suppose...

berrya1

Slightly frustrating that many people's 1st reaction is to claim compensation. That attitude is what has had a negative impact on todays society.

This situation is VERY straight forward. You go on the holiday, inform the school who should class it as an authorised absence. You request additional work for your child to do during the holiday (or the week before). Job done!

Idiophreak

Have to say, I'm a little shocked that *everyone* has jumped on this *take the holiday* bandwagon...At the risk of asking a stupid question...what if they can't?

By October half term, it's entirely possible that the parents will have used up their remaining allocation of holidays for the year. What are they supposed to do when their child is *actually* on half term? Just leave them to fend for themselves? Or use childcare? But who's going to pay for that?

aliberry

If you really can't go, as nearly everyone suggests with a word to the school... check out your travel insurance.

WestonDave

To be fair - this might not just be an issue about taking the holiday. If both parents work, then during half term one parent or other is likely to have to use some of their holiday to look after the kids who are home from school - so it makes sense to make something of it and have a family holiday.

Having moved the dates the family is potentially left with a holiday in the wrong week and having to try to find paid for childcare in the real half term week.

The loss of the holiday at £1600 is not a reasonable loss to claim compensation for as it could simply be taken, and provided there is no fine for taking the absence during school time that doesn't create a financial loss. However if the school (or more likely the local authority) have created an additional cost of child care due to its change to the dates, then that might be another matter. However round here day holiday clubs are around £40 per day which for a week is £200 per child - even with 2 kids that's a £400 claim not £1600.

I'm not particularly in favour of the compensation culture, but on the other hand people should be able to plan ahead, and if schools/LEA's publish dates in which they want people to restrict their holiday, then if they change them later, they need to accept a degree of responsibility. So, no compensation to change the holiday, but if a childcare cost can be demonstrated to have been created here, then I think the LEA should be facing up to the implications of its late change.

Brian_Steele

I think it will be difficult to get compensation out of the school and more to the point, as budgets are pared to the bone, they can probably ill afford it anyway.

My gut feeling is just to take the holiday. Talk to the head and explain the situation and that it is their fault, even if it was inadvertent. These are exceptional circumstances so should be allowable and let's face it, it's only a week of school they would be missing. Unless you make a habit of it, even if it went down as unauthorised absence it is unlikely to be held against you.

The matter of another week's childcare during the corrected half-term might be a problem, but if you can get around that, it's best just to stick with the booking.

Lynda212

denislawsbackheel wrote: »

You'd have a damn cheek asking for homework!
No school will pay compensation either. Typical of today's society isn't it - the first thing people think of!

Usually I'd agree with you about asking for homework. Why should the teacher have to do extra work because a parent wants a cheap holiday?
In this case, however, the school made a mistake, so I'd have no problem asking for extra work. I wouldn't want my child missing out because of the school's incompetence.

andyslowrider

I am fed-up with schools and their vastly over-inflated view of their own importance.

Take your holiday and enjoy it, and then invoice them for the childcare costs that you incur during the revised half-term dates.

If schools and teachers genuinely valued their contribution to your child's development they would schedule their training days during holiday times rather than causing your child to lose a day's education by scheduling them for the last day before or the first day after a holiday.

TBagpuss

Jonahmaul wrote: »

Agree with what most individuals have said and I don't think you will need to get very demanding. Check how much it costs to change the dates but if this is unreasonable (it probably is as holiday companies know when half term dates are!) then explain this to the school and ask for authorised absence. You can demonstrate that you booked the holiday during the original half term (I expect at an added expense already due to the time of year) and have checked whether you can change the dates but if these are not options then at the end of the day the school needs to take responsibility. If for some reason the headmaster refuses the request (which is unlikely) then perhaps you will need to consider writing the the LEA but I suspect they will look on this favourably if he/she is reasonable.

Enjoy your holiday.

I agree.

I would also comment that in my experience, holiday dates are generally set at County/ LEA level, not by the individual schools, so the school has probably been dropped in it just as much as you have, so don't get angry with them, or blame them.

In reltion to those saying takign the children out of school won't do any harm, that does depend on the children - there are some schilren who will struggle if they miss even a small amount of school -it does depend on their age, how they learn, how each subject is being taught etc.

If the school refuses permission for an authorised absence, at that point I waould ask them to put it in writing then check with your travel insurer.

Idiophreak

andyslowrider wrote: »

If schools and teachers genuinely valued their contribution to your child's development they would schedule their training days during holiday times rather than causing your child to lose a day's education by scheduling them for the last day before or the first day after a holiday.

*yawn*.


I think that's all.