Term Time Holidays???

Pee

I'm just saying that if you have to lie, that is a moral dilemna. If there is no lying involved, then I am clear that the children will benefit from the holiday.

If the school will authorise the absense, great. If they will not then it's either pay the fine or lie. Paying the fine is fine if the OP can afford it, or is willing to stand up to authorities like you are - which I think is a fine example to set your children by the way and should help them in future dealing with their own problems, politely but assertively - or the saving on the holiday is sufficient to make paying the fine worthwhile.

Person_one

Pee wrote: »

My view is that what they miss in school they will make up for with the travel experience BUT and this is a really big but if the school won't allow them time off then the only option is to lie and I feel uncomfortable about telling children that it's ok to lie. That to my mind is the big moral question here.

Why would you need to lie? Who to?

Not the children, because wouldn't you just say "The school would rather you didn't go on holiday but mum and dad have decided that's the wrong decision so we are going."

Not the school either, because if you're having an unauthorised absence then surely there's no point lying about the reason for it.

onlyroz

Person_one wrote: »

Why would you need to lie? Who to?

Not the children, because wouldn't you just say "The school would rather you didn't go on holiday but mum and dad have decided that's the wrong decision so we are going."

Not the school either, because if you're having an unauthorised absence then surely there's no point lying about the reason for it.

There are plenty of parents who would try to turn it into an authorised absence by faking an illness.

bestpud

Pee wrote: »

I'm just saying that if you have to lie, that is a moral dilemna. If there is no lying involved, then I am clear that the children will benefit from the holiday.

If the school will authorise the absense, great. If they will not then it's either pay the fine or lie. Paying the fine is fine if the OP can afford it, or is willing to stand up to authorities like you are - which I think is a fine example to set your children by the way and should help them in future dealing with their own problems, politely but assertively - or the saving on the holiday is sufficient to make paying the fine worthwhile.

I am completely against lying so, if my only options were seek authorisation or lie then I wouldn't book a term time holiday.

Luckily, for most of us at least, there is other options.

I'm not sure if you are being sarcastic about the example I set my children but, for what it is worth, I don't think it's a bad thing to stand up to authority if it's a considered decision.

Not saying others should automatically do the same though - I was asked what I would do and I answered honestly.

Spendless

In my so far experience of Secondary schools balletshoes, very little goes off for the last week before a school hol, less so than even in Primary schools where it's just the last day or two that nothing much happens. From what I've worked out so far, it's because each subject teacher is wrapping the class up for that term. Mine finished for Christmas late this year on the 21st, DS told me that because it had been a 7 week term, some teachers had only planned for 6 (sounds strange to me cos why wouldn't you just count the weeks in a term?) and therefore they had nothing to do, for the last lessons. This was happening in core subjects such as English. Teacher said they could watch a dvd (A Christmas Carol I think) and if asked they were to say they were writing a review of it, but she wasn't expecting them to hand one in, so I really wouldn't worry about 1 day in Feb.

bestpud

onlyroz wrote: »

There are plenty of parents who would try to turn it into an authorised absence by faking an illness.

That isn't the same as saying it is their only option though.

It would be a choice.

meer53

Why do people get so wound up about this subject ?

I have taken my kids on holiday in term time, not every year though. We took our son out of school when he was 11 for 2 months to go to Australia. He went on to go to Uni and now has a full time job which he loves. I've taken my daughter out of school for 3 weeks to go to Florida, it was unauthorised by the school but to be honest it didn't really bother me.

It also wouldn't bother me if her teacher decided to go away in term time for a couple of weeks either, she wouldn't be left in an empty classroom.

balletshoes

onlyroz wrote: »

There are plenty of parents who would try to turn it into an authorised absence by faking an illness.

I wouldn't - and we don't know if the OP would. It would seem to be a bit of a waste of time to do that once you'd already informed the school of the absence in advance though.

pollypenny

As the OP's children have good attendance records, there should be no problem in taking them off.

Just choose your time carefully.

poet123

onlyroz wrote: »

There are plenty of parents who would try to turn it into an authorised absence by faking an illness.

It is not a sustainable action though. Child returns with a tan and/or holiday stories....truth will out.

Schools much prefer the truth, tell it as it is, at the end of the day most parents are reasonably sensible and most don't do it at crucial times or for long periods, but at the end of the school year or a couple of days either side of half term.