New £60 Fines For Taking Children On Holiday During School Term (No 10 Days Grace)!

jackieblack

IanRi wrote: »

I for one completely disagree with the new rules because it should be up to school discretion to decide. Schools know which parents are trying it on and which ones are genuinely going a family holiday.

But it's much easier for head teachers to blame 'the system' for not allowing it :cool:

Murphy_The_Cat

callum9999 wrote: »

I find it incredibly hard to believe that the average child care provider does a better job at looking after children than the average teacher...

These types of fines are invariably designed to change behaviour and not as a big money-generator. People always think "1 week off doesn't matter" - but it DOES. One study I read recently found that in California, students who were absent for just 1 week a year were 25% less likely to get into college. Yes, 25%. Children DO NOT need fancy foreign holidays - if it's too expensive for you to go during school holidays then go and pitch a tent in Cornwall for a week. Although people love to pretend the government is some huge uncaring ogre, these fines exist because it's in the best interests of the child - period.

Hi Callum

I wouldn't use an average childcare provider, I'd only use one that fit into the criteria of what my family required.
In particular, they wouldn't be influenced by Union (in)activity, wouldn't close their facility at the first hint of snow, wouldn't arrange their training to inconvenience me, wouldn't be inflexible or intransigent and rely on Dogma, wouldn't spend a disproportionate amount of time on disruptive elements who detract from what the majority are trying to do -- but they would have the care of my children as their absolute priority.

You quote California and Cornwall in your post, but you are missing the point entirely. The new diktat says that you will not take your child out of school for a family holiday (the destination is irrelevant).
It also removes any discretion that was previously allowed for people living/working in rural, agricultural, seasonal, tourist areas

Murphy_The_Cat

IanRi wrote: »

This is very true. I do know first hand how disruptive it can be for a child if they're taken out during school time. But yes a child from a caring family that's taking them somewhere were they will get some good experiences will recover from that gap in school education very quickly and if anything will gain more than they lost.


I for one completely disagree with the new rules because it should be up to school discretion to decide. Schools know which parents are trying it on and which ones are genuinely going a family holiday. There will be some circumstances were it's not in the particular children's best interest but there will also be many circumstances were it will not harm the child's education at all if anything it will be good for them and also bring back good experiences to the class room which can be shared with the rest of the children. Especially if they go somewhere relevant to the topics being covered at school it's a fantastic opportunity, gives them experiences to write and talk about.

Unfortunately I've taught children whose only experiences outside of school at weekends and during holidays are sitting outside the pub on the estate while their parents waste whatever time and money they could have put towards spending quality time with the children.

Hello IanRi
I wish that MSE had a Double Thank You button, as you've completely nailed it for me in that post

.

maman

I know this is a mse site but is it just my impression or is the thread is filling up with posts from parents who know they shouldn't take their children away in term time but are trying to justify it?

Imagine it was the other way round: why don't these parents just tell their employers they're taking 'unauthorised' leave in August? They could easily catch up on their work when they got back. It really wouldn't matter in the scheme of things.

Why isn't an uplifting/cultural/family time holiday in the Himalayas or Cornwall just as uplifting in August?

IMO all this comes down to money and not being prepared to save up. I'm as angry with the tour companies ripping us off as the next person but I'm not prepared to teach children that it's OK to disregard the rules to get around it.

Murphy_The_Cat

maman wrote: »

Imagine it was the other way round: why don't these parents just tell their employers they're taking 'unauthorised' leave in August? They could easily catch up on their work when they got back. It really wouldn't matter in the scheme of things.

I am the employer :beer:;).
I own a small company, in a highly seasonal tourist area, employing several people who have school age children.
For the business that I have, I require a minimum number of people, to do certain things every day -- these things cannot be put off until tomorrow.

zaksmum

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

oh dear. oh dear and once again, oh dear.

If I was to book a 24/7 childcare provider, I'd give a 100%, 24 carat, copperbottomed guarantee that it wouldn't be via an agency that had anything to do with an LEA, nor employed people of the teacher persuasion in .it.

I need a guaranteed high level of service,reliability & consistency, which are areas where schooling can sometimes fall woefully short:beer:

And I wonder how much you would be prepared to pay for that then?

Murphy_The_Cat

zaksmum wrote: »

And I wonder how much you would be prepared to pay for that then?

Its all hypothetical, as its never going to happen.
I don't begrudge a penny that I've paid to the various childcare providers/nurseries that I've used for the past seven years. Their services are exemplary and my children have flourished using them.
If my school operated to the same level, I'd be a very happy camper (and that is from someone who rates his school well)

Bluemeanie_2

budgetflyer wrote: »

The problem is really that free education in the UK is just taken for granted.
The cheap weeks all inclusive on the the Med is more important than school.
My 3 children never lost a day for the sake of a cheap holiday. We just had to compromise. If all we could afford @ peak times was the Siesta bus to Spain, thats what we did.

My child won't have a "free" education. Last time I checked me and every other tax payer will have contributed to it.

louby40

Schools are places where children LEARN! Yes there is an element of care but teacher's teach primarily; we are not a child minding service.

We can't teach if the child isn't there.

I would never criticise or comment on anyone's job unless I had experience of it.

Louise

jackieblack

louby40 wrote: »

Schools are places where children LEARN! Yes there is an element of care but teacher's teach primarily; we are not a child minding service.

We can't teach if the child isn't there.

I would never criticise or comment on anyone's job unless I had experience of it.

Louise

You may not, Louise, but most of the teachers I know have opinions on the 'job' of parenting...... despite many of them not being parents themselves :cool:

In fact, in September, there will not be a single class teacher in our local Primary (7 classes) who is a parent themselves :think: