Term time holiday court fine help please?

kitty08

It's the hypocrisy of the schools that gets me. According to the schools, it's damaging to a child's education if they miss school for a holiday, but having to miss school because the teachers are on strike doesn't have any effect on a child's education? Personally I think the parents who have been obliged to take a day off work to look after their children on strike days should be able to bill the schools, especially those parents who are self employed.. Another thing, the time each day that is wasted especially by primary schools could do with looking at. I cannot think what possible use sitting cross legged on the floor can possibly be in later life (unless training as a yoga teacher, or to sit begging outside the high street shops?)
I think holidays are an important time for busy families to just spend time together (I'm not saying it's necessary to spend loads of money on a holiday,it isn't, in fact some of the best holidays I had as a child were very cheap camping or caravan holidays). The very best holiday I had as a child was the summer of 1976. We rented a cheap caravan and every day of the holiday was spent at the beach. The only extra expense for my parents was a daily ice cream, but it's left me with magical memories of a golden time - paddling, swimming in the sea, building sandcastles (and knocking them down again).
BTW, one of the skiing companies (sorry, can't remember which one, but it might be worth considering for next year ) was offering to pay any fine if the holiday was taken in school time
I think common sense needs to be applied here. A full, rounded education is important, and it covers far more than just attending school. Obviously it's irresponsible to pull children out just before important exams, but in the primary years I really can't see it's a problem. Holidays give the chance for children to end up with happy memories that they will carry with them for the rest of their life.

CKhalvashi

matttye wrote: »

So with the current law you could probably have only gone away every 4 years, unless prices were elevated to such an extent back when you went away on holiday as well?

There's no need for a holiday at all, but sometimes you have to be able to do what you want.

However, many would agree it's wrong to take drugs, as it's illegal.

By the same standards, it's wrong to take children out of school for a holiday, as it's illegal.

The only time I've taken my DD's from school was for funeral of a close family member. This is the way it should stay.

Precisely. This is something that will not change, so parents should be able to take their kids on holiday when they wish.

I disagree, for the above reasoning.

barbarawright

matttye wrote: »

Someone will always be grateful for the overtime.

So, you'd be happy to pay overtime (say £30 an hour ??) to cover every hour of teaching your child missed on a week's holiday?

themull1

quote - A holiday is a luxury, and should be treated as such. When I was a child, we went away every other year in summer, instead of every year, as that was all that could be afforded.

There is no need for an annual holiday.

A tv is a luxury, a washing machine, dryer, microwave is a luxury, where do you draw the line?

[Deleted User]

Of course, it's nice to go on holiday every year, but it won't kill you if you don't.

A missed holiday will be forgotten in a few years, but missed education will affect you for the rest of your life.

dealer_wins

I would just book the holiday, and a day or two before I go away I would inform the school that the kids have got chickenpox or something else similar and will be off for a week or two.

barbarawright

dealer_wins wrote: »

I would just book the holiday, and a day or two before I go away I would inform the school that the kids have got chickenpox or something else similar and will be off for a week or two.

And then forge a doctor's certificate?

[Deleted User]

I take it you won't be telling off/punishing your children, when they lie, dealer wins?

BTW. What happens when the children are overheard, telling their friends about the fantastic holiday they've just been on?

Also, how do you explain the suntan?

Thrugelmir

blisteringblue wrote: »

Your head sounds like a proper "jobsworth".

What's changed is peoples attitudes. No wonder teachers are becoming fed up. As dealing with people with similar views to yourself is a total distraction from the real job they have. Which is education. 2.5 billion people in the BRICS have joined the global labour market since 1990. So without a good education kids are only going to be left with the unskilled poorly paid work.

heartbreak_star

Funny, you know - my parents, and some of my friends' parents, refused to take us away during term-time when I was in school. They reasoned that our education would suffer.

We all now have good careers.

Some of the kids in my school had 2-3 holidays/long weekends a year, and they don't have good careers.

Admittedly, possibly coincidental correlation...but food for thought.

HBS x