Our kids refused time off school during term time - please advice

missbiggles1

dsab wrote: »

It probably also depends on regions. Holiday arrangements in NI are especially terrible, as it effectively only allows you to go on Holiday (for more then 7 days) during Summer.

9 weeks Summer Holiday
3 days Halloween Break
13 days XMAS Break
3 days Spring Break
9 days Easter Break

That doesn't make any sense - why can't you have a week's holiday at Christmas or Easter?

SeduLOUs

SandC wrote: »

No Roz, just that the industry should be regulated to not profiteer like they have been doing.

BTW. I am 44. No children.

It's not the job of the Government to regulate natural markets and competition - if they could it would probably be disastrous to do so.

If airlines/hotels/etc cannot make profit during 'popular' holiday seasons because of capped pricing, many will close. Trying to book a flight with the few that survive will be like trying to get One Direction tickets - they will release all of the summer flights one morning at 9.00am and they will all be sold by 9.30 because the demand will be far greater than the available supply.

Reggie_Rebel

chris_n_tj wrote: »

All teachers at OP's school decide they want the week after October half term off go to on holiday to India. Imagine the outcry from Parents.

They'd just call a strike.....................again

FBaby

Most wouldn't read three large books while on holiday. The rules are in place to protect all children and their education

Then leave it to the Head Teacher to decide on the basis of the child rather than assume all children are missing out.

During gcses also it's not about learning anything, they need to learn what will be in the exams. the other thing I also recall when DD did pride and prejudice was that her particular teacher told them not to read the who book as she wanted to do it slightly differently (can't remember maybe watch the dvd first). Parents do not know teachers teaching methods but can mess it up if they take it into their own hands at that age.

Or the other way around. My DD English teacher was horrendous, not understanding at all what was required for GCSE (her first year and I am pretty certain her last for quite some time), and I had to pay for a tutor to provide exactly that teaching to my child who did it outside of school time.

Theoretically (I do mean that word!), if parents can be fined for the decision to take children away, should they also be entitled to bill the school for tutoring costs when they can evidence that the school teacher was underforming in preparing the child for GCSEs?

FBaby

Until parents understand the educational process (especially when they get older) they can't know the harm its doing.

You seem to be speaking on behalf of all teachers, but not all agree with you. My experience has been totally different and I always had a very pleasant response from teachers the few times I have take my kids out of school, which I have to say is only a total of 5 days over 7 years! I never got comments like what you write her, on the opposite, my kids have been told to have a wonderful time and that they deserve it. Maybe it is because their attendance is excellent and they are well behaved pupils who learn very quickly, but in any case, I don't think it is fair to speak as if your view was that of the teaching profession as a whole. I think you could easily have the same debate just amongst teachers.

bitemebankers

onlyroz wrote: »

Travelling abroad is *not* a human right and if you can't afford it then hire a caravan in the UK instead. That's what my parents did when they were kids.

Well, quite. Having kids is expensive, in all sorts of ways, so you cut your cloth accordingly.

pinkshoes

Jagraf wrote: »

Absolutely it is more than that. Do your gcse students just sit in a classroom all day? I'm struggling to see how a gcse teacher thinks its ok for a student a week to be off on holiday of her / his cohort. I don't know what your subject specialisation is, but when do you help them catch up? At break time? Or do you use lesson time. Or don't you? With your reckoning someone could be on holiday each week, so you would rarely have a full class. Especially if you add in sickness. That means every week you are helping someone catch up with underpinning knowledge, homework etc. in fact, they must also miss the second week of studies as the first week is being built on. So easy to fall behind. Never mind, they have their pictures of sandcastles.

I teach physics.

Parents generally ask for work before hand, and what their child is going to miss. They catch up in their own time, and come and see me if they are stuck. I will happily give up my free time for any child that wants to learn.

A week off school will not hurt a child with good attendance who is doing well at school.

dsab

missbiggles1 wrote: »

That doesn't make any sense - why can't you have a week's holiday at Christmas or Easter?

We are usually always going long haul (just our preference due to interests and family in far flung Areas of SE Asia), and a week doesn't cut it therefore. So that leaves us with only the Summer Holidays. Price is probably not even the main consideration, but sometimes weather and other factors would make it much simpler to go not in the Summer.

consumers_revenge

Homeownertobe wrote: »

Affects.

I'm beginning to suspect a correlation between hating teachers and apparently learning very little in school.

Sorry to p on your parade but loved every minute of school and it was the best years of my life...Some of my teachers were guiders for life!


On 30k with next to no education having got off my own backside in later years. Maybe I mispelled something, big oops....Must have done something right.


( BTW worked for schools doing IT for them for 3 years as an outside contractor. Not at all saying they are bad but some of the policies the schools set need thinking about. )


Pretty sure my kids would get just the same amount of real education visiting another country and culture for a week!


Just my 2 pence worth...


CR

chris_n_tj

Quote:
Originally Posted by chris n tj
All teachers at OP's school decide they want the week after October half term off go to on holiday to India. Imagine the outcry from Parents.

Reggie_Rebel wrote: »

They'd just call a strike.....................again

Your edit of my post makes it look unreasonable, the last line does say.....
OP, take your holiday whenever you wish but take the consequences. x
Cant say fairer than that.
We must also remember, its not the teachers that make these rules. But they do have to usually enforce them and end up taking much of the backlash from parents.


PS no I am not a teacher, nor do I have children of school age.