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

FBaby

bylromarha wrote: »

I dread to think what facts my under 11s could tell you about the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnam War, or Buddhism, or extreme poverty after our big holidays the last few
years...

And again, this illustrates how you can't fit everyone in the same box. Does a child who is missing out on a holiday that evolves much learning with parents whose level of education and interest is such that they are able to provide such learning compared to being at school with a history teacher who happens not to be very good? And is that comparable to the child who is going to go with his parents to some all inclusive holiday sitting around the pool all day when he is missing out on the lesson of a very good teacher?

I can see the argument that it would be unfair and unpractical to apply different rules to different pupils, but it doesn't take away the fact that it is just not true that ALL children will be worse off for being taken out of school and that trying to guit trip the parents in thinking they are inevitably harming their child as a result is just pointless.

Jagraf

FBaby wrote: »

And again, this illustrates how you can't fit everyone in the same box. Does a child who is missing out on a holiday that evolves much learning with parents whose level of education and interest is such that they are able to provide such learning compared to being at school with a history teacher who happens not to be very good? And is that comparable to the child who is going to go with his parents to some all inclusive holiday sitting around the pool all day when he is missing out on the lesson of a very good teacher?

I can see the argument that it would be unfair and unpractical to apply different rules to different pupils, but it doesn't take away the fact that it is just not true that ALL children will be worse off for being taken out of school and that trying to guit trip the parents in thinking they are inevitably harming their child as a result is just pointless.

So, how do you ensure the above? I would be really interested to know how you would 'judge' whether a child should or should not go on holiday. And if you don't want to judge, what limit would you have? Allow two weeks? Should there be a limit at all. What policies would you have to allow catch up of GCSE work?

What would be your plan?

FBaby

I do accept that if money gets involved, it becomes very difficult to accept a teacher's/headteacher's decision on this matter.

That's why I think that allowing 5 days a years is a good compromise. I have less of an issue with the actual decision to fine than I do over parents being automatically judged for taking their kids out of school, assuming that it will harm the child without knowing any of the circumstances behind the absence.

Jagraf

FBaby wrote: »

I do accept that if money gets involved, it becomes very difficult to accept a teacher's/headteacher's decision on this matter.

That's why I think that allowing 5 days a years is a good compromise. I have less of an issue with the actual decision to fine than I do over parents being automatically judged for taking their kids out of school, assuming that it will harm the child without knowing any of the circumstances behind the absence.

Not trying to be difficult, but what if someone wants 8 days, and they argue the same case that you have put? That they say, for example, they know that it won't affect their child's education?

What I'm trying to work out is what would suit all - because I think it is impossible. And whatever your starting point, there will be those who don't agree with the rules.

Torry_Quine

When I was at school my parents would never have taken us off for a holiday which is a luxury. If you think a holiday is important then you should be prepared to pay for it when the child(ren) are off.

silverwhistle

Tropez wrote: »

I wonder, if instead of applying some sort of one-size-fits-all policy based on this assumption that school education is the most important thing in the world for all children (it isn't), would it...

I'd go further in saying that the system doesn't seem like 'education' at all, more like formal training to turn out obedient little production units. All this talk of "learning discipline", "obeying the law", "my tax pays for this" all seem to be coming from that point of view.

If the issue were regular absences (whether annually or frequent small ones) there might be a cause for concern, but 5 days over a school career? Meh.

Incidentally, do these rules apply to private schools? Have politicians made this rule just for the proles? If the rules do apply, do private schools just allow extenuating circumstances at the drop of a hat? It's an interesting point to note in today's news about the limited social cohort the big firms recruit from: they like people like them with "polish" who can talk about their trip to India or St. Moritz, but I don't suppose they suffer from the financial constraints most of us do.

Brighton_belle

silverwhistle wrote: »

Incidentally, do these rules apply to private schools? Have politicians made this rule just for the proles?

Families with children at private school don't tend to take term time holidays because
a) they are paying £1000's per term
b) private schools have much longer holidays, so they can easily go away during cheaper periods.

Jagraf

silverwhistle wrote: »

I'd go further in saying that the system doesn't seem like 'education' at all, more like formal training to turn out obedient little production units. All this talk of "learning discipline", "obeying the law", "my tax pays for this" all seem to be coming from that point of view.

If the issue were regular absences (whether annually or frequent small ones) there might be a cause for concern, but 5 days over a school career? Meh.

Incidentally, do these rules apply to private schools? Have politicians made this rule just for the proles? If the rules do apply, do private schools just allow extenuating circumstances at the drop of a hat? It's an interesting point to note in today's news about the limited social cohort the big firms recruit from: they like people like them with "polish" who can talk about their trip to India or St. Moritz, but I don't suppose they suffer from the financial constraints most of us do.

There's always the option to take your kids out and teach them yourself, if the rules don't suit and the education on offer kids into robots. Tbh if someone feels that way, they would surely remove them.

j.e.j.

Brighton_belle wrote: »

Families with children at private school don't tend to take term time holidays because
a) they are paying £1000's per term
b) private schools have much longer holidays, so they can easily go away during cheaper periods.

They do have much longer holidays, but the fees vary enormously, depending on whether it's a local small independent school, or a prestigious Eton/Harrow kind of place.

I went to a private school and kids did go on holidays during school time, but that was many years ago, so I guess it may have changed since then.

ViolaLass

Brighton_belle wrote: »

Families with children at private school don't tend to take term time holidays because
a) they are paying £1000's per term
b) private schools have much longer holidays, so they can easily go away during cheaper periods.

Or they've already spent all their money on the school and don't take expensive holidays abroad. Not everyone at a private school is rich.