A question about keeping children off school in term time: to take them on holiday.

FBaby

I do agree with your principle Jagraf, but again, i think it is jumping to false conclusions. I do feel that I have much more respect for my kids' school than my kids' school has for them over all, and that's not a criticism. They do their best with the funding they get, teachers are over-worked, over-stressed, and that results in an education that just doesn't meet most children's needs. The alternative? You go and pay for the education you want.

I don't think you can conclude that parents/children are not treating their education seriously because of missing a few days. As I've said, my two never missed a day off sick. That doesn't mean there haven't been days when they felt under the weather and would have much preferred to stay home, but as a family we believe that unless you have a fever, you get yourself to school and get through the day. Yet I know that they have missed lessons because of teachers who decided to stay at home for much less than that.

What I think happens in reality is that although rules apply to all, the school will treat pupils differently. An excelling pupil, who is committed, polite, involved will not be judged the same way for missing some school days as a kid who is disruptive, struggling and who has already missed many days through illness. My two were selected for awards after we went on holiday. They were selected by their tutor, so it certainly wasn't a mistake. I think that gives me a message that is very different to what is being shared on this forum.

seven-day-weekend

Jagraf wrote: »

If every child were like yours, and every parent like you, maybe it wouldn't be such a problem. Although I still think a Childs absense can affect others. Also the government are paying for our children's education - the place is paid for and no one is using it. My DD had just attended the induction day for her new school sixth form. They were told that they had chosen A levels as their occupation for the next two years and must treat it with the maturity of a job. I wish parents would see school as something as important too, with rules and regulations that they are expected to keep just like anywhere else. Fir some reason we see it as our right to pick and choose and become the educational experts at certain times of year. The current system doesn't work because the respect isn't there.

I absolutely agree with this post. School should be presented to the children as important, not something you can dip into as and when it suits you. And teachers should be treated with the same respect that their employers (hopefully) will be.

My neighbour always used to tell his daughter that her school (one of the best in our city) was a 'tin pot' institution. No wonder she never kept any of the rules and left as soon as she could.

FBaby

But again, it's not because a parent decide to take their kids out of school for a week that they don't teach them to respect their school and teachers.
The problem is that everyone is judged and tared with the same brush. You take your kids out of school, whatever the reasoning behind it, you are teaching your kids to be direspectful and not value their education.

I can't speak for everyone else, but that couldn't be further to the truth in our circumstances. I am constantly on about how essential education is, I have bored my kids to death with it! I always take the stand that teachers are most likely right above them if they moan about something and they know it. I have told them many times that teachers do sometimes make decisions that are unfair because they can monitor everything that is happening, but that's life and they need to accept it.

Jagraf

FBaby wrote: »

But again, it's not because a parent decide to take their kids out of school for a week that they don't teach them to respect their school and teachers.
The problem is that everyone is judged and tared with the same brush. You take your kids out of school, whatever the reasoning behind it, you are teaching your kids to be direspectful and not value their education.

I can't speak for everyone else, but that couldn't be further to the truth in our circumstances. I am constantly on about how essential education is, I have bored my kids to death with it! I always take the stand that teachers are most likely right above them if they moan about something and they know it. I have told them many times that teachers do sometimes make decisions that are unfair because they can monitor everything that is happening, but that's life and they need to accept it.

Just like drivibg safely. You do it, but the rules are there for those who don't. But you can't argue that because you respect the rules they should not apply to you anymore (you being general).

FBaby

The thing with rules is that they are the same for everyone even though in reality, they don't apply to everyone the same way. Some people don't follow the rules because they think it doesn't apply to them and indeed there are no consequences to them or others. Some don't follow the rules because they think it doesn't apply to them but they are wrong and they/others faces the consequences for that wrong judgement. Some follow the rules, but still manage to cause harm to themselves/others.

If I'd been fined for taking my kids off two days, I would have paid, unhappily, but would have accepted that this was the consequence of breaking the rule.

balletshoes

gettingtheresometime wrote: »

On the basis that the six week holiday is a throw back to when the UK relied on agriculture surely its about time that it was done away with.

Can't imagine it does children any good to be out of education for 6 weeks either

so should we follow some other European countries and have 3 months off instead?