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

maman

The change in the law to only allow absence in 'exceptional circumstances' is definitely a recent thing. Introduced by Gove. However, posters are right it has never been acceptable but when it was left to individual Headteachers some were more lenient/understanding than others.


I think the change that posters have noticed from years ago is that since the introduction of Ofsted, schools are criticised for unauthorised absence. This is grossly unfair as it's something over which schools have no control. There's little or nothing a school can do if a parent is determined to keep a child off school to go on holiday, go shopping, go to a wedding or all the other weird and wonderful things some parents find acceptable. I remember a few years back when the Sun did cheap holidays in Year 6 SATs week. Parents took their children out of school for that.


So because appealing to parents sense of responsibility failed Gove decided to be more punitive about it, introduced fines and made schools police it.


OP will never get an answer, or rather the answer s/he wants, to the question because it's based on nonsense.

fizz

LilElvis wrote: »

The really funny thing about this thread is that the OP doesn't even have any children :rotfl:

So the OP has got us all worked up over nowt:D

Probably best that he/she doesn't want kids then:rotfl:

fierystormcloud

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Priceless. You couldn't make it up.

Not one constructive answer or response. You lot are sooooo predicatble!

Ooooh, the OP is on a rant, oooh 'toys out of the pram,' oooh, oooh ooohh!

Just pure denial, and everything written contrary to what I have said. Well when *I* was young, we were never allowed off school' and ' where is your EVIDENCE school standards are slipping?' 'where are your facts and statistics, link source yada yada blah blah.'

Why do people rant on and on like this INSISTING I must provide a SOURCE? or a LINK?

There is no need.

I literally cannot believe some of the posts on here. Are you SERIOUSLY all trying to DENY that school standards have slipped in the past 5-8 years? If you are denying that; then that is laughable: it's been on the news constantly for several years.

In addition - the school I and my sisters went to AND the ones my NINE nieces and nephews went to, AND the schools my friends children went to, were ALL relaxed about people having a week or two off up to 5 or 6 years ago. My friends and work colleagues will say the same. Of course, many people on here won't agree with me, because it doesn't suit their agenda.

And I KNOW schools have alway been fussy about attendance, but they have NEVER made the same fuss as they do now about having a week or two off in term time.

Like I said, I reckon that it's whiney, moany teachers and substandard schools trying to blame anyone but themselves for the bad results from their pupils, and the fact their school is substandard.

Still no answer from ANYONE as to why you suddenly cannot have any time off without being punished when you COULD up to 5 or 6 years ago. And don't tell me that is not true, because it is.

Again, selective answering. Just as I expected. :cool:

Stay in denial folks.

Oh and I don't have kids BTW. But if/when I do have them, I WILL keep them off in school time to go on hols if I want. I will probably even lie and say they're ill. Oooh, what a terrible person I am; maybe I shouldn't have kids.

(Text removed by MSE Forum Team)

Have fun on my thread. Byeeeee. :wave:

LilElvis

Well there is obviously already one kid in your household ..........

I particularly like the fact that you laugh at anecdotal evidence given by other members when you then go on to illustrate your point with ........ anecdotal evidence of your own.

I take it, (text removed by MSE Forum Team), you will not be gracing us with your presence or spreading more of your wisdom. It will be such a loss :T

Homeownertobe

Are you OK hun?

ViolaLass

fierystormcloud wrote: »

:
I literally cannot believe some of the posts on here. Are you SERIOUSLY all trying to DENY that school standards have slipped in the past 5-8 years? If you are denying that; then that is laughable: it's been on the news constantly for several years.

And EVERYTHING that is in the news/said by the Government is true, of course.

Spendless

Spendless wrote: »

I was in compulsory education from 1971-1983. I remember at Junior school (mid-late 70s) the head teacher saying it was ok to be off school for a family holiday to go away but not jsut because your parent had taken some days off work. These weren't affluent years though for many households, so I guess the majority of people weren't going away. I only recall going away in term-time (abroad) when my parents became better off, as my Mum started up her own business, these were the latter secondary school years. Prior to this I only remember UK holidays. I have no idea if prices used to shoot up in the holidays back then.

If you want to know more about the rules changing in September 2013, there is a campaign group called 'Parents want a say' that former MP John Hemming supports. Here is a link from them into what led to the rules being changed.

http://www.parentswantasay.co.uk/documents/wheredidthenewregscomefrom.pdf

You'll find more info on their website.

Ehh. Did you miss my post on the first page?? I gave you a link to a support group that actively campaigns for a reversal of the rules back to pre Sept 2013. That link tells you more about the reason the rule came in. I told you what the website was called and the name of the (former) MP who was supporting it (he lost his seat in the recent elections).

I didn't answer you about your 2nd point as I'm unsure myself.

Georgiegirl256

That was the kind of response I expected of the OP tbh. Maybe if you didn't rant and rave so much OP, but instead actually engaged in a debate with other posters whilst accepting that just because you don't happen to agree with their responses, that they are not neccessarily wrong. They just happen to be different from yours.

Jagraf

What was the question?

seven-day-weekend

We had nearly thirty years of school holidays because my husband was a teacher.

Surely school holidays are long enough to go on holiday in? It isn't compulsory to do something 'educational' (although I'm sure the vast majority of this 'education' comes from sitting on a beach in Lanzarote). We used to go camping and had a great time.