holiday fines

Bluemeanie_2

Guest101 wrote: »

It's moved on from that to actually discuss the benefits of the education system.

I won't bore you with the details, suffice to say, it's not fit for purpose.

Many people would die just to get to this country, and hundreds do every month. Doesn't mean we have to be on tippy toes thanking the government for all they do.

This is true. I also take exception to the posters comments about our kids having a "free" education. My Husband and I have both paid tax since we were 16 so I think we have made a contribution.

Guest101

maman wrote: »

As I see it, we have parents who want to spend as little as possible on a holiday and aren't prepared to save up and spend the prices charged in school holidays. So even though children have 13 weeks off per year the parents want them to take more.


The government believe that children have more than enough time off to go on a family holiday and in any event it's not good life training to take time off when you don't have leave. So they have tightened up the rules and introduced fines for parents who don't comply.


To support their arguments parents then quickly move on to how useless schools are and how their child will not suffer one tiny bit from going in holiday in term time especially as the holiday is educational.



To me that's the crux of what the argument is all about.


I read yesterday that to support domestic tourism, school holidays in Turkey have been extended by two weeks. Can you just imagine the uproar if that happened here? The very same schools that are useless are suddenly needed to provide childcare. Parents here go spare if schools are closed for a day's snow. Two extra weeks!:eek:

1: well if the government says so it must be true.
2: parents are in uproar because they usually have to take unpaid leave to cover snow days ( or strikes, which are far more likely)
3: it's nothing to do with moving onto how carp schools are. It's a lowest common denominator education, aimed at the 'average' child. It's not fit for purpose, unfortunately most parents have to work so (too) much, due to carp wages and the least amount of time off in Europe. So they HAVE to rely on the failing, underfunded and overstretched education system to get by. Full support to parents who want better for their child(ten).

LilElvis

Guest101 wrote: »

1: well if the government says so it must be true.
2: parents are in uproar because they usually have to take unpaid leave to cover snow days ( or strikes, which are far more likely)
3: it's nothing to do with moving onto how carp schools are. It's a lowest common denominator education, aimed at the 'average' child. It's not fit for purpose, unfortunately most parents have to work so (too) much, due to carp wages and the least amount of time off in Europe. So they HAVE to rely on the failing, underfunded and overstretched education system to get by. Full support to parents who want better for their child(ten).

Out of interest, how many children do you have in school, or have they completed education?

Have you considered becoming a school governor in order to try to improve your child's school?

Hedgehog99

By all means, if you refund my taxes wasted on your child(ren) not being at school.

How come the parents already whining about having to cover childcare for the actual holidays also want to add another week/fortnight to that by using their annual leave in term time?

You're shooting yourselves in the foot - if they hike the holiday costs for everyone all year, you'll always have expensive holidays - before you have kids and when you're empty-nesters, instead of just the 13 years your kids are in formal education.

Spendless

barbarawright wrote: »

I haven't seen anyone suggest that education only takes place in schools. But surely parents have evenings and weekends (when they ought to be taking an interest in their children's work - dont' they have to sign homework diaries?) and pretty generous holidays to provide their own education

I never had to sign any planner before my children started Secondary school and though I have to now, it is purely I have checked the planner page and any messages.

If I work full-time and so does my husband, who is also away during the week, then evenings and weekends are devoted to housework, grocery shopping, cooking meals, visiting Grandmother in a Nursing home, taking kids to after school pursuits that they do because they are interested in working in a related field. I don't go though their schoolwork step by step. When we did have time to give them our undivided attention, which we did because we were on holiday, that was the time I discovered 12 year old could spout a list of zoo animals but was unable to order herself a drink and snack in French, despite weekly lessons for the past year at school.

Spendless

Vikipollard wrote: »

Maman raises a very good point above.

There are already 13 weeks' holiday per year for most state schools. 13 weeks to find childcare for.

But people are advocating having an additional 1-2 weeks off for that 'cheaper' holiday in term time - presumably meaning they have to find/pay for additional child care (not everyone has family to do it for free) in the actual school holidays.

Still looking cheap?

How much is a weeks holiday childcare though? If you've got a SAHP it's irrelevant. Childminders usually charge if they are available to have child, so you pay the same anyway. The holiday club which was wrap-around care at my kids Primary charged £20 per day per child. The dancing summer school I put my 12yo in this summer charged £65 for the week for 8.15 -6pm.

caprikid1

If more parents taken their kids out during term time, the demand for holidays during the school holidays goes down along with the price.


Let others sacrifice their childs education and I get smaller class sizes with children being away and cheaper holidays.


I'm up for it, I remember as a child I missed a few days of a new maths topic and felt I was behind in that area for a couple of years after.

maman

LilElvis wrote: »

Out of interest, how many children do you have in school

Guest101 wrote: »

Full support to parents who want better for their child(ten).

I believe he has ten!:eek: So he must know what he's talking about.;)

Guest101

Hedgehog99 wrote: »

By all means, if you refund my taxes wasted on your child(ren) not being at school.

How come the parents already whining about having to cover childcare for the actual holidays also want to add another week/fortnight to that by using their annual leave in term time?

You're shooting yourselves in the foot - if they hike the holiday costs for everyone all year, you'll always have expensive holidays - before you have kids and when you're empty-nesters, instead of just the 13 years your kids are in formal education.

Just for you. What's your annual wage and tax code? I'll work it out and send you the pittence. Much cheaper than the fine!

Think you should get onto downing street too, get a refund for those nuclear missiles they never use, and all the empty beds in hospitals?! Dont forget all those fire fighters, not fighting fire. The army not in a war, better start one. - Value for money!

Pollycat

eric_ollerenshaw wrote: »

Could we not organise a massive petition to allow families at certain times of the year not crucial to exams/Revision/Sats etc to take a holiday. surely before Xmas and maybe up to March.
2 weeks out with parental involvement of catchup studies could suffice. Or even After Sats/exams June? onwards. The family and tourist industry would benefit financially.
Also the children would benefit by experiencing other cultures and adventures
Eric.

Well, it appears that so far Eric (the OP) hasn't found anybody to do the donkey work of 'organising a massive petition'.......