holiday fines

bluenoseam

Gra76 wrote: »

I've typed and re-typed this half a dozen times to try and find a reasonable argument to support taking my kids out of school in term time but the long and short of it is that it comes down to the money.

I can't justify paying the price to take 5 of us away in the school holidays. I can live with £3k for a decent all-inclusive for us out of term time but can't swallow the significant increase during school holidays, it's just not feasible. The same holiday is likely to cost close to double the price once the school holidays start.

I'm not exactly over the moon about paying the fine, I think it should only be applied to parents who's children have anything other than a perfect or near perfect attendance, however it still makes the holiday affordable even when you add it to the price of the holiday.

Our kids all have 100% attendance other than the occasional annual holiday we take them on and it's doing them no harm at all. Eldest is exceeding his targets by a fair distance as usual and the middle one is exceeding targets set for kids in the year above. Youngest is only just going up to full-time school now but she's bright as a button as well.

I agree that parents who's children have low attendance and take their kids out of school for a family holiday should be fined but when your kids have high attendance and are doing really well I don't really see the issue.

The issue is that kids are supposed to be in school during term time - parents are obliged to ensure that happens within reason. You know that, stop trying to justify something which there's no justification for.

owen_money

Gra76 wrote: »

Dear god, you're not my wife posting are you? She has a habit of twisting what I say as well... /facepalm

The odd day of sickness isn't going to impact much on attendance, and any extended sickness would surely go as authorised absences on the report provided it was backed up by a doctors note?

I can't believe I really have to spell it out, but parents who let their kids skive off or keep them at home for the hell of it are the ones who should be fined, not the ones who's kids have high attendance OR have authorised absence due to illness.

Anyone else want to put words in my mouth or post things things I haven't said that you want to make out that I've said? I'm sure it could be twisted further... lol

There isn't much more to say, you seem to have offended,

Children with learning difficulties
Sick children
Poor people
The UK tourist board
Teachers
The education system
And your wife............................

You've not mentioned old people who take ages to board the plane keeping you from your luxury all inclusive holiday, which of course is your human right to have twice a year.


Broken Britain

:(:(:(:(:(:(

Rebel_Cause

melanzana wrote: »

Hold on a minute. Are you saying that childless people like me will not be able to avail of cheap flights anymore during term time?

Me No Like That At All.... lol

I time my hols for when the children are AT school. The peace and quiet without screaming kids all round is total bliss. Please do not upset that for me. Thanks.

You're not childless... you're what I like to refer to as CHILDFREE, like me!!:j

scooby088

Pollycat wrote: »

And when do you propose teachers take their 28 days holiday?

Ok you could cut the holidays then to 28 days all year. Have same holidays as pupils then.

ronmiel

Lots of good points here, for and against, but as this was an act passed by Parliament, does the OP honestly think that the elected government would take any notice of a petition, however massive, to change this now.

Guest101

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.

Read this and thought it's slightly ironic that you have the same name as the old MP for my area and you're talking about organising a petition.

On a side note, I agree. I find the whole, you know the dates, stick to them, you chose to have a child, deal with it mentality absolutely ludicrous.

1: having children benefits the country!
2: I pay taxes, taxes pay for schools, ergo I'm paying for the education, it's not provided to me.
3: the 'fines' are a way of propping up the treasury, if it was actually serious, the punishment would be higher!
4: the holidays I take are more educational than what they get at school sometimes. Not teaching anything about the magna Carter in a centenary year, shocking!!

ronmiel

Guest101 wrote: »

Read this and thought it's slightly ironic that you have the same name as the old MP for my area and you're talking about organising a petition.

My point exactly! I'm obviously from the same area.

Jagraf

Guest101 wrote: »

Read this and thought it's slightly ironic that you have the same name as the old MP for my area and you're talking about organising a petition.

On a side note, I agree. I find the whole, you know the dates, stick to them, you chose to have a child, deal with it mentality absolutely ludicrous.

1: having children benefits the country!
2: I pay taxes, taxes pay for schools, ergo I'm paying for the education, it's not provided to me.
3: the 'fines' are a way of propping up the treasury, if it was actually serious, the punishment would be higher!
4: the holidays I take are more educational than what they get at school sometimes. Not teaching anything about the magna Carter in a centenary year, shocking!!

On your first two points, taxes are paid as a child has a right to be educated. It is not a parents right to deny that education, or to waste the tax payers money.

On point 3 I agree, and I think the fines should be increased (or in fact it should be seen as a bigger offence)

Point 4 is subjective, hence a child's right to education. Indeed a holiday may be educational, but not as a replacement.

Why do parents think they are teachers or know the profession at all?

Gra76

owen_money wrote: »

There isn't much more to say, you seem to have offended,

Children with learning difficulties
Sick children
Poor people
The UK tourist board
Teachers
The education system
And your wife............................

You've not mentioned old people who take ages to board the plane keeping you from your luxury all inclusive holiday, which of course is your human right to have twice a year.


Broken Britain

:(:(:(:(:(:(

My wife wouldn't be offended, she knows she twists what I say to suit her... :rotfl:

As for the other people I've supposedly offended...I think you've lost the power of reading. I've no idea where you get that list from, maybe you should add 'religious minorities' and 'childless couples' to the list to complete it.

My entire point is that any parent who's child has high attendance (ie - not a load of unauthorised absences) shouldn't be penalised for taking their kids on a family holiday once a year. How that can offend anyone I've nooooooooo idea...

pollypenny

Parents were allowed to take pupils out of school for holidays, not for cheaper prices, but to allow those parents who had to take their time off on a rota and were unlikely not get school holidays.

I have sympathy with those, but not with those who book a Florida holiday in September.