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holiday fines
Comments
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pollypenny wrote: »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.
I remember being in this situation. When you are self employed its almost impsible to take any time off, but that was our choice.
We camped about an hour away, and every day for a fortnight commuted from the campsite to work and school. We had a big, nine person tent (bought on eBay). We didn't take our daughter out of school, ever, but still found a way around holiday time.
There are circumstances where leave should be granted, but these are few and far between.
I would of course have preferred a hot holiday but it wasn't as important as education - in fact, we achieved holidays and education. Everyone can do that.Never again will the wolf get so close to my door :eek:0 -
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.
No - it will get stricter. And I'm glad of that. Someone has to preserve education before it turns into a nightmare!Never again will the wolf get so close to my door :eek:0 -
OK.Dear god, you're not my wife posting are you? She has a habit of twisting what I say as well... /facepalm
Here's what you actually posted:
So basically what you're saying is that it's OK for you to take your kids out of school because their attendance is good, but not for other parents whose children's attendance may not be so good.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.
Regardless of the reason for those missing days at school.
Yes?
Your wife is almost certainly not twisting what you say, she's taking exception to your rather strange opinions.0 -
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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?
Interesting perspective.
On your first. Taxes are paid to run schools, however parents do not have to enrol their child in a school. Parents must simply ensure their child is adequately educated. Home schooling is very much possible, and going to school is not obligatory.
Agreed obviously on the fines thing. I find it insulting that it's so small. - I don't do holidays abroad, unless it's to visit family, so the holiday top up doesn't bother me at all.
Being an educator isn't limited to someone passing a pgce, I'm more intelligent than most teachers I've met. I can give a better 1-1 education to my child than they can. But they have skills I don't have. I wouldn't want to cope with 30x children, marking etc.
A holiday can be much more educational than a classroom. Seeing the pyramids first hand, walking along red square, looking at the mona Lisa in the flesh. Teachers teach a curriculum, a lot of which has little bearing on adulthood. It's a try before to buy career wise with many subjects.
To clarify the above I don't think teaching is an easy profession. It's very difficult. I just don't think schools provide the best, and certainly not the only, learning possibilities.0 -
Interesting perspective.
On your first. Taxes are paid to run schools, however parents do not have to enrol their child in a school. Parents must simply ensure their child is adequately educated. Home schooling is very much possible, and going to school is not obligatory.
Agreed obviously on the fines thing. I find it insulting that it's so small. - I don't do holidays abroad, unless it's to visit family, so the holiday top up doesn't bother me at all.
Being an educator isn't limited to someone passing a pgce, I'm more intelligent than most teachers I've met. I can give a better 1-1 education to my child than they can. But they have skills I don't have. I wouldn't want to cope with 30x children, marking etc.
A holiday can be much more educational than a classroom. Seeing the pyramids first hand, walking along red square, looking at the mona Lisa in the flesh. Teachers teach a curriculum, a lot of which has little bearing on adulthood. It's a try before to buy career wise with many subjects.
To clarify the above I don't think teaching is an easy profession. It's very difficult. I just don't think schools provide the best, and certainly not the only, learning possibilities.
I have no problem at all with home ed. I think its a very viable choice for lots of children. And also other forms of education, like independent school. These educational choices allow for other children to receive an education too, so good all round.
I don't think anyone can compare their intelligence against a profession. I am probably as intelligent as a surgeon, but I havent been educated in that field so I don't have those skills. I wouldn't perform surgery on my kids either, just because I have the potential of being able to do so, or because I think I can.
To be more flowery, life is a learning experience. Schools gear towards one set of qualifications, the content of which is a different debate from this. I have no doubt that a child learns from kicking a ball around on a field, or visiting monuments.
What I am saying is that if parents know better (and some might) then don't use the system. If they want to use the system, use it properly and don't dip in and out of it to the detriment of the child.
We are playing with or childrens futures by not sticking to our chosen system, and finding excuses to dabble around with it, with an excuse that we can do it better than the profession, but only when we want a holiday.Never again will the wolf get so close to my door :eek:0 -
Holidays are valuable, even if they are just a week in the sun. Nobody is questioning that.
However, school is valuable to, as is teaching your children that rules are important. It is also important to not selfishly expect the schools to accommodate your whims by providing extra holiday work, and assistance if your child has difficulties catching up on the things they have missed.
You get plenty of time out of school to go away - and if you can't afford August then try Easter or May half-term instead. Alternatively try staying in the UK - there are plenty of lovely holiday spots right here without having to spend a fortune.
I have sympathy with people who have restrictive holidays (e.g. People in the armed forces, or working on an oil rig etc etc) but I have no sympathy for people who just want a cheap week in the sun.0 -
I work in a school AND I have two school-age children.
I would not sign such a petition as:
1) Holidays can be taken in existing holiday time
2) Holidays abroad are not a human right
3) Secondary school students have continuous controlled assessments, tests, mock exams through the year so there is no "good" time to take a child out.
4) Teachers do not have time to cover old ground with numerous students who have been away, while moving on to new topics with the rest of the class.
5) Children in the UK have to attend school during term time by law.
However I am aware that some schools now refuse time off for sporting opportunities, which I think is wrong. Permission to attend funerals and weddings is also I'm told sometimes refused unless it is for a close relative. As a parent I will decide which funerals and weddings my children should attend, not their school!0 -
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Playing Devil's advocate, is that not a very valid reason FOR Term Time Holidays?It's sad how little value folks place on the education provided to their children.
It is actually a very bad lesson to them for future life to be taking them out of school in term time. In the workplace many will have to take holidays when told
Maybe all the childless adults should start up a petition so the THEY DO NOT pay for YOUR children's education.Always get a Qualified opinion - My qualifications are that I am OLD and GRUMPY:p:p0
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