Term time holidays 31 May 2016 at 8:29AM in Campaigns corner 8 replies 4.9K views

spob

What do you all think would be a viable proposal to put forward to the governent regarding term time holidays? There was a school who had all their inset days over one week to help parents to book a cheaper week away - would this be a good idea do you think, or can you think of a better idea?

jaybeetoo

Bring back common sense and let the head decide. I don't agree with holidays in term time unless it is for a genuine reason e.g. family funeral. For me, cheap holidays is not a reason to take children out of school.

Bigphil1474

My kids are grown up now, and I can go on cheap holidays during term time. Isn't the reality that, if school holidays are widened or vary from place to place, the cheap period will shrink, and more of us will pay more for our holidays. Is it 'more expensive' holidays in the school holiday period, or 'cheaper holidays' in term time? Both sides of the same coin. Who's to say what the normal price would be.
Schools could look at having some sort of flexible week in June or September, where parents could take their kids away, and for those that don't go away on holiday, the school can do some sort of life learning education, outside of the normal curriculum. That way nobody misses out on their core education.

Jake0307

Regulate half-term holiday prices? E.g. cap % price rises?

takman

Jake0307 wrote: »

Regulate half-term holiday prices? E.g. cap % price rises?

There are no price rises during school holidays. The prices are discounted the rest of the year to attract more business.

If they charged any lower prices during peak periods these companies would struggle to survive and lots of people would loose their jobs. Companies such as Haven already close during the winter months due to low demand.
Also Centreparcs only make around 5% profit a year and that is with an almost 100% occupancy rate throughout the year. So if they had to reduce prices they would certainly make a loss and collapse!

DCodd

takman wrote: »

There are no price rises during school holidays. The prices are discounted the rest of the year to attract more business.

If they charged any lower prices during peak periods these companies would struggle to survive and lots of people would loose their jobs. Companies such as Haven already close during the winter months due to low demand.
Also Centreparcs only make around 5% profit a year and that is with an almost 100% occupancy rate throughout the year. So if they had to reduce prices they would certainly make a loss and collapse!

That's the DFS theory of pricing models.:D


These companies charge higher rates when demand is high (School Holidays) which revert back to standard rates for the rest of the year which then get discounted when demand is low or competition is high. It is no different to any other business. It is just that Parents with school age children are mainly forced to buy when the demand is at it's peak.

Bigphil1474

Really? Surely, demand is at it's peak because parents with school age children all want to go on holiday at the same time. Take them out of the equation, and there wouldn't be the same demand, so prices could come down. Therefore, ban parents with school age kids from ever going on holiday, and everyone else will have cheaper holidays.
I think Takman has probably got it right - prices are lower outside of school hols, to increase business, not higher in school hols. However, it's up to holiday companies what they charge. If people didn't pay the 'inflated' prices, they'd have to bring them down.

DCodd

Bigphil1474 wrote: »

Really? Surely, demand is at it's peak because parents with school age children all want to go on holiday at the same time. Take them out of the equation, and there wouldn't be the same demand, so prices could come down. Therefore, ban parents with school age kids from ever going on holiday, and everyone else will have cheaper holidays.
I think Takman has probably got it right - prices are lower outside of school hols, to increase business, not higher in school hols. However, it's up to holiday companies what they charge. If people didn't pay the 'inflated' prices, they'd have to bring them down.

Your theory is flawed because if, as it seems, that everyone wants to go on holiday during the school holiday times then the demand wouldn't change so neither would the cost. Even if the demand did fall then the cost of holidays outside of the school holidays would increase to cover the shortfall in revenue.

jrtfan

It could be argued that those without children might be better placed to afford the higher prices, so in this respect would it necessarily be a bad thing?