MSE News: Four out of five back right to take kids on term-time holidays

maman

Man_on_fire wrote: »

It really frustrates me when people think they know how to bring up others' kids.

That's what teachers are trained for but if you really think you could do a better job of educating your own then Home Schooling is an option.


With the exception of things like a few family occasions then the only reason given for taking children out in term time is to save money. Cultural activities in Rome (or even cultural activities at Disneyland;)) are still there to improve children's minds during school holidays.


I have to agree with malkie. One aspect of education is to teach about the world of work. How many adults would ask for additional leave from an employer and when it was refused go anyway??

Man_on_fire

malkie76 wrote: »

Is teaching them that rules don't apply to them considered a good education ?

My taxes pay for the education system, so I'm perfectly entitled to an opinion, and I'm relying on the current cohort of children to be tomorrow's doctors architects politicians etc etc.

There's absolutely no justification for electing to take your children out at your choosing purely to save money.

Actually as the current rules stand taking your children on holiday during term time is within the rules provided they have good attendance. I think their dad taught them a very good lesson that in a free society, if you are confident of the rules, and someone makes threats at you that you can stand up for yourself and win.

Kim Jong-un's taxes pay for his peoples education and they darn't challenge his authority and its working out so well for them.

Do you really think that it a child has a holiday in term time they won't be able to become a doctor or architect? The quality of their teachers is of far more importance than missing a week or two of schooling.

I was lucky enough to go to a run-down grammar school & received a good education. Both of my brothers went to a Comprehensive that had loads of state of the art equipment, but their teachers lacked the passion that mine had. Do you really think that if I had missed a couple of weeks of schooling that they would have faired better than me at exams?

bigadaj

Man_on_fire wrote: »

Actually as the current rules stand taking your children on holiday during term time is within the rules provided they have good attendance. I think their dad thought them a very good lesson that in a free society, if you are confident of the rules, and someone makes threats at you that you can stand up for yourself and win.

Kim Jong-un's taxes pay for his peoples education and they darn't challenge his authority and its working out so well for them.

Do you really think that it a child has a holiday in term time they won't be able to become a doctor or architect? The quality of their teachers is of far more importance than missing a week or two of schooling.

I was lucky enough to go to a run-down grammar school & received a good education. Both of my brothers went to a Comprehensive that had loads of state of the art equipment, but their teachers lacked the passion that mine had. Do you really think that if I had missed a couple of weeks of schooling that they would have faired better than me at exams?

You've bottled that with a Kim Jong un reference, you should be quoting hitler or Stalin surely?

malkie76

bigadaj wrote: »

You've bottled that with a Kim Jong un reference, you should be quoting hitler or Stalin surely?

Current version of Godwin's Law

Man_on_fire

lol I was simply pointing out that it is healthy for people in society to be able challenge authority and not blindly follow.

Man_on_fire

malkie76 wrote: »

Current version of Godwin's Law

Lol you learn something new everyday

malkie76

DomRavioli wrote: »

Firstly, maybe £5k isn't a lot of money to you, but to the people who went on this holiday it is a lot of money. £200 isn't a "few quid" its 200 quid.

the happy couple didn't envisage a problem, nor did they even stop to think in planning their wedding that people coming from abroad would have to pay to take their children out of school.

My child's education? Since when did my partner's little brother become my child? Literally read the post you absolute troll idiot.

Maybe spend some of your money (seen as 200 quid each, 5 grand overall isn't a lot to you) and please get some common sense and the ability to process basic information.

If you'd prefer me to clarify and say "the child you are referring to", rather than "your child" then I'll happily do that. It doesn't alter the point I'm making. Given you've resorted to posting insults rather than make a sensible challenge, I can only conclude my point stands.

malkie76

Do you really think that it a child has a holiday in term time they won't be able to become a doctor or architect? The quality of their teachers is of far more importance than missing a week or two of schooling.

Possibly, so why risk it ? That's my only point - it's unnecessarily disruptive, and needs to be banned.

Don't think I'm saying holidays and travel aren't educational - but they should be in addition to term time, not instead of.

duchy

richardw wrote: »

Would you prefer a shorter main summer break and say an official school holiday at an off peak period so you wouldn't have to take them out and could get a cheaper holiday?

My sons primary school did this for years. The Whitsun half term was two weeks instead of one and the kids broke up a week later in the summer. Win, win the school wasn't dealing with with lots of half empty classrooms the first week in June and parents who didn't want to take their kids off in term time benefited from a cheaper summer holiday. The LEA had no objection provided there were no complaints . All went well for years until two families had kids go up to high school and complained the terms were different by a week and it didn't suit them. The LEAs response was ....you have complaints and even though it's only two families you have to fall back in line with the other schools. It wasn't a popular decision.

My Dad was a travel agent and my Mum hated to fly so we'd usually go on a two week cruise to include Whitsun that was on a last minute trade discount. The school was more than happy as they felt places like Pompei or Corinth or Athens were educational and as my brother and I were bright kids anyway we weren't missing anything we couldn't catch up on...and as our parents never kept us off for minor stuff like coughs and colds our attendance was good anyway.

I had an ex partner whose child was always taken away by her Mum the first two weeks in September however and I always felt that was wrong as it is an important part of the school year with a move into a new class, new teacher etc .

I do think schools should be able to block out certain times for holidays in term time. Start of the year, SATS etc.

My own feeling is at primary level there can be flexibility ,once they hit high school age not so much.

duchy

DomRavioli wrote: »

Firstly, maybe £5k isn't a lot of money to you, but to the people who went on this holiday it is a lot of money. £200 isn't a "few quid" its 200 quid.

the happy couple didn't envisage a problem, nor did they even stop to think in planning their wedding that people coming from abroad would have to pay to take their children out of school.

My child's education? Since when did my partner's little brother become my child? Literally read the post you absolute troll idiot.

Maybe spend some of your money (seen as 200 quid each, 5 grand overall isn't a lot to you) and please get some common sense and the ability to process basic information.

To be fair presumably not all of the large party were of school age so some of the party could have presumably travelled out earlier and reduced the fares somewhat.....although I do agree £200 per person even for a family of four is a significant sum to many families.