Ok it's just a moan, but really... school holidays

johnswife

How about the last couple of weeks of the term? The exams are usually all over by then and in our school it's sports day and sponsered walks.
Are your children doing ok in school? If they are not behind with school work then thats one objection you can deal with.

poet123

Teachers dont actually set the term dates/holidays.......the govt/LEA do that.

Idiophreak

NUF!!!!ter wrote: »

Without being accused of teacher bashing, why do teachers not agree to shorter summer holidays and a two week break every half term to ensure they have the same holidays they have now?

My gf is a teacher. In a typical two week holiday, the first week is spent catching up on stuff from the last term, tidying up the class room, filing papers etc. The middle weekend, she can actually relax. The second week, she's back to planning for the next term. In fact, two week hols are only remarkable as it's a rare occasion she actually gets a two day weekend to herself. As I said earlier in this thread, the summer hols is the only time she actually gets a "holiday" as such.

NUF!!!!ter wrote: »

And what is the teacher training day rubbish? If someone in another line of occupation has a training day they have to do it within their working week.

It is within their working week, you *utter* doofus, that's the whole point.

If I go training for a week, the work I'd normally be doing in that week doesn't get done..I'm a programmer, if I'm training, I can't program. Teachers, whilst training, can't teach. It's hardly rocket science.

It's ignorant drivel like your post (whether you wish it to be branded as teacher bashing or not) that really makes my blood boil.

My gf does near on double the hours I do in a week, she gets paid little over half as much, she gives *so much* of herself to teaching the kids she *genuinely* cares about, proper emotional commitment...and for what? For ignorants like yourself to sit about moaning about the work they do.

Incidentally, I have nothing but respect for the police, nurses, firefighters etc, but I don't think it's a competition. *All* these people work incredibly hard for little fiscal reward and are, frankly, amazing.

shelovestobuystuff

OP,that was dreadful of the teacher to just assume that everyone had been on a foreign holiday.Teachers should have more sense than to make blanket statements like that which will exclude some.They could and should have said 'country you have visited or would like to visit' instead.I have worked in schools where they are very sensitive to the childrens different circumstances and in some where they are not.One school doesnt even bother making fathers day cards in class as so many of the kids dont have a fathers at home to give the card to.Another school does the fathers day cards but says they are to be given to a person you respect as a father figure.Some of the kids gave them to the school janitor ,school bus driver or the local community policeman.
I am rambling but my point is that there are ways of putting things that do not exclude anyone and teachers should be very aware of that.
Theres nothing wromg with holidaying in Britain and free local activities are a great way to spend the summer.
As for time out of school for holidays,if its not too frequent I think its fine but I wouldnt like the kids to miss out on the very exciting last week of school,parties and end of term prize givings too often.
At my daughters end of term prize giving ceremony in the church there was one girls name called out about 10 times for evrything from poetry prizes,to sports prizes and the house cup,she wasn,t there to collect her awards and accolades because she had flown to Florida the night before for a cheap family holiday.I think the experience of the prize giving ceremony would have been far better for her than a week in Florida.

DaisyFlower

NUF!!!!ter wrote: »

gregg1 wrote: »

Without being accused of teacher bashing, why do teachers not agree to shorter summer holidays and a two week break every half term to ensure they have the same holidays they have now? What other profession gives 6 weeks + holiday in the summer? Teachers think that they are being bashed, but maybe teachers should try funding day care in the summer while they are off with their kids. And what is the teacher training day rubbish? If someone in another line of occupation has a training day they have to do it within their working week. Maybe teachers should try being nurses or policemen or firefighters before they complain about being teacher-bashed!

Teachers deserve all the time off they get and no I am not one. Some of the time in the holidays is spent doing school stuff anyway, future planning etc. They play a huge role in our childrens lives so why would we begrudge them their time off.

As for day care in the holidays, children go to school to learn - its not daycare whilst they are there - teachers are not free childminders. If you begrudge paying day care then maybe you should have thought about that before having children.

something_girl

I've never actually considered taking my children out of school for holidays, they get set holidays and plenty of them, so I just obviously work around that. It wouldn't occur to me to be taking them out at other times, as I would never want their leaning to suffer. We used to take our holidays in May when the kids were under school age, surely you just adjust to life patterns. Maybe it's just me.

gregg1

NUF!!!!ter wrote: »

gregg1 wrote: »

Without being accused of teacher bashing, why do teachers not agree to shorter summer holidays and a two week break every half term to ensure they have the same holidays they have now? What other profession gives 6 weeks + holiday in the summer? Teachers think that they are being bashed, but maybe teachers should try funding day care in the summer while they are off with their kids. And what is the teacher training day rubbish? If someone in another line of occupation has a training day they have to do it within their working week. Maybe teachers should try being nurses or policemen or firefighters before they complain about being teacher-bashed!

Give it a rest. FYI - a teacher's working week is supposed to be Monday to Friday - all the training days I know about have been held Monday to Friday i.e. during the working week. If all the teachers did as you suggest and become nurses, policemen or firefighters, i wonder who on earth you think would be teaching the kids? Try supporting them for a change - they do an important job as well you know!

gregg1

DaisyFlower wrote: »

NUF!!!!ter wrote: »

Teachers deserve all the time off they get and no I am not one. Some of the time in the holidays is spent doing school stuff anyway, future planning etc. They play a huge role in our childrens lives so why would we begrudge them their time off.

As for day care in the holidays, children go to school to learn - its not daycare whilst they are there - teachers are not free childminders. If you begrudge paying day care then maybe you should have thought about that before having children.

Excellent post - well said.

inkie

Back to the OP - I think that you should just be honest and go in and speak to school. I would not advocate lying, it can put the child in an awkward situation.

Our school does not allow any holidays in term time. Period. It ha never been an issue with us, as we just stick to the school holidays anyway - we have never found it to be prohibitively expensive.

elisamoose

Paparika wrote: »

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2005_0137

I'm sure you can get fined for taking your child out of school on holiday

Some local authorities use fixed penalty notices for unauthorised absence of more than 5 days . This is £50 per child per parent . it doubles if not paid within 28 days and court if not paid by 42 days. I know as I am school attendance officer who processes them !

I am very surprised that people feel a holiday is more important than their child's education. Amazingly school staff can't get cheaper term time holidays either !!!!!!!!!