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Government opens can of worms with term-time holiday ban for school kids

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/gove-set-to-ban-family-holidays-in-termtime-7216685.html

I reckon this will be a much, much hotter topic than Gove realises, simply because of the fact that so many parents who are struggling economically cannot afford to take children away during peak-season school holidays - there will be a backlash from them for sure.

Having said that, and I am on the other side of the political divide than Gove, I must say that I have some real sympathy for what Gove is trying to do here, he is trying to break the truancy culture and is there really a more flagrant form of truancy than buggering off to Spain with your parents for two weeks during term time!!!???

I would be really interested to get peoples views on this one, my own situation is a bit different because I can only take my own holidays at set-times during the year anyway (no, I am not a teacher), but I know many folks on here have taken their kids out during term time for economic or logistical reasons.

Your views?
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Comments

  • Of course it's very important for kids to attend school but unless it's very often I think that two weeks in another country has as much benefit educationally as two weeks at school. It's the casual day to day non attendance that's the real problem.
  • I'll beg to differ SHG, 2 weeks on a beach in Benidorm is not going to be much benefit.
    For the record i won't take my son out of school for a holiday.
  • depends on their age, time of year etc...my little girl is nearly 5, I'd take her out of school no problem for a week, especially towards the end of term, although I wouldn't around any exams etc.

    it's a tough one, guy I work with has booked and is taking his 3 kids out of school for a week this summer, he's just been fined £200 per child for the week !
  • Never took my son out of school. If we couldn't afford a peek time holiday we didn't have one.
    You dont need 2 weeks in the sun every year.
  • depends on their age, time of year etc...my little girl is nearly 5, I'd take her out of school no problem for a week, especially towards the end of term, although I wouldn't around any exams etc.

    it's a tough one, guy I work with has booked and is taking his 3 kids out of school for a week this summer, he's just been fined £200 per child for the week !
    Blimey! I didn't know you could be fined, who actually fines you and how do they enforce it?
  • WSSWSS
    edited February 2012
    Wonder what parents would think if their kids' teacher just took a couple of weeks off in term time?

    You learn too much both academically and socially in a relative short period of time in school, no probs with the proposals in my eyes.
  • I'll beg to differ SHG, 2 weeks on a beach in Benidorm is not going to be much benefit.
    For the record i won't take my son out of school for a holiday.
    My thoughts as well
  • My daughters secondary school already threaten action for any term time holiday
  • not sure who, didn't get the full story, but something to do with the education authority, he wasn't happy - defeated the object of the holiday outside of school holidays
  • Why isn't there a travel firm that specialises in cheaper fares for parents & children during the holidays? They'd make a killing surely

    I took my girls out of school for holidays, because at their ages, I believed it wouldn't hurt, but now my eldest is due to go to secondary school, I wouldn't
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  • Why isn't there a travel firm that specialises in cheaper fares for parents & children during the holidays? They'd make a killing surely
    Simple really, they make a real good killing dueing the holidays

  • The head teacher makes the decision to fine £50. I'm a teacher and my head has just started
  • One aspect of the problem that we don't hear too much about around here but is prevelant in East London and places like Blackburn and Bradford. Are the Asian parents who send thier kids home to Pakistan for months at a time. At my sons school in Chislehurst one of the Afican kids has been sent home as his parents thought the standard of education was better in Sierra Leonne.
  • edited February 2012
    Just wish I could afford a family holiday this year :(

    And for the record - Michael Gove is an insipid little Tory xxxx!
  • edited February 2012
    A Tory policy I agree with!

    One point missed is that if little Jordan and Jamie take a week off skiing then another couple in the summer, then a few days here and there to go to Alton Towers, etc - all of a sudden they're missing a month of school. It's not just the effect on them per se but on the rest of class because the teachers then have to spend extra time with those kids making sure they catch up on what they've missed meaning that the rest of the class is put at a disadvantage. Multiply this by half the class and you’ve got a real problem with students not making as much progress as they should be.

    Plus everyone gets to have the holiday they want i.e. with other families or without other peoples children being around.
  • Am likely to do if for very exceptional circumstances in a few weeks time for 7-14 days (don't know yet), but in principle wouldn't any other time and think the older they get, the more important it is to not miss weeks at any given point. They learn an awful lot very quickly these days.
  • What gets me is these inset days that schools take. For those who aren't aware they are a number of days that the school closes (outside official holiday dates). These are not always readily available at the start of term.
    If the school deem them necessary, then why not take them all at once (ideally after a bank holiday). This would allow you to take your child away at an off peak period, whilst schooling disruption is kept to a minimum.
  • If I choose to take my daughter out of school for a week then its my perogative. I wouldn't do it for more than a week and not more than twice a year. Let them try and fine me.
  • I've had 3 holidays during term and it hasn't done me any harm.
  • Would rather they use their powers to make sure the Travel and Tour operators bring their prices down from the over-inflated amount currently charged when Kids break up from School.
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  • edited February 2012
    h
    What gets me is these inset days that schools take. For those who aren't aware they are a number of days that the school closes (outside official holiday dates). These are not always readily available at the start of term.
    If the school deem them necessary, then why not take them all at once (ideally after a bank holiday). This would allow you to take your child away at an off peak period, whilst schooling disruption is kept to a minimum.
    Because they are used for coursework marking and moderation, training which cant be done all in one go and needs to be ongoing, co-ordination of issues such as students causing concern - which obviously dont appear at convenient days.

    I'm not sure the posters on this thread realise quite the level of disrutpion that is occurring in schools these days. In some schools it has got out of hand - students missing 6 weeks a year (usually with parents who complain the loudest at the end of the year when their levels have dropped and who expect each teacher to provide catch up work tailor made to their special ones.)

    If you have chosen to have kids, its fairly obvious school holidays are more expensive. It has always been the case. Simple supply and demand rules apply. Budget for it. No one is stopping you take your kids out for you to save a few quid - its just there needs to be a deterrent to level the playing field so more parents will do the balance of cheaper holiday plus fine vs not missing education.

  • I have never taken either of my two children out of school for a holiday and would not on principle. Academically, they would miss so much work and then have to spend the next few weeks playing catch up whilst studying the current work. Socially it can cause problems as well. Unfortunately, when they return to school, it is not always possible to catch up on activities or topics that they missed e.g. a science experiment or drama performance for coursework. They may 'complete' the written work missed on their return but not necessarily understand it because they missed crucial teaching time. It puts them under unnecessary pressure, particularly at secondary school.
    Equally, I have some sympathy for families who do take term time holidays because of cost. However, I do think it depends on what the 'experience' is going to be as to whether it outweighs the negatives.
    It is also very disruptive and time consuming for the teachers who have to ensure that the children complete all missed work and tests etc. on their return. In my opinion, for what it is worth, it is disruptive all round.
  • Doing it for the first time this year.Also probably be the last. 1 week.My eldest is 5. Not a beach holiday either .
    Never thought I would until I saw the absolute extortionate rates they charge during the holidays.nearly a 300% mark up!
  • I took my 13 year old daughter on 'holiday' during term time last year. I wrote a letter arguing our case 4 months before the holiday dates (she would have missed 3 days school) and stated the benefits of the 'holiday'. The break was to attend the isle of wight music festival and I explained the benefits to her confidence, that she would be prepared to cover any missing coursework before the break and that a diary would be written about the experience. All true and they said yes. She wants to be a writer and seeing the real world has been an important element to her development. Leave it to the heads to judge on a case by case basis.
  • Can't see why they cant allow ever child one off exceptional holiday of say a maximum of two weeks once in there school life.
  • edited February 2012
    Would rather they use their powers to make sure the Travel and Tour operators bring their prices down from the over-inflated amount currently charged when Kids break up from School.
    A Tory government clamping down on an industry that exploits the ordinary working man for profit? Never going to happen mate.

    Wouldn't be surprised if Cameron and his ilk even think the workers deserve a fortnight in the sun.
  • I am with clem, they are my kids , I will chose what is the right thing for them and my family as a whole,


    When they start dealing with the feral scum on the streets and the no good junkie alcoholic workshy maggots, the gypsy children that travel the country not attending any formal education,


    Then I will take a fine
  • Big difference between taking a 6 yr-old and a 14 yr-old out, but I'm OK with this policy - and adhering to it has personally cost me shedloads.

    Don't buy the 'travel [to Orlando!] broadens the mind' argument (& i bet some schools would turn a blind eye to a genuinely enlightening trip). School trips do that job, and that would also be the way for low income kids to have varied trips. The family holiday - I guess it's camping, caravan or similar - no it's not exotic but it's still a holiday. You can find a way. Of course low income is not much fun, I realise that...
  • although I undertand what Mr Gove is trying to do, like most politicians he has got the wrong end of the stick & punishing the wrong parents. Truancy maybe a big problem, but it is not children from "normal" households missing a few days at the end of a school term that is the real problem, but "feral" kids missing whole weeks & months of their education.

    Last year I asked if I could take my 2 children of school age to centre parcs during term time (missing jut 4 days as they were only starting back on the tuesday) and was told categorically no............i did it anyway as the price was double otherwise and any fine (I was told the council could fine me £100) would be worth taking. I don't like doing this but I have very few options due to my family circumstances. Also I will continue to take this stance , especially when the school then decides to take an inset day (teacher training days that used to be called Baker days) on the first day back from a holiday (like today). YTeachers get 12 (TWELVE) weeks holiday a year, compared to most people's 4 or 5. I understand that some of the days they are working, but it is still hell of amount of time off. A lot of parents have to work during school time and so arranging child care is a problem..........to add another day when the teachers have just had a week off is adding insult to injury & so if the school persists in taking this stancei will persist in taking mine.
  • edited February 2012
    My oldest son took 2 months off to go to India in year 8 probably one of the best things he's ever done for his education, and development as a person, returned with a much enhanced perspective on the world and much more confidence and respect for his elders due to the project he was on.

    A close neighbour took her daughter out for a year as was very unhappy at school, again incredibly positive results did not suffer educationally and now at university.

    I would not hesitate to take my youngest son who is in year seven away from school during term time if I felt it was best for him as a person and he was gaining greater worldly experience then sat in a classroom.
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