Term time holidays for kids & parents getting fined by schools...

[Mesterh]

If kids can't miss two weeks of schooling per year without it having a big effect on their level of education then I think there is something seriously wrong with the current curriculum.

 

Travel broadens the mind and benefits our health fact.

[Goaty]

Lots of valid points raised. I dont have kids. I see it from all angles. Two weeks holiday a year shouldn't be a problem. What happens is you get mumps or chickenpox. 2 weeks off. Never heard anyone say they failed school due to two weeks of illness.

If the authorities were that concerned they would take back 10 days holidays from the months off education gets every year. Incooperate them back into school term time.

If they did that we would have teachers strikes again.

 

I was intelligent enough at school but not interested. It didn't suit me well at all. I always thought why should we have homework? if we didn't achieve the nessasary in school time we were being failed.

Your childhood/family time is 10 or so years you will never get again. Crucial formative years which seem to get neglected in too many families these days

[Billhook]

Just to add !! I learnt a hell of a lot more French and German going on holiday rather than being stuck in some boring classroom with a bunch of kids who didn't give a crap what some boring teacher was scribbling on a black board !

 

You just started me thinking after that and all I can say is that anything I am any good at now, I was not taught at school!

[benedmonds]

Taking your kids out of school in term time causes more work for the teachers. While at primary age it may not be important when they get to secondary it is more and more so.

 

Teachers have a limited time to teach the syllabus and if your child misses classes then they may miss something that is the foundation for later work.

 

The teacher then has to spend more time with your child or give extra work to help them them catch up. This may not be much if it is only one child, but if your whole classwais doing it it would become a right PITA.

 

While I agree a good student on a fantastic tour is almost certainly likely to benefit them, taking a struggling student to Disney Land probably isn't going to give them any advantages and may push them back. The consequence of that is the teacher spending even more time on them and less on the rest of the class. So the whole class suffers due to the selfish behaviour of one individual in the class.

 

I believe heads do have discretion to wave the fines if you really have no option, but if they do it once they are going to have to be able to defend their decision when others ask the same. Therefore it is simpler to have a blanket ban..

 

Speaking as an ex secondary school teacher and father of 4 who takes holidays in the school holidays....

[skyhuck]

Taking your kids out of school in term time causes more work for the teachers. While at primary age it may not be important when they get to secondary it is more and more so.

 

Teachers have a limited time to teach the syllabus and if your child misses classes then they may miss something that is the foundation for later work.

 

The teacher then has to spend more time with your child or give extra work to help them them catch up. This may not be much if it is only one child, but if your whole classwais doing it it would become a right PITA.

 

While I agree a good student on a fantastic tour is almost certainly likely to benefit them, taking a struggling student to Disney Land probably isn't going to give them any advantages and may push them back. The consequence of that is the teacher spending even more time on them and less on the rest of the class. So the whole class suffers due to the selfish behaviour of one individual in the class.

 

I believe heads do have discretion to wave the fines if you really have no option, but if they do it once they are going to have to be able to defend their decision when others ask the same. Therefore it is simpler to have a blanket ban..

 

Speaking as an ex secondary school teacher and father of 4 who takes holidays in the school holidays....

 

No, the fine is for "unauthorised absence" the head can "authorise" the absence in which case there would be no penalty.

[skyhuck]

Personally I think all students should be given two weeks floating holiday (taken from the existing holiday) then all families (teacher would also have the floating weeks) could chose when they went away and this would break the holiday Co cartel.

[Mark Bolam]

This thread is irrelevant to me.

My kids are home-educated.

[eggsarascal]

This thread is irrelevant to me.

My kids are home-educated.[ATTACH]197006[/ATTACH]

 

You forgot the fags.

[easy-lift guy]

Taking your kids out of school in term time causes more work for the teachers. While at primary age it may not be important when they get to secondary it is more and more so.

 

Teachers have a limited time to teach the syllabus and if your child misses classes then they may miss something that is the foundation for later work.

 

The teacher then has to spend more time with your child or give extra work to help them them catch up. This may not be much if it is only one child, but if your whole classwais doing it it would become a right PITA.

 

While I agree a good student on a fantastic tour is almost certainly likely to benefit them, taking a struggling student to Disney Land probably isn't going to give them any advantages and may push them back. The consequence of that is the teacher spending even more time on them and less on the rest of the class. So the whole class suffers due to the selfish behaviour of one individual in the class.

 

I believe heads do have discretion to wave the fines if you really have no option, but if they do it once they are going to have to be able to defend their decision when others ask the same. Therefore it is simpler to have a blanket ban..

 

Speaking as an ex secondary school teacher and father of 4 who takes holidays in the school holidays....

 

You sir are correct:thumbup1:. The teachers can only do so much and playing catch up while the rest of the class is ahead for the sake of parents and scheduling and funds available to take holidays, Enough!

Its all about choice and your kids future. How the parents want to handle it is a matter of exercising common sense and putting your kids education on the front burner. Kids don't deserve to be left holding the bag, again!. BTW, Stop fining the parents for their children not attending school.

Make it simple by having a mandatory number of days per school year. Not enough days to complete your school year, than summer school for the student, or just hold the student back another year. Absents due to illness would be permitted, within reason:sneaky2:

easy-lift guy

[easy-lift guy]

This thread is irrelevant to me.

My kids are home-educated.[ATTACH]197006[/ATTACH]

 

Mark, that must be Two chips off the old block!. Are your kids home schooled as well?

easy-lift guy