Hols In Term Time, What Do You Think?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-25733272
This family didn't save any money! bet they wished they'd paid extra to go in the school hols now!

[ummmm]

//He told magistrates he decided to take a family holiday because of problems with his eldest daughter, whose behaviour and school attendance had deteriorated.//

That's probably the problem. If their attendance record was superb for the rest of the year the school might have turned a blind eye.

[Buenchico]

Families throughout Europe face the same sort of high costs for holidays outside school term time as those in the UK do but, up until recently, the UK was the only country which allowed parents to take their children away during school time. Thankfully we've now fallen into line with the rest of Europe.

My answer isn't based upon the fact that I'm well-known around here as a Europhile; it's based upon having had, as a teacher, to deal with the problems of kids missing important lessons.

If you're teaching a subject without a clear hierarchy of learning it might not be too difficult to cope with kids who've missed some previous lessons but it's an absolute nightmare if you're teaching hierarchical subjects (like Maths) because you need to know that your pupils understand what was taught last week if they're to be able to make any sense of what they'll be studying this week.

If the class teacher has to spend most of his/her time trying to assist pupils who've missed a week or two of lessons through term-time holidays that means that he/she has got less time to help pupils with full attendance records who might also be struggling to cope. i.e. OTHER PUPILS suffer if their classmates have just taken a holiday in school time

[jno]

"his job as a Ministry of Defence (MoD) guard had prevented him from taking annual leave during the school holidays"

They should probably have paid the initial fine, though.

[Prudie]

OK well if the Govt want to impose these restrictions then they should also stop tour companies from inflating their prices during school holidays. In contrast to Chris, as an ex-teacher I think missing the odd week of school is really no big deal.

[sherrardk]

I'm all for term time holidays as opposed to no holidays because it costs so much and a lot of people can't get time off in school breaks. Head teachers used to have the discretion to grant an authorised absence if the pupil's attendance, behaviour etc was up to scratch. My own children have good to excellent attendance and are all achieving way ahead of what they should be so I have no qualms with them missing school. If their attendance was pants or they were struggling then I would think differently.

[browntrout]

Why didn't he simply tell the school that his entire family had converted to Muslim. Get the girls to wear the full burka. and announce that they were going to Pakistan for a week to meet prospective husbands for them.

[sherrardk]

They should have paid the initial fine, which I will do if we manage to get away this year. I will still save a small fortune.

[Old_Geezer]

I thought hols in term time was the best way to avoid the kids.
But when I got back they'd been taken into care !

[knowabit]

It's a shame the schools are not that worried about all the half days, inset days and strike days when the children miss school. Until something is done about inflated school holiday prices, then families will keep doing it.

[sherrardk]

The schools aren't to blame in all this. It is a government policy . Inset days used to be part of a teacher's holidays (so they have actually lost five dqys holiday entitlement) and teachers are entitled to strike (it would be pretty pointless if they went on strike in holiday time).

[THECORBYLOON]

Rather than the holiday firms increasing prices during the school holidays, could it not be they are lowering them outwith the school hols?

[pixie373]

No, because the "normal" price will be what it is most of the year (termtime).

[pixie373]

And if they can afford to send a full plane off in June, why can't they in July? What exactly is so expensive?

[sherrardk]

In 2012 we went on a two week term time holiday for less than a one week holiday time one in 2011 (similar spec). It's a complete no brainier (and no, I don't expect the holiday companies to keep their prices the same in school holiday times, they are businesses with the sole aim of making as much profit as they can).

[THECORBYLOON]

Why should holiday firms be made to charge lower prices because of the few who choose to break the law? Is there a right to go away on holiday?

[BlueToffee]

My sister took her grandson out of school twice a year from the age of 8 to 17. You've guessed it, not one GCSE above a D!

[woofgang]

Its amazing isn't it? I don't want to go all "we lived in a shoebox" but we got holidays away from our homes in school holidays and what our parents could afford.

[sherrardk]

Each to his own. My particular niggle with this - apart from the cost) is I choose not to be dictated to by the government as to when or if I am able to go on holiday. They bang on about 'family' this and that but then say you can only go on holiday at these particular times. They can sod off .