Hi

I just caught the tail end of a story on the BBC which suggests that the Govt and local authorities will be clamping down on parents who take their kids out of school for holidays. Larger fines and even expulsions are being considered to stem the tide of term time breaks.

What do you think? Are parents that take kids out of school irresposnsible and not taking their child's education seriously enough or are the Govt and teachers over-reacting? Should more pressure be brought to bear on the holiday companies to reduce their prices? will low-income famillies be the ones to suffer once more if these measure are implemented?

Kate

Hi Bumfy

I thought I'd post on this thread while I was here asking about ear piercing :)

As you know I am CFBC and therefore I avoid going abroad during school holidays like the plague, but I do think it's unfair that the prices are SO much higher during school holidays, so that families who do not want to take their children out of school are forced to pay over the odds AND they already have the expense of paying for their children, whereas my partner and I only have ourselves to pay for!

I think it would be irresponsible to take a teenager out of school where they're preparing for their GCSEs and even missing a week of school could set them back as being at the actual lesson is more beneficial than reading someone else's notes to catch up. But as the mother in the film "Fatal Attraction" said to Michael Douglas when she wanted a few days away and he was worried about their little girl's schooling: "what's she gonna miss - trigonometry?"

Being a non-parent I'm not clued up on what is currently allowed as regards taking kids away in term time but my understanding was it was OK as a one-off or so long as they didn't miss more than X number of school days. Or whether they have to get permission from the school.

Perhaps the solution would be for tour operators not to rip people off who need to take holidays in the school hols - they could perhaps do an incentive where the family received some kind of discount if they booked in advance. Because I think holidays are important for everyone, whatever their parental status, but when I go away I want it to remain as CF as possible!

Hi again

I totally agree. I have 2 boys (12 and 14) and now they are at a crucial stage in their education I wouldn't take them out of school. I am strict about attendance and make them go to school wherever possible, I always say short of a decapitated head they should go lol. But I feel younger children can go without too much harm and I feel the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, education does not begin and end in the classroom. Maybe a compromise would be that the kids receive extra homework (with parental consent) to make up for what they have missed. I also think that a child who is behind in class or has poor attendance maybe shouldn't go either.

It annoys me that famillies are fleeced by holiday companies. I seem to remember that the Govt promised to take action to reduce the huge leap in prices during school holidays but as per usual nothing has been done. Rather than threatening and punishing parents maybe they should do something about that and then term-time holidays would not be necessary.

Kate

Hi again Kate

You know me from CFBC, well I know some other CF women who would just say "having kids is no picnic, they are expensive and taking them on holiday is expensive, if you don't like it then don't have them" but I don't like to see people ripped off by holiday companies just because they are restricted to the times they can go away - after all, school teachers are being ripped off too!!!

I agree education does not begin and end in a classroom, but sadly for a lot of kids they don't have parents who make sure their home work is done, never mind help them with it or make sure they actually go to school :( And as a CF person who always takes my holidays in term time to avoid too many small people on holiday, I have encountered these sorts of families on holidays in term time, ie they don't give a bugger about their kids missing school just so long as they get a cheap holiday.

Hi again lol

Then I guess these initiatives will be like water off a ducks back anyweay. I doubt they will pay the fines or care if their kids get kicked out of school, just so long as they have their holiday. We all know or have come across these parents before. But I think it is harsh for the majority of parents whose children do attend school regularly, for some low-income famillies it may mean the difference between a holiday or not.

If the Govt took some positive action then term-time holidays could become a thing of the past as I doubt conscientious parents really want to take their child out of school. I did it only once and felt so guilty, I was always concerned my kids would get nabbed by the truancy officer despite having written permission from the school.

I have had to tear myself away from helping DS2 with his history homework, the Peasants Revolt lol. It is quite interesting actually.

Kate