GB72
Money List Winner
That is different. Agree it is wrong but that is market forces not policy that causes that.
Inequality Between UK Nations
- Thread starter Crazyface
- Start date
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
I wonder who gets fined when the kids go out on strike for their climate change protests....
U
User62651
Guest
Madness, pricing holiday currently for first 2 weeks July and it's generally a massive saving for us to fly from Manchester rather than Glasgow to most Med/Algarve spots with most operators. Seems airlines/hol operators know exactly when all school hols are. Dont mind Manchester airport but a 2 hour post-flight drive home is way way better than a 6 hour one.
Took kids out of school a week early before summer break 2 years ago, no problem from school although that may have been tightened up since, both were primary age at the time and it was last week before summer hols when I think they're on easy street. Only time I've done it so not abusing the system. English system seems a bit hard, there can be extenuating circumstances wrt jobs. I guess if the school fine is less than the saving you'll take them out?
bluewolf
Money List Winner
We've booked first class train tickets and the exec lounge at Glasgow airport. We've also got a night in a hotel at the airport when we get back, and we still save over £800 on flying from Manchester.Madness, pricing holiday currently for first 2 weeks July and it's generally a massive saving for us to fly from Manchester rather than Glasgow to most Med/Algarve spots with most operators. Seems airlines/hol operators know exactly when all school hols are. Dont mind Manchester airport but a 2 hour post-flight drive home is way way better than a 6 hour one.
Took kids out of school a week early before summer break 2 years ago, no problem from school although that may have been tightened up since, both were primary age at the time and it was last week before summer hols when I think they're on easy street. Only time I've done it so not abusing the system. English system seems a bit hard, there can be extenuating circumstances wrt jobs. I guess if the school fine is less than the saving you'll take them out?
I agree. It's madness..
Bunkermagnet
Journeyman Pro
Hasn’t it always been a case of peak times and prices for holidays?
Trouble now is that more families are having multiple holidays each year and then there are parents sepertaing and each wanting holidays with their children.
Schools have to try and curtail the holiday exodus some how because people only ever consider their wants and no one else’s.
Sadly if how it is these days.
Trouble now is that more families are having multiple holidays each year and then there are parents sepertaing and each wanting holidays with their children.
Schools have to try and curtail the holiday exodus some how because people only ever consider their wants and no one else’s.
Sadly if how it is these days.
Slab
Occasional Tour Caddy
"Inequality Between UK Nations"
When has there ever been equality
When has there ever been equality
SaintHacker
Journeyman Pro
But its OK for teachers to go on strike over some little thing every five minutes, because that doesn't harm the childs education one bit, and lets not dare suggest they do their 'teacher training' (inset) days during school holidays!
D
Deleted member 18588
Guest
Schools are required to teach for a fixed number of days each year and none of those should be lost for training days.
ColchesterFC
Journeyman Pro
I've been trying for the last two years to convince the head teacher at my boys' school to have all of the teacher training days in one week rather than spaced out throughout the year. That way families could have a cheaper holiday without their kids missing any lessons. No luck so far.
SaintHacker
Journeyman Pro
In my view it should be on a case by case basis. If the child is doing well then let them have a week off, it could almost be used as a carrot for better performance. If they slack off or go truant etc then its denied.
Sister in law was booked to go to Tunisia a few years ago during the summer hols, which was subsequently cancelled due to the terror attacks. " 2 girls, one in infants one in juniors. Only thing holiday company could offer them was a week in the Canaries during term time. Wrote to both schools explaining situation, infants agreed problem, junior school dismissed it out of hand. Wasn't until the sister went in and had it out with the headmistress that they finally relented.
Sister in law was booked to go to Tunisia a few years ago during the summer hols, which was subsequently cancelled due to the terror attacks. " 2 girls, one in infants one in juniors. Only thing holiday company could offer them was a week in the Canaries during term time. Wrote to both schools explaining situation, infants agreed problem, junior school dismissed it out of hand. Wasn't until the sister went in and had it out with the headmistress that they finally relented.
Tashyboy
Please don’t ask to see my tatts 👍
Cannot remember the amount of times I took the kids out of school over the years. I if I had not gone during term time, there is no way I could of afforded to take them to Jamacia, Dom republic, USA, Egypt etc.
One is now in the police, one is in Australia working. Would say it's not affected them a great deal. Some of them holidays were fantastic, but it was not just about sun and sea, but in the poorer countries it was also about learning cultures, poverty etc. Lessons that could not be taught in school. Fining kids for going on holiday is a money making scam.
One is now in the police, one is in Australia working. Would say it's not affected them a great deal. Some of them holidays were fantastic, but it was not just about sun and sea, but in the poorer countries it was also about learning cultures, poverty etc. Lessons that could not be taught in school. Fining kids for going on holiday is a money making scam.
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
First thing to say is that there are people fighting and in some cases dying for the right to have an education in some countries. Yet some seem to want to find ways to justify taking our children out of education here for a cheap week in the canaries.
The head teacher has the right to grant authorised holidays in 'exceptional circumstances'. And the government has stated that cheap holidays are not exceptional circumstances. Essentally the heads used to have more leeway to grant these, nowadays they do not. It is very difficult to say what an exceptional circumstance is, some heads are more hard line than others but believe it or not most heads and governors do understand the plight of expensive holidays when some parents may well struggle to afford one in school holiday time or parents who have to take their holidays at certain defined times of the year. But they also can recognise when parents are taking the &&^* as they just want 3 cheap holidays a year .
When Ofsted come to visit and they see there is a high level of unauthorised absence and unauthorised holidays they may well ask some questions. Not sure how many parents would like their kids school to be downgraded by Ofsted, so unfortunately they can not grant authorised holidays for good behaviour or achievement. Also it is very difficult for the teachers if you have pupils suddenly not turning up for a couple of weeks as the teachers have to ensure that they catch up. I have experience of the primary system and nowadays the knowledge needed is vastly different to what it was when we were all at school, especially as you get towards year 6. So 1 or 2 weeks out can make a big difference.
The fining system is very disjointed in that some heads fine more than others, some local authorities are more strict than others (remember then the money goes to them to it is a nice little earner) and academies tend to fine a lot more.
Also I am sure there are many stories of when we were kids we went off school for weeks on end and it never did us any harm etc etc. Funny you never hear much from the kids whose parents were very lax with attendance and they are now on minimum wage living in a crappy bedset with no qualifications. There is a big challenge around disadvantaged kids and kids of parents who lets say do not value education as much as others do. And at the end of the day the kids lose out on the best chance to get a great start in life if adults, who may of made the best of their opportunities they had they had when they were a child, or may well be now sitting in a bath of regret over how they wasted their chance, treat turning up in school as a mostly desirable option as opposed to an absolute non negotiable.
It is a changing world out there now, automation will replace a lot of low skill repetitive jobs and if you want more than a minimum wage job, there is a lot of competition. Other countries are ensuring their education levels are as high as possible but in our country the biggest thing that seems to exercise parents about education is fines for holidays and not the funding crisis in schools. I'd suggest you get more upset about that for the sake of your kids.
The head teacher has the right to grant authorised holidays in 'exceptional circumstances'. And the government has stated that cheap holidays are not exceptional circumstances. Essentally the heads used to have more leeway to grant these, nowadays they do not. It is very difficult to say what an exceptional circumstance is, some heads are more hard line than others but believe it or not most heads and governors do understand the plight of expensive holidays when some parents may well struggle to afford one in school holiday time or parents who have to take their holidays at certain defined times of the year. But they also can recognise when parents are taking the &&^* as they just want 3 cheap holidays a year .
When Ofsted come to visit and they see there is a high level of unauthorised absence and unauthorised holidays they may well ask some questions. Not sure how many parents would like their kids school to be downgraded by Ofsted, so unfortunately they can not grant authorised holidays for good behaviour or achievement. Also it is very difficult for the teachers if you have pupils suddenly not turning up for a couple of weeks as the teachers have to ensure that they catch up. I have experience of the primary system and nowadays the knowledge needed is vastly different to what it was when we were all at school, especially as you get towards year 6. So 1 or 2 weeks out can make a big difference.
The fining system is very disjointed in that some heads fine more than others, some local authorities are more strict than others (remember then the money goes to them to it is a nice little earner) and academies tend to fine a lot more.
Also I am sure there are many stories of when we were kids we went off school for weeks on end and it never did us any harm etc etc. Funny you never hear much from the kids whose parents were very lax with attendance and they are now on minimum wage living in a crappy bedset with no qualifications. There is a big challenge around disadvantaged kids and kids of parents who lets say do not value education as much as others do. And at the end of the day the kids lose out on the best chance to get a great start in life if adults, who may of made the best of their opportunities they had they had when they were a child, or may well be now sitting in a bath of regret over how they wasted their chance, treat turning up in school as a mostly desirable option as opposed to an absolute non negotiable.
It is a changing world out there now, automation will replace a lot of low skill repetitive jobs and if you want more than a minimum wage job, there is a lot of competition. Other countries are ensuring their education levels are as high as possible but in our country the biggest thing that seems to exercise parents about education is fines for holidays and not the funding crisis in schools. I'd suggest you get more upset about that for the sake of your kids.
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D
Deleted member 15344
Guest
The whole issue of taking the kids out of school for me is clear
Kids should be in school or education every single day Bar medical reasons or exceptional circumstances- trying to go and get a cheap holiday is not a reason for a child to miss any days education
If the family can’t afford to go on a holiday during the school holidays then they just don’t go - it’s not an entitlement it’s a luxury
But there are holidays out there people can get cheap via paper coupons etc but these families don’t want those - they want to abroad sun seas and sand
But no one can ever give a reason why a child should miss education just for a holiday because it’s cheaper
For me it’s another example of the “want society†but “want†to get it cheaper
Kids should be in school or education every single day Bar medical reasons or exceptional circumstances- trying to go and get a cheap holiday is not a reason for a child to miss any days education
If the family can’t afford to go on a holiday during the school holidays then they just don’t go - it’s not an entitlement it’s a luxury
But there are holidays out there people can get cheap via paper coupons etc but these families don’t want those - they want to abroad sun seas and sand
But no one can ever give a reason why a child should miss education just for a holiday because it’s cheaper
For me it’s another example of the “want society†but “want†to get it cheaper
Sharktooth
Head Pro
Good luck when the train is cancellled and, or runs late.
Beezerk
Money List Winner
My ex missus is a teacher (head of maths at a secondary school) and takes our daughter out of school for holidays every year. Doesn’t seem to have done her any harm, currently doing her A levels and hoping to go to Uni to study physics. My ex is very much education orientated and I imagine if she thought she was harming our daughters education in any way she wouldn’t be doing it. As long as the child makes up the lost time and does their homework on a weekend, I really don’t see the harm.
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
The training days are as the name says, training days for the teachers. And for operational and pedagogical purposes they often need to be spaced out through out the year. Different initiatives come out throughout the academic year so you sometimes need to react to them with a training day. Also just having all the training in one block will mean that a lot of the knowledge gained will be lost or forgotten as you basically have information overload and no chance to put it into practice. And you will then forget it all. And the standard of teaching will be worse. So you kids education will be worse. Still want it all in one week?
bluewolf
Money List Winner
Already considered. We've left plenty of time in the schedule, and if the worst happens and the train is cancelled then I'll drive up and leave the car there for the fortnight. Only 3.5 hrs to Glasgow from here. I've done the run hundreds of times as we used to have a holiday home on the West bank of Loch Lomond, just north of Luss.
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
If she is a teacher how does she take someone out of school in term time? Surely she should be in school teaching as well?
Sharktooth
Head Pro
Wise man. Rail system in the uk is a joke now.
Beezerk
Money List Winner
No idea, it's not something I've asked. Iirc its generally the last Friday before a break I'm not talking about taking full weeks off here just the odd day here and there.
