Schools are levying more 'holiday fines' on parents

[Vanquish-Storm]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8496345.stm

What is everybodys stance on this?

Is it a case of you pay for the schools through taxes so should be able to take your kids on holiday when you like?

What do these fines go towards?

 

[Tute]

It won't stop it happening, so it just strikes me as (yet another) tax.

The problem here is the holiday companies - until they stop hiking the costs of holidays during the school breaks, it will only get worse.

 

[zootfloot]

Its a bit of a sore subject within my family at the minute, i think that you should be able to take your kids out of school but only having given at least 3 months notice.

I think you should be able to simply because the vast majority of people do not like paying more for a holiday just because it coincides with the school holidays (up to 50% with some companies according to the wife who is an independant travel agent)

Some other members of the family think you should keep the kids in school no matter what and only holiday in school holidays.

Lets face it, kids can catch up on 2 weeks missed work, unless of course its the lead up to exams etc...thats another thing altogether.

 

[Vanquish-Storm]

Yeah i think taking kids out of school for a holiday during exams is a punishment to the kid in its own right

 

[Greebo]

They should be in school, end of story IMO.

Yes holiday prices shoot up but that's supply and demand for you.

To be honest though it only hurts the poor families. My boss who is loaded always takes the kids out of school in term time and pays the fine as its cheaper to do that than pay £3000 more for the holiday in summer holiday time.

(Probaby helps him to keep his wealth)

And where do you draw the line? What if half the kids are missing the last two weeks as everybody takes them on cheaper holidays? What happens if most of a class ends up missing? Hardly worth paying the teacher to be there and having the school open.

 

[Glaucus]

They should be in school, end of story IMO.

This, utter stupidity taking kids out of school for a holiday.

Also shop around or go somewhere cheaper. Plenty of places you can go on a budget even in holiday periods.

 

[Vanquish-Storm]

do the people saying "they should be in school, end of story" have kids? Do you agree with the fine?

 

[Greebo]

do the people saying "they should be in school, end of story" have kids? Do you agree with the fine?

Valid point and no I don't as it happens. However, if you choose to have kids then you have to make your life revolve round them. School is there for a reason and missing two weeks education is not good for your childs future especially if every year for the sake of saving some money.

 

[Dolph]

There are a few reasons why some kids may need to take time out of school for family reasons (for example, the families of service personel who don't have the same say over their home/work balance that most do), but the vast majority are just being taken out to get a cheap holiday, which is pretty much unacceptable.

Of course, there is the argument that our schooling system is so bad that they won't miss much, but that's largely a seperate issue.

 

[mollymoo]

do the people saying "they should be in school, end of story" have kids? Do you agree with the fine?

I have kids and believe that you shouldn't take them out of school for a holiday, as for the fine well i'll sit on the fence for now.

 

[jp_bl_68]

Is it a case of you pay for the schools through taxes so should be able to take your kids on holiday when you like?

Kids taken out of school during term time fall behind, the teachers can't push forward with their lessons until the absentees have caught up. Even if that's not an issue it makes sense that children be given a routine that they have to stick to, it teaches discipline and gives much needed structure to their lives.

 

[Cosimo]

Schools are for learning not taking holidays.

School term = pupils at school

The parents keep them there or get fined.

/holiday

 

[D.P.]

Just move to scotland, then you get an extra 3-4 weeks head start where the holidays are cheap.

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

School is important, but I refuse to believe that taking a child out occasionally has a major impact upon their education.

 

[Loki]

School is important, but I refuse to believe that taking a child out occasionally has a major impact upon their education.

My sentiments exactly.

At Xmas this year my son will miss the last day of term so we can go on a family Holiday a day earlier and save a good £1k. Whats he going to miss other than a taking his toys in school for a day which by and large will be lesson free anyway.

 

[semi-pro waster]

Also shop around or go somewhere cheaper. Plenty of places you can go on a budget even in holiday periods.

And if it's not about the price as much as avoiding the holiday period because it will be less busy?

I can't say I'm in favour of the fine system except in circumstances where the excessive amount of holidays being taken can be shown to be affecting the childs education. I had holidays during term time reasonably regularly throughout school (for a week or so at a time and my parents would always try to work it around holidays if possible) but I can't say that it hurt my education - maybe I'm kidding myself here and I might have done better at school if I hadn't been on those holidays...

 

[Dolph]

I do wonder how much of this attitude towards school relates to the idea that schooling is 'free' and 'a right' rather than something you do to help your kids for the future by investing in them...

 

[Glaucus]

And if it's not about the price as much as avoiding the holiday period because it will be less busy?

Then go somewhere of the beaten track. Kids should be in school. If I ever have kids they will not be taken out of class.

It's a terrible example for parents to set. Schools not important, much more important to go relax and have fun. As well as creating extra work for schools, your kid will not only be behind as Curriculum usually advances at a fair rate. but then the teach then has to get your kid back upto speed at a detrimental effect of the other pupils.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

The key here is 'without permission'. Whe ni was younger all my mum did was go and see my head teacher and i was given authorisation. This was primary school though.

 

[semi-pro waster]

Then go somewhere of the beaten track. Kids should be in school. If I ever have kids they will not be taken out of class.

And if your idea of a good time isn't going off the beaten track but equally isn't being swamped by other holidaymakers?

It's a terrible example for parents to set. Schools not important, much more important to go relax and have fun.

Well, that's certainly one interpretation. Another one would be that parents are teaching their children that a work life balance is important and that spending time together as a family doing things that you enjoy is beneficial.

As well as creating extra work for schools, your kid will not only be behind as Curriculum usually advances at a fair rate. but then the teach then has to get your kid back upto speed at a detrimental effect of the other pupils.

I very much doubt that my holidays inconvenienced a single other child at my school(s) and as for creating extra work - I was just told what chapter(s) the class would be studying so I could go off and do the homework in advance. The teacher would be marking homework anyway so whether it is done a week prior or two weeks after makes little odds, all it takes is a little bit of preparation.

I'm not suggesting that at no point might a holiday be detrimental to a childs education, I'm simply pointing out that it isn't automatically a handicap and a fine is a blunt instrument unless there is a good deal of discretion applied in its use.