Write a letter to School

[cherjp]

Just to add my tuppence worth here as this is a subject that annoys me quite a bit, the last time we went to florida 2006, my son had just started high school we told the school we were going to florida, the reason we were having to go at that time was my dh is self employed and our business is home improvements and a lot of people want their work done in their house whilst they are on holiday so you cannot give up your livliehood by saying no, the high school were great and gave scott all his work that he would miss, which he did the weekend before and on the plane to and from florida, but i then found out that the school were having enterprise week that week so nothing much was happening anyway!!, the same applies to the couple of weeks before our schools finish in June the kids arent doing much then either and from around the second week in december nothing happens then too!, the primary school that my younger son goes to is a very good school and really pushes them forward all the time , but it annoys me that if you were taking the kids out at these times then you would STILL be advised that the leave wasnt being authorised but hey what are they doing? nothing it seems!!

This year we are going in oct , the week before the school oct hols so we shall write and advise them that the boys will be off for a week .

 

[Jakey Rowling]

The biggest problem I have is the amount of holidays that the teachers get.
2 weeks at Christmas, 2 at Easter, 6-7 in the summer, weekends, and all the bank holidays amounts to 170 days..... there's only 365 in the whole year !!

My DH has a good job and he only gets 30 days a year !!

Universities and colleges are even worse - my sons friend is still on holiday from Christmas, and only goes back in the middle of February.

This argument could go on for days.

Indeed there is no right answer.
Reduce the amount of holidays and the price of travel during this time will only rise due to increased demand, as will the requests to travel outside the holidays as companies can't cover the condensed amount of absences.

Personally I don't have any problem with teacher holidays, it's part of the job, maybe a perk, if people like it so much then get your degree and get off to teacher training for a year. It's not for me though.

 

[cherjp]

Ah now this i didn't see - this is one of the biggest annoyances i have, this attitude!!! (finding it hard not to swear - this is a family board).

I'm not sure people outside the profession realise quite how much we need this time off. We don't just work from 8.30 -3.30, 5 days a week you know. We're sometimes working til 11 o clock at night, at least, and most of the weekend too - planning and preparing and marking. Do you think we do nothing during half terms and holidays?? Not at all - the planning, preparing and marking cycle carries on!!

Sorry to have a rant, but this attitude really p****s me off

You should try being self employed cos then you will know what hard work is !!!

 

[luke]

You should try being self employed cos then you will know what hard work is !!!

Haha alright yeah. Like Wayneg says, this thread will be locked, and hopefully soon, as it's making me angry, and you wouldn't like me when i'm angry.....

 

[SammieG]

Teachers do a fantastic job for very little money in many cases.. and they are not responsible for the constraints put upon us all by the education authority.

There are some people who think that the rules dont apply to them. The school term is for attending school and the holidays are for just that, going on holiday.

Yes, as many of you have pointed out, learning does not just take place within the four walls of a classroom - but there is absolutely no need to take your children out of school to achieve this! They get so much holiday time.

Taking them out of school disrupts their schooling no matter what age it takes place. Im not talking about a day or two here and there.. because sometimes that cannot be avoided.. but two or three weeks out of the school term is a long time where much will be missed.

You justify your actions by saying that you are "entitled" to 10 days during a school year or that a disney trip is an "educational" experience - but the truth is, you are required to send your child into school.

We havent been to Disney out of season for 4 years now, as my son is at school, but last time I was there, I was stunned how many children were there and out of school. This particuiarly shocks me with the Brits.. as the Americans in general only take a couple of days out.. so its not such an issue for them.


Of course there will always be exceptions to the rules.. where parents cannot take time off in the summer for example .. and yes there should be something in place for those who really need to take time together as a family - but many people use this as an excuse - so the education authority has clamped down. Shame.. but as i said.. some people dont think that the rules apply to them!

I know i will be flamed! so im putting on my flame retardant suit

 

[wayneg]

You should try being self employed cos then you will know what hard work is !!!

Not all of us thats self employed work hard. I sit on here half the day and go to US for 10 weeks a year.

 

[luke]

Teachers do a fantastic job for very little money in many cases.. and they are not responsible for the constraints put upon us all by the education authority.

There are some people who think that the rules dont apply to them. The school term is for attending school and the holidays are for just that, going on holiday.

Yes, as many of you have pointed out, learning does not just take place within the four walls of a classroom - but there is absolutely no need to take your children out of school to achieve this! They get so much holiday time.

Taking them out of school disrupts their schooling no matter what age it takes place. Im not talking about a day or two here and there.. because sometimes that cannot be avoided.. but two or three weeks out of the school term is a long time where much will be missed.

You justify your actions by saying that you are "entitled" to 10 days during a school year or that a disney trip is an "educational" experience - but the truth is, you are required to send your child into school.

We havent been to Disney out of season for 4 years now, as my son is at school, but last time I was there, I was stunned how many children were there and out of school. This particuiarly shocks me with the Brits.. as the Americans in general only take a couple of days out.. so its not such an issue for them.


Of course there will always be exceptions to the rules.. where parents cannot take time off in the summer for example .. and yes there should be something in place for those who really need to take time together as a family - but many people use this as an excuse - so the education authority has clamped down. Shame.. but as i said.. some people dont think that the rules apply to them!

I know i will be flamed! so im putting on my flame retardant suit

So much better put than i ever could have

 

[luke]

Not all of us thats self employed work hard. I sit on here half the day and go to US for 10 weeks a year.

Oh i'd definitely like to try working that hard

 

[wayneg]

Oh i'd definitely like to try working that hard

But thats why its so difficult for me to accept kids should not miss school for any reason. My education was non existant in final years, maybe went for 2 weeks out of the last 2 years, came out with no qualifications at 16.
Now 41 year old enough money for life, look at holidays we have taken in last 13 years http://homepage.ntlworld.com/asters/Mattyshols.htm
I am not saying to do what I did but missing a couple of weeks a year is not the end of the world for some children, but I think every child's case should be looked at individually, if they are always late, always off ill etc then they don't need more time off with a holiday.

I also accept teachers do more than what is seen, DW is a Nursery officer and we have relatives who are teachers, all do as much work at home as they do in school.

 

[Chilly]

I think everyone will have to agree to disagree. All points are valid and there probably isn't a solution.

But in my humble opinion I was taken out of school every year for 2 weeks in June up to age 15 ish and it never did me any harm. I was always able to catch up on work and the teachers never gave me any extra to do.

 

[Andy B]

I think everyone will have to agree to disagree. All points are valid and there probably isn't a solution.

But in my humble opinion I was taken out of school every year for 2 weeks in June up to age 15 ish and it never did me any harm. I was always able to catch up on work and the teachers never gave me any extra to do.

How do you know it did you no harm?

 

[Chilly]

How do you know it did you no harm?

Do you want me to list my exam results? I got a 2:1 at University is that enough

 

[luke]

I am not saying to do what I did but missing a couple of weeks a year is not the end of the world for some children, but I think every child's case should be looked at individually, if they are always late, always off ill etc then they don't need more time off with a holiday.

Going to have to agree here i guess, it really does depend on the individual case - and in the OP's case, they sound like they have good grounds to contest it, and that maybe they were sent a rather generic letter.

Also you case is not unusual, about being well set up now, after not achieving at school as much - in fact nowadays it seems that unless you're exceptionally talented at school, you probably are best being in a more vocational way of education - the middle grounders just get lost in the ether!

 

[luke]

I got a 2:1 at University is that enough

All the best people get 2:1's

Thinking back, i was taken out of school for holidays (to Florida and California ironically), i guess i'm just being short sighted from the other side of the coin now

 

[tttessa]

Hiya folks, can I add to the mixWe holiday in this country mainly, and go somewhere like Florida once in a blue moon when we have saved up for 4 or 5 years - we have fitted it all into the holiday period - yes it costs more, but like others, I also believe education starts at home -I am teaching my kids that in our family we follow the rules.

The OP stated they wanted 13 and a half days authorised i.e. 27 sessions to play catch up on (for each child's class). I am not surprised the school refused.

As everyone says, you can of course go anyhow....

But - my gripe - lets stop soft soaping it, unauthorised absence is TRUANCY (even when under parental agreement)- these figures affect the school - league tables, poularity, etc....

Tessa

 

[wayneg]

But - my gripe - lets stop soft soaping it, unauthorised absence is TRUANCY (even when under parental agreement)- these figures affect the school - league tables, poularity, etc....

Tessa

Thats what the most people have a problem with, it affects the establishment, the school won't look as good. Teachers/schools are under more and more pressure to improve league tables, poularity, etc....

Its not a decision on whats best for the children, its all about getting the attendance figures improved and making the school look better.

 

[Andy B]

Do you want me to list my exam results? I got a 2:1 at University is that enough

Good for you but what I am saying is that you cannot know if you would have done better without the regular missing of two weeks each year.

 

[Andy B]

Thats what the most people have a problem with, it affects the establishment, the school won't look as good. Teachers/schools are under more and more pressure to improve league tables, poularity, etc....

Its not a decision on whats best for the children, its all about getting the attendance figures improved and making the school look better.

But I think it can be disingenuous to say that the majority of family holidays are a positive learning experience that could not be taken out of term time.

 

[tttessa]

Thats what the most people have a problem with, it affects the establishment, the school won't look as good. Teachers/schools are under more and more pressure to improve league tables, poularity, etc....

Its not a decision on whats best for the children, its all about getting the attendance figures improved and making the school look better.

That is one of the problems, yes, but another way that I see it is that while your kids get lots of attention to play catch up - my kids (who have attended AS REQUIRED by the LEA ) get less time from their teacher and classroom assistant and therefore YOUR jolly 3 week holiday, and that of the 5 or six others who are absent - has adversely affected MY child's education.

I look at the Truancy figures and see my kids education suffering in this way, therefore do not apply to the school as MY kids education is what is important to me. My kids get out-of-school education when we go away too, it's just we can't do it in term time.
(p.s. I am a dinner lady - we don't have tons of money but I have to limit my holidays to school holiday time )

Tessa

 

[wayneg]

I think really it all boils down to if you work in a school you are against taking children out, if you don't you find it acceptable.
We have always been in a position where DS as never had to "play catch up" being far ahead of his fellow students, and still is now at 13 year old getting results of a 15 year old.
We were also very lucky having a head teacher that agreed with us.

Maybe different areas of the country find it more acceptable than others, around here I would say 10 days a year is almost the norm, even the head of school govners(high school) takes his 2 kids out 10 days a year, they are 12 and 14.