| Term-time holiday fines 09:17 - Jan 30 with 3705 views | Zx1988 |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gxknlyewlo
What do we make of these, and the 'justifications' given by parents?
I feel like I'm against this sort of behaviour (it's the typical 'a fine merely means it's okay to do it if you're rich enough' sort of thing), but accept that it may be coloured by the fact that, growing up, my parents stuck rigidly to the rules, and would never even have considered taking my sister and I out of school for a term-time holiday.
We never really had foreign holidays, either, because my parents couldn't afford the inflated costs of going abroad during the summer break. There seems to be a pervading sense that foreign holidays are a right rather than a privilege, and that you're somehow having that right taken away from you if all you can afford, otherwise, is a week at your local caravan park. |  |
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| Term-time holiday fines on 11:41 - Jan 30 with 828 views | itfc_bucks |
I'm broadly ok with term time holidays.
My wife teaches at the local primary school, I presume we're all ok with her taking them days off during the term? | | | |
| Term-time holiday fines on 12:09 - Jan 30 with 778 views | textbackup |
| Term-time holiday fines on 11:41 - Jan 30 by itfc_bucks |
I'm broadly ok with term time holidays.
My wife teaches at the local primary school, I presume we're all ok with her taking them days off during the term? |
I wouldn’t care one bit. Pull in a supply teacher for a week or so. Matters very little |  |
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| Term-time holiday fines on 12:20 - Jan 30 with 752 views | itfckenty |
personally not bothered by it either way.
my mum worked in a school, so I was never taken out during term time. but either way it wouldn't have affected my education as I never payed attention anyway. haha
but. it does all depend on the situation and I wouldn't do it during important parts of the year, like others have said - if it's certain times of the year, where exams are not an issue and missing a week wouldn't effect their education, then I have no problem saving a few 1000's for it.
ironically too, sometimes holidays can be educational (depending on what you are doing of course) |  | | |
| Term-time holiday fines on 12:20 - Jan 30 with 752 views | mutters |
| Term-time holiday fines on 11:41 - Jan 30 by itfc_bucks |
I'm broadly ok with term time holidays.
My wife teaches at the local primary school, I presume we're all ok with her taking them days off during the term? |
Yeah that's fine with me, so long as it's planned out and doesn't impact the little ones |  |
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| Term-time holiday fines on 12:24 - Jan 30 with 736 views | wrightsrightglove |
It’s definitely a policy which negatively affects the poorer people in society and disadvantages those children. People wealthy enough to pay the fines / take their kids on holiday during peak times aren’t anywhere near as impacted as those who it means can no longer take their kids on holiday.
There’s a really simple solution though which reduces the impact on everyone - reduce summer holidays by a week and give every child one weeks holiday a year to take when they want. The week would have to be a solid week rather than individual days. Heavy fines could be implemented for unauthorised absences outside of this week. This:
- enables people to go on holidays they wouldn’t be able to go on at peak times, offering the children opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise had
- reduces the cost of peak time holidays over the summer due to less demand as families would go away at other times of the year instead
I was very lucky growing up that I got to visit many different places (both in and out of term time) and I learned more from a week exploring somewhere new than I ever did in a week at school so I firmly believe travel should be encouraged, even if it’s only very local. | | | |
| Term-time holiday fines on 12:34 - Jan 30 with 704 views | GlasgowBlue |
| Term-time holiday fines on 10:28 - Jan 30 by Zx1988 |
Some interesting responses here (particularly with no kids here myself), thanks! I do rather like the idea that the kids be given something to do during the time off, be it a work pack or preparing a presentation for their return. And yes, I would agree that little or nothing of substance is missed during the last week of the summer term.
On balance, I think what annoys me about it is the constant bleating to the press, complaining that the fines aren't fair, and trying to argue that using some lira to buy a knock-off Liverpool shirt is a cultural experience.
Without considering how the other side of the deal has deteriorated since I was at school, it's all the social contract isn't it? The state will educate your kids etc., and for your part you need to ensure they attend. |
The deal broke down during COVID and the endless teacher strikes. |  |
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| Term-time holiday fines on 12:36 - Jan 30 with 687 views | giant_stow |
| Term-time holiday fines on 12:24 - Jan 30 by wrightsrightglove |
It’s definitely a policy which negatively affects the poorer people in society and disadvantages those children. People wealthy enough to pay the fines / take their kids on holiday during peak times aren’t anywhere near as impacted as those who it means can no longer take their kids on holiday.
There’s a really simple solution though which reduces the impact on everyone - reduce summer holidays by a week and give every child one weeks holiday a year to take when they want. The week would have to be a solid week rather than individual days. Heavy fines could be implemented for unauthorised absences outside of this week. This:
- enables people to go on holidays they wouldn’t be able to go on at peak times, offering the children opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise had
- reduces the cost of peak time holidays over the summer due to less demand as families would go away at other times of the year instead
I was very lucky growing up that I got to visit many different places (both in and out of term time) and I learned more from a week exploring somewhere new than I ever did in a week at school so I firmly believe travel should be encouraged, even if it’s only very local. |
cracking idea there = gets my vote |  |
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| Term-time holiday fines on 12:38 - Jan 30 with 678 views | positivity |
| Term-time holiday fines on 12:24 - Jan 30 by wrightsrightglove |
It’s definitely a policy which negatively affects the poorer people in society and disadvantages those children. People wealthy enough to pay the fines / take their kids on holiday during peak times aren’t anywhere near as impacted as those who it means can no longer take their kids on holiday.
There’s a really simple solution though which reduces the impact on everyone - reduce summer holidays by a week and give every child one weeks holiday a year to take when they want. The week would have to be a solid week rather than individual days. Heavy fines could be implemented for unauthorised absences outside of this week. This:
- enables people to go on holidays they wouldn’t be able to go on at peak times, offering the children opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise had
- reduces the cost of peak time holidays over the summer due to less demand as families would go away at other times of the year instead
I was very lucky growing up that I got to visit many different places (both in and out of term time) and I learned more from a week exploring somewhere new than I ever did in a week at school so I firmly believe travel should be encouraged, even if it’s only very local. |
i don't know if that would work when trying to teach to a gcse curriculum, fine for primary school though.
another possible alternative could be to stagger the holiday dates between regions as they do in germany, scotland already often have different weeks | |
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| Term-time holiday fines on 12:44 - Jan 30 with 653 views | yorkshireblue |
| Term-time holiday fines on 12:24 - Jan 30 by wrightsrightglove |
It’s definitely a policy which negatively affects the poorer people in society and disadvantages those children. People wealthy enough to pay the fines / take their kids on holiday during peak times aren’t anywhere near as impacted as those who it means can no longer take their kids on holiday.
There’s a really simple solution though which reduces the impact on everyone - reduce summer holidays by a week and give every child one weeks holiday a year to take when they want. The week would have to be a solid week rather than individual days. Heavy fines could be implemented for unauthorised absences outside of this week. This:
- enables people to go on holidays they wouldn’t be able to go on at peak times, offering the children opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise had
- reduces the cost of peak time holidays over the summer due to less demand as families would go away at other times of the year instead
I was very lucky growing up that I got to visit many different places (both in and out of term time) and I learned more from a week exploring somewhere new than I ever did in a week at school so I firmly believe travel should be encouraged, even if it’s only very local. |
At my cousin’s lad school, all the inset days are one week at some random time in the year so parents with lower pricescan go on holiday then. But the flip side is they absolutely will not authorise any other absences. |  | | |
| Term-time holiday fines on 15:39 - Jan 30 with 553 views | Hugoagogo_Reborn |
We didn't go abroad until I was 13. We went to France/Germany each year for 2 weeks in September. Early term time, so we could catch up over the rest of the school year. All 3 of us kids left school with good GCSE results, we met lifelong friends in France who were still in regular contact with, I practiced my German in the country which helped with my GCSE grade, so it worked for us.
My sister's boys went out of term time twice to visit family in Australia for important family weddings. That life experience was great for them, and again, both boys aced their exams and are on excellent apprenticeships.
It CAN work, but only with responsible parents ensuring that school work isn't affected. And therein lies the problem. I imagine there are multitudes of families whose kids are struggling educationally that compound the learning issues, also parents who take their kids out of school for any little reason, and otherwise put their kids' educational needs in second place without any contingency plan. Those are the ones that mean rules and fines like this have to exist. One more example of the minority ruining it for the majority. That's life. 🤷 [Post edited 30 Jan 15:41]
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| Term-time holiday fines on 18:54 - Jan 30 with 488 views | jontysnut |
My daughter's a teaching assistant and gets paid a pittance. She has no choice other than to pay inflated school holiday prices if she wants a holiday abroad. |  | | |
| Term-time holiday fines on 19:12 - Jan 30 with 474 views | EdwardStone |
| Term-time holiday fines on 11:22 - Jan 30 by textbackup |
Tell you what, I want to go to the pub that J.Clarkson owns, that’s Oxford way isn’t it?
I’ll drop it off en route |
Pub is adjacent to the A40 by the turning to Burford, about 15 miles west of Oxford
Allegedly
https://thefarmersdogpub.com/ |  | | |
| Term-time holiday fines on 00:33 - Jan 31 with 386 views | Freddies_Ears |
| Term-time holiday fines on 12:24 - Jan 30 by wrightsrightglove |
It’s definitely a policy which negatively affects the poorer people in society and disadvantages those children. People wealthy enough to pay the fines / take their kids on holiday during peak times aren’t anywhere near as impacted as those who it means can no longer take their kids on holiday.
There’s a really simple solution though which reduces the impact on everyone - reduce summer holidays by a week and give every child one weeks holiday a year to take when they want. The week would have to be a solid week rather than individual days. Heavy fines could be implemented for unauthorised absences outside of this week. This:
- enables people to go on holidays they wouldn’t be able to go on at peak times, offering the children opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise had
- reduces the cost of peak time holidays over the summer due to less demand as families would go away at other times of the year instead
I was very lucky growing up that I got to visit many different places (both in and out of term time) and I learned more from a week exploring somewhere new than I ever did in a week at school so I firmly believe travel should be encouraged, even if it’s only very local. |
Just, wow. So much sense in your post. I was wanting to add to this thread, but struggling to put my words together.i think you saved me the bother.
(As an oldie, whose dad was a teacher, I never got to miss school, and we never got to go abroad, as it used to be called. But, I did do French & German exchange trips during school time. Learning that French kids are more chaotic but generally brighter than my grammar school cohort, and German schools are (were) 2 years ahead on anything maths & science-based.)
Maybe the answer is to allow time off during school term, but only if the kids actually go to school in another country. | | | |
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