Expensive holidays during school breaks. What do we think.

Education is free in local authority schools, so no-one has to wonder whether they are getting less value for their money if their children miss ten percent or so of what their parents have paid for.

What is the message given to the children here about the value to education???

Reminds me of all the parents I saw with small children crossing at a red light, again and again, last week, with prams, toddlers, etc.

Of course, you could say that it is the other way round for holiday companies (at least to some extent); the price they charge in the summer or other holiday times is the price, and the cheaper prices at times when fewer people are free is an attempt to persuade those who can, to go at quieter times.

It is more of a disruption now because foreign holidays are more common. A generation ago or more, it was always expensive to take a holiday abroad, whether in the school holidays or during term time, so people with families took holidays in this country, by the sea or visiting relations. Now it seems that every family wants to go somewhere that involves air travel to exotic places, and rates have soared in school holidays.

A bit confused here- this has been the law for a few years now- when did he book?

DS booked a holiday at a really good price before all this came in (otherwise they won't get one), now they may have to pay a fine. DGD1 is only 5, will she miss a lot for a week? Obviously if she was doing GCSEs or suchlike then they wouldn't do it. The powers-that-be who decided to fine parents are the ones who can afford to go in the school holidays. Common sense should prevail. The HT apparently cannot authorise the absence any more, it has to go to County level. Why do travel companies, Centre Parks etc all charge triple in school holidays - it's just sheer greed.

Illness just can't be helped- holidays can. As said, colleagues and myself spend (spent for me) lots of time, and willingly, supporting kids with long-term illness, injuries and as said, pregnancy- so they would not fall behind and /or fail key exams. In their own home or even in hospital- preparing special ressources, etc.

Children never have time off school with illness? It seems every school in the country is staffed with stressed out teachers struggling to cope because a child is away from the classroom.

Teachers have always taught classes with one or two children absent in the past, why has it suddenly become a total disruption of the school year

Pity the poor teachers, though. If each child in the class is absent for a fortnight's holiday at a random point in the term, and there is never a day when everyone is there at the same time, they can never explain something to the whole class at once. It is bad enough making sure it has gone into all the heads when they are all there at once.

Each child would need to have the lessons gone over personally for each subject, with examples and checks at each point to be sure they have got it and can move on, or run the risk of never understanding what follows on from the ones they missed. That takes time and attention, and what are the ninety and nine who went not astray ones who have already grasped that bit going to do while it is happening?

If the job were not teaching children, but manufacturing cars, the equivalent would be for every car reaching the end of the assembly line needing to have a vital part inserted before it could be sold - a different one each time, of course. Come to think of it, that is just what seems to happen to some Friday afternoon cars. Would it be OK to have Friday afternoon children?

I am scared of being shot down in flames again, but I fully agree with granjura When did holidays away become a human right in the UK, over the need for a consistent education? Taking children out of school shows a lack of respect to the school, the teachers and to education in general, teaching children a lack of commitment and responsibility, and that education doesn't matter as much as having fun. Over and over I have come across children from failing schools with poor parental support, who have been off during term time to St Lucia or Spain or the Indian sub-continent, but don't know where they've been (other than the airport) and gained nothing at all from it. And their lack of achievement is blamed on the school.

I have great sympathy- with my job and husband's job- we could hardly have any time off at the same time.

If you allow flexibility, as was the case- huge amounts of time is spent discussing each case. A teacher cannot make that decision- it is always up to the Head and her/his Senior team and Governors. It is hugely time consuming- and again- how can you say yes to some and no to others without being accused of discrimination. Where do you draw the line? Its a nightmare. So best to say no holiday during term-time, as is the case in Europe and accepted- and avoid all the difficulties, and mainly damage to the most vulnerable pupils, as I've seen again and again- and sometimes in the middle of life-changing exams!

Not sure this to be the case any longer Granny23 We looked into taking ours away for a week last year and said that we would be happy to travel over the border to a Scottish airport to save some money only to be told "Oh the holiday companies have cottoned on to that one and adjusted the prices to suit". You really can't win.

Only bit of flexibility we have discovered has to do with the earlier Scottish School holidays which usually start and finish a fortnight earlier than the English ones. Scottish families can therefore get a bargain in England during first fortnight in July and vice versa. Same thing can work for flights to Mediterranean if you are near enough the border to make it worthwhile.

I didn't go on holidays abroad when I was a child and nor could I afford to take my own children on holidays abroad. But this argument is surely irrelevant. I didn't have colour TV or a telephone either. Times change and the world has opened up.

I think it is grossly unfair when a school has the right to say that a family cannot spend a weeks holiday together whether it be in Butlins, Spain, Outer Mongolia or even in their own backyard. Most working people have their holidays set by the company they work for and most have only 4 weeks per year. Surely a good school/teacher would judge each case on its merit.

Of course Whenim- as an experienced teacher, head of faculty, senior teacher and governor- sadly the majority of kids taken out of school for hols are not from 'responsible' parental background, and do not go on 'culturally and educationally enriching' holidays. And mane have special needs and are already way behind and struggling.

In the past, schools took each case on its merits. Very time consuming for those involved, with appeals, etc. End result being something like 'if your kid is bright and you go for a 'middle-class' holiday and sit your kids down to school work a couple of hours a day (and yes, it takes staff hours to prepare, mark on return and help kid catch up), then it's OK. If your kid has problems and you are going to Benidorm to eat fish and chips and drink beer, it is not. Imho, it is best to state clearly that holidays in school term is just not allowed, unless there is a really powerful family situation or emergency. Saves Heads and Governors hours and days or arguing- teachers from having to work hard to help set work, and help kids catch up- planning special work, etc, etc- but most importantly, it is best for the children, especially those with difficulties. As said, in continental europe, this has always been the case- parents really value and respect education- and taking kids out of school holidays would not even enter their mind.

I cannot tell you the number of times parents asked me to set some special work for the kids to take on hols- which took me hours to prepare- only to be told on return they were far too busy to even look at it. Then had to help in my breaks and lunchtime for them to catch up.

And cannot tell you how many times I've visited children at home to set them work and help them, during long-term illness, injury or even, pregnancy.

.....after all, we get an education despite school, in many instances! It's a lifelong thing. I realise many won't agree, but when you take responsibility for educating your child in a way that enriches what they might be doing in school, holiday activities are educational, too.

A bit of flexibility on all sides wouldn't go amiss. My daughter teaches so is unable to take the children on week long holidays unless it's a school break and the costs shoot up. There are some school years/terms when there's room for manoeuvre - she could take a few days back that she has worked for no extra pay and the children could take a bit of homework with them. She could save a lot of money this way.

Ideally, if one of us lived by the seaside they could have cheap holidays and not be at the mercy of money-grabbing holiday companies or some beleagured head teachers wielding power to appease Ofsted.

At my eldest grandson's grammar school, they allowed him four days off to go away to Paris with his dad, eighteen months ago. He was asked to complete certain homework, and his class teacher endorsed the trip to a Minecraft convention in EuroDisney as being a good thing which would enhance his IT knowledge. His schoolwork didn't suffer. How do children cope, after all, when they are off school because of sickness? None of mine suffered academically. Perhaps a debate will convince Gove to ease up on the constant measuring/targets in schools, holiday companies to get a steadier flow of customers and hardworking families (for Cameron and co are all for them!) to get value for their money.

I don't think children should be taken out of school unless it is a family emergency, however, I can understand parents doing it when the tour operators increase the cost of holidays by so much. There is a school in Somerset (I think) who is trying to come to some arrangement with one of the tour operators for reduced rates for block bookings during school holidays.

You don't need to be going abroad to be affected by price hikes, granjura. All the family friendly Hoseasons and Haven resorts charge far more in the school holidays.

It used to be accepted in farming areas for children whose parents were farm workers to be allowed out of school during the first week of the autumn term as harvest, taking place during August, meant they had to stay at home.

As a retired teacher I am well aware of the disruption, especially in year 11, but I do feel for the parents in these cash strapped times.

I did the sums like dogsdinner so I bet there will be more parents risking a fine rather than deprive the family of a holiday.

I know someone who at Christmas went to Australia for a month.. the mother and new partner did not take her 9 yr old son..he didn't go back to school until the 20th of January..the mother did not even tell the school prior (even though she knew he would not be going back on the due date when school resumed. He had an extra 2 weeks off, this child is behind with school work as it is and needs every day of education he can get, and when the ex dad complained to the school! the answer he got was,! "no further action"! the school just wasn't bothered in the least.

The object is not about fines, but about the kids education. It's impossible for school Governors to say they will weight each case on its merits- it takes hours of debate, appeals, etc. Kids going out on holiday all over the year- with sometimes several away at the same time, etc- is hugely disruptive, not just for the child, but for the whole class. And when it is children with learning difficulties, and teacher and support have been working day in, day out to help child overcome such problems- and all goes back to square one and beyond- is so sad. Personally I agree with the stance that kids should not be taken out of school during term, unless a family emergency. Where I live parents have 1 joker day a year- and parents value education too much to take time out of school- and prefer to take simpler and nearer hols when kids are small is they can't afford it.

People who are not teachers may not realise just how disruptive it is for the whole class, but especially for kids with special needs. And if they say yes to one family, they set a precedent and it becomes a nightmare for the school to argue the toss all the time.

I too think it worthy of debate because of the actions being taken by schools, I took our girls on holiday in June, I could not have afforded August, they were five and seven when my husband died, I wanted to continue taking them to the coast for a week each summer

When you work out the cost of the fines and the savings you make on the holiday it is still cheaper to pay fine and take kids out of school. Defeats the object rather.

Did we ever go abroad for holidays though? I certainly did not- we rented a really cheap chalet (shack?) with no mod cons, an outside toilet and no bathroom (we had the lake to wash in)- no meals out or fancy stuff.
WE did go to FRance a couple of times with our kids, self drive, self cater in an old second-hand tent, I must admit.

Is it really a 'right' to have holidays abroad these days?

Oh I am not so sure JessM when schools/local authorities are taking parents through the courts and imposing fines on them for having a family holiday then I think perhaps it is it is worthy of a parliamentory debate.

A week long holiday within the school holidays is often more than double the price from one week outside which is bordering on extortion!