Should parents take their children on holiday in term time?

It works both ways Penstemmon. Those who work in the tourist industry as a lot do, cannot take school holidays as that's their busiest time. Except for winter half term. A brilliant choice when you're on minimum wage! I assume most teachers are aware when they take the job that they'll be restricted ti school holidays. My teaching friends certainly are and appreciate the offsetting advantage of not having to pay for holiday childcare.
A bit of common sense and leeway is needed, but that's now gone out of the window.

Niobe the reference to 90% attendance was after taking the holiday into consideration. In the report I read, it was claimed the child had "more than 90% attendance during the school year" (90% being the threshold for regular attendance in that particular authority). The father took the action because his daughter "had otherwise perfect attendance at school".

Of course teachers are aware it is just insensitive parents whingeing on about the dash to the motorway on the last day of term that they want to avoid that annoyed me! I am not a supporter of teachers who whinge either. It is a hard & demanding job but so are many others!!

I think it depends on the child , their age, their overall attendance etc.

I don't think the cost of holidays should be a factor BUT if the parents work in seasonal industries or there are other factors this should all be taken into consideration.

One size does not fit all in this case.

I took my daughters out of school for family holidays when necessary but must have been one of those odd mums who made sure they did work if necessary while they were away and that they caught up on their return . I believe it had a value outside academic achievement . They learnt about other cultures , experienced things not accessible here in the U.K. Practised their math on currency exchange and generally absorbed life skills.

They don't seem any the worse for it and have done well in life.

I think it depends on the time of year and the year group. I see nothing wrong in taking a primary child away in July because all the exams are over and the majority if not all of the curriculum has been covered. The last two weeks of term are pretty much filler weeks anyway and the last week is always spent sorting out the classroom and throwing stuff away to prepare it for the big summer clean. You have to be careful with Year 6 because it depends on when the secondary visits are. It's important they don't miss them.

Secondary children are different but even then they don't work much in the last week or so.

The same goes for the week before Christmas in primary school. If a parent wants to take the child out early then fair enough as the last week is only filled with concerts, parties and entertainment.

Travel is an education in itself even if it's only to a Haven camp or Disneyland. Meeting new people, experiencing new situations and having quality family time can only be a good thing.

depends on the circumstances we never had our holidays during school breaks because that was our busy period in our family business So any holidays,( and they were few) we booked were for the last week of term when very little was happening in school ,never had any issues with teaching staff about it and our children didn't fall behind in anything,but we only had 5 summer breaks in 25 years so it wasn't a regular occurence

No I don't think they should be taken out in term time except under exceptional circumstance ( got to travel to a grans funeral etc) With sickness time and other necessary leaves like dentists, doctors so forth they already lose time .... it s ok saying 'well I took my kids out and they learned more in our week away' etc etc but if every parent did that Where on earth would the school be half the children would be away

I do understand the price issue and think that maybe you have to bite the bullet and not have the big holiday while they re in school or save up and only have one every other year in holiday time and don't forget you can get permission for some short parts of a necessary holiday so maybe get permission to leave two days before term end or something Ike that

What BlueBelle says.

I don't understand why children (or adults for that matter) NEED a holiday and have little sympathy for taking a child out to go to Disney Land. However I can see the need for flexibility for family occasions where either a long period of notice can be given (Weddings, etc.,) or a very short period is needed (funerals). I do feel it should be for the head to decide not this taking away of yet more of their professionalism with the state deciding.

I think there needs to be a complete review of the school year and the way the teachers are expected to work - but that isn't going to happen is it

It is a difficult one. And even if there wasn't a price hike during school holidays, it would still be a problem for many people. It's easy to say that there is plenty of time to take holidays in the 6 week school break, but in reality most employees have to put in holiday requests - even if employers give priority to those with children (and that's not really fair on others, is it?), there are still only three 2 week slots available, 5 if you count them as staggered fortnights. Some are not able to put their requests in several months in advance if they're waiting on their partner's holiday approval as well. It is a real juggling game for employees and employers/department managers - and even worse if the company's busiest time is the school holiday period.
I really think this blanket ban will create headaches for so many people - allowing the HT some discretion was a far better idea.

I personally do not think that children should be going on holiday during term time. When I was working, there was one person who regularly took her children away during term time. She and her husband earned in a month what some people do not earn in a year so cost could not have been the main factor. They had 2 children and could easily afford to take them away in August or whatever.

One solution would be to agree to stagger school holidays. In Germany, the Summer holiday might start in June for some and August for others. This is done on a state basis, so parents with children at different schools don't have to make separate holiday arrangements for each child, but does mean that the holiday period is extended across the country as a whole.

Luckily our kids went to school in Scotland, different holiday times, normally end June to mid Aug.

My husband was allowed 3 weeks continuously, [ I know, we were lucky and I worked for myself].

We took away the last week of term, when really nothing was going on and drove to the continent, camping. France, Spain , Portugal, with ferries from Plymouth.

These family times together have given to them more experiences of other countries than sogging on the fag ends of term could ever have given them.

Apparently this dad who took the court action (whose name escapes me) had two other children at a different school who were on holiday, they didn't want to leave one behind!

I have never heard of a child missing school in Gernmany because of a holiday. Here is it the law that a child of school age should be in school and there is never 'home schooling like in the Uk.
Holidays are staggered between North and South and the holiday perieod lasts from June to September.
I personally I cant accept that a visit to Disney land is good for a child. Missing school and thinking you can get out of what is a duty just because it suits you.

Every family deserves to have quality time together whether they go away on holiday or stay at home and enjoy the garden or the local play park. No government or court should have the right to deny this. Many parents do not have choice when they take their holidays.

Obviously it would be unreasonable (or plain stupid) to take a child out of school at a crucial time leading up to exams etc. but let's face it a week or two out of school for child with an other wise exemplary attendance record, makes no difference whatsoever.

I suppose if holidays are staggered between North and South Germany that could work quite well, however here they seem to be staggered in a rather random fashion so a family could have children at two or three different schools all with different holidays at half-term and at Easter apart from the actual Bank Holiday weekend when everywhere is exceptionally busy.

An added complication is if a parent works in a different school again with different holiday periods to their children.

"^I don't understand why children (or adults for that matter) NEED a holiday ^"

Even pit ponies had a "holiday " GGMK2! A holiday is restorative for mind and body for everyone and, without it, we'd be nothing more than machines, surely.

My son and DiL get 4 weeks holiday per year. They tend to have to take them apart in order to share the childcare. My DiL's holiday are fixed and dictated by the industry she works in (which do not always fit in with school holidays). It's fine for those who have 13+ weeks holiday a year, but everyone can't work in a school.

I need a holiday
the sooner the better

And if children live in big towns and cities it is good for them to get away to the seaside or the countryside (not necessarily Disney!).
It refreshes, restores and widens horizons.
Everyone needs a break sometimes from their normal routine.

Exactly Chewbacca

Of course there are those who probably think that the minions should work 52 weeks a year, 7 days a week.

A "holiday" doesn't have to be lying in a beach in Benidorm or visiting a theme park. It can just mean quality family time spent at home.

The father who didn't want the STATE dictating what he did with his children , was quite happy to send them to a STATE school. Just a thought...

Hmm, good comment suzied. I thought he sounded like Mr Angry during all his interviews. I've already said I sympathise with parents who struggle to get time off during the regular school holidays but this particular father seemed like one of those parents who feel the normal rules don't apply to them.

Oh Suzied that's a slippery slope!

Just a thought but does this apply to home schooled children ? Or are they exempt.

One other thing that seems to have slipped through the radar, if you are a couple you each get fined per child . But if you are a single parent you only pay once and if on benefits you don't pay at all .

Is this not some form of discrimination against married couples? Should it not be a price per child ? How does it work if there is a Mum and step dad and a dad and step mum?? Is it 4 times ?

Sounds like an excuse to get more money out of already stretched parents .