is it fair????

[roaminblue]

Haven't read the whole thread, and not suggesting this is the op's reasoning, but I can't imagine there are many reasons to take a week long holiday in term time for many reasons other than to save money.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm a bit of a cynic.

An individuals attitude towards education and work are created at an early age. Something of a "psychological contract" is formed, and from my (admitedly relatively shallow pool of) understanding once rooted, these attitudes are hard to shift.

Personally, I do not know effective teaching methods, I don't know what works when trying to get someone else to learn. I doubt many parents do either.

The penalties for taking kids out of school, in my mind, are a good thing.

They are designed to ensure that children aren't missing out on education for whimsical reasons.

And honestly, like in a number of other hotly debated topics, most parents do not know better than the professionals; despite what they may think.

It may be very easy to simply say "oh its only a week" but do the parents truly know what impact that week may have?

I was never very good at maths. If I missed the start or a topic, say through being unwell, that missed lesson may be the base of the pyramid from which the more complex topics are formed. I found it very hard to catch up with the rest or the lessons because I missed an integral subject.

Can a parent get their kids up to speed? Considering most would fail a maths gcse (and combined with not knowing proper teaching methods, I'd suggest not)

If parents are dead set on going on holiday in term time, there is always boarding school....

 

[Gelsons Dad]

Haven't read the whole thread, and not suggesting this is the op's reasoning, but I can't imagine there are many reasons to take a week long holiday in term time for many reasons other than to save money.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm a bit of a cynic.

An individuals attitude towards education and work are created at an early age. Something of a "psychological contract" is formed, and from my (admitedly relatively shallow pool of) understanding once rooted, these attitudes are hard to shift.

Personally, I do not know effective teaching methods, I don't know what works when trying to get someone else to learn. I doubt many parents do either.

The penalties for taking kids out of school, in my mind, are a good thing.

They are designed to ensure that children aren't missing out on education for whimsical reasons.

And honestly, like in a number of other hotly debated topics, most parents do not know better than the professionals; despite what they may think.

It may be very easy to simply say "oh its only a week" but do the parents truly know what impact that week may have?

I was never very good at maths. If I missed the start or a topic, say through being unwell, that missed lesson may be the base of the pyramid from which the more complex topics are formed. I found it very hard to catch up with the rest or the lessons because I missed an integral subject.

Can a parent get their kids up to speed? Considering most would fail a maths gcse (and combined with not knowing proper teaching methods, I'd suggest not)

If parents are dead set on going on holiday in term time, there is always boarding school....

Who'd want a holiday in a boarding school? Unless it's a Harry Potter themed all inclusive with extra lashings for the bad kids ;-)

 

[roaminblue]

Hahaha!

Very good

 

[roaminblue]

Hahaha!

Very good

 

[Ste1969]

My parents would have got stung with fines bigtime, as each time we went on hols it was the 1st week in september as it was cheaper.......... pontins .... butlins etc.

 

[117 M34]

Bury council sent the Mrs a £60 fine the other week but not me one,my Mrs paid hers even though she strongly disagrees with doing so,she can't afford to lose her job through any resulting prosecution.The day she tried to pay the fine over the phone they didn't have the facility to take payments so said could she ring back tomorrow,my mrs told them we were away on holiday that afternoon so the woman said she should get someone to pay it for her whilst she was away or the fine would go up to £120! Yesterday i received a letter from Bury council saying 'following consultation with the solicitor to the council and director of childrens services,it has been agreed that proceedings be instituted in the Bury magistrates' court under section 444 of the education act 1996,against the under mentioned parent(s) for failing to send (my son) to school regulary. blimey i feel like the worst father in the world,what terrible parents we really are,how uncaring and selfish of us to take my beautiful,intelligent loving 5 year old child out of school and give him an unforgettable week away in Spain,we did everything we could to tell the school weeks before we went,asked his teacher what work we could take with us to which she replied it wasn't necessary,beginning to get very paranoid about it all now and wondering if my child is going to have a little black mark against his name by these nazi's,there is 100% no way i am going to pay the fine,put me in jail or whatever they like.All this trouble they are causing all over a 5 year old child going away for a week with his loving,caring,responsible parents.Like the lad from Poland says alot of kids don't start school till they are 7,5 year old children need to be having fun as well as learning how to read and write,i will fight them on the beaches!

So you wanted the teacher to do extra work and find work in advance for your child because you wanted to take them on holiday to save money and were surprised when they wouldn't give you any?

I never have and never will give work to children if they are going off on holiday.<br /><br />-- Sun Sep 08, 2013 9:56 pm --<br /><br />

Send the headmaster a bill for child care when there`s an in service training day.
I remember when teachers used to teach for the love of teaching!

Remember this one?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/educatio...ls-Marbella-trip-after-mounting-pressure.html

Just remember it when the teachers go on strike or 'training day', invoice the fuckers.

For what, babysitting?
You two do realise teachers aren't babysitters don't you?

Oh, and 'training days' were taken out of teacher's holidays, so if there were no training days, the children would still be in school the same number of days, it is only the teachers who are in school more due to training days.
Also, next time you moan about how teachers nowadays a rubbish or whatever other nonsense you say/think, how do you expext them to get better without further training?

Maybe they could do this training during the many holidays that Teachers get ? To add inset days onto the six weeks summer holidays is ridiculous.

Can you not read?

 

[unsworthblue]

Bury council sent the Mrs a £60 fine the other week but not me one,my Mrs paid hers even though she strongly disagrees with doing so,she can't afford to lose her job through any resulting prosecution.The day she tried to pay the fine over the phone they didn't have the facility to take payments so said could she ring back tomorrow,my mrs told them we were away on holiday that afternoon so the woman said she should get someone to pay it for her whilst she was away or the fine would go up to £120! Yesterday i received a letter from Bury council saying 'following consultation with the solicitor to the council and director of childrens services,it has been agreed that proceedings be instituted in the Bury magistrates' court under section 444 of the education act 1996,against the under mentioned parent(s) for failing to send (my son) to school regulary. blimey i feel like the worst father in the world,what terrible parents we really are,how uncaring and selfish of us to take my beautiful,intelligent loving 5 year old child out of school and give him an unforgettable week away in Spain,we did everything we could to tell the school weeks before we went,asked his teacher what work we could take with us to which she replied it wasn't necessary,beginning to get very paranoid about it all now and wondering if my child is going to have a little black mark against his name by these nazi's,there is 100% no way i am going to pay the fine,put me in jail or whatever they like.All this trouble they are causing all over a 5 year old child going away for a week with his loving,caring,responsible parents.Like the lad from Poland says alot of kids don't start school till they are 7,5 year old children need to be having fun as well as learning how to read and write,i will fight them on the beaches!

So you wanted the teacher to do extra work and find work in advance for your child because you wanted to take them on holiday to save money and were surprised when they wouldn't give you any?

I never have and never will give work to children if they are going off on holiday.

-- Sun Sep 08, 2013 9:56 pm --

For what, babysitting?
You two do realise teachers aren't babysitters don't you?

Oh, and 'training days' were taken out of teacher's holidays, so if there were no training days, the children would still be in school the same number of days, it is only the teachers who are in school more due to training days.
Also, next time you moan about how teachers nowadays a rubbish or whatever other nonsense you say/think, how do you expext them to get better without further training?

Maybe they could do this training during the many holidays that Teachers get ? To add inset days onto the six weeks summer holidays is ridiculous.

Can you not read?

no i didn't want the teacher to do any extra work i basically asked her if there was anything we could take with us,ie any books that he was reading at the time,taking my son out of school had absolutely nothing to do with saving money

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

I wanted my eldest to bring her daughter and son (the son I have yet to meet) this week but my daughter said it was first week at school for the eldest (who is 4 and a half) and that she'd get fined too.
Problem is flights are way to high in the summer months - so she's going to bring them over a week before Easter next year - I told her to call the school on the day of departure and say she has chicken pox. End of. You don't need a sick note and they wont ask her to come in for an examination either!!

Job sorted ;)

 

[ChicagoBlue]

This must be more of that FREEDOM you guys are always talking about?

Fucking country has gone to the dogs when PARENTS WHOSE TAXES PAY FOR THE SCHOOLS AND THE WAGES OF THE TEACHERS AND THE REST ARE FINED WHEN THEY TAKE THEIR KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL....even when they give the school a valid reason ahead of time!

Freedom my arse!

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

I thought you were allowed so many un-authorized absence days before any fine kicked in?


btw we are having the same prob with my lad, so he's gone 'sick'.

This is the one area of modern life I hate.

When my two sons were 11 and 9 we took them out of school for a fortnight to go on a family holiday to Florida thats nearly 20 years ago now.

I was upfront asked the permission of the headmaster and he gave his consent not a problem.

I even took the eldest lad out of school back in the mid 90's to see an Oasis concert in Glasgow and that wasn't even a problem.

I sympathise dealing with these bureaucrats perhaps "The Ways And means Act" is the way forward, ie he's sick!!