East Lancashire parents hit back at government plans to axe holidays during school term time (From Lancashire Telegraph)

I agree with the comments from parents above about family emergencies, health issues etc. but going on holiday is simply not a good enough reason to take children out of school. How would those parents feel if the teachers just naffed off for two weeks so they could get a cheaper holiday?

more pressure from the notrights so they can go home 6 months of the year

Will the goverment also be sorting out travel agents and other such holiday people who hike the price of a family holiday that much you can't afford to take the holidays during actual school holiday time.

Providing the occasions are limited can't see a problem. The kids will get far more out of a family holiday than say a single weeks schooling.

The problems is travel companies hiking prices during school holidays. Perhaps the government should do something about this first.

Yet schools can send the kids home asking for £900 for ski trips etc which are taken during term time. We could get all inclusive for the whole family for that. It's good for kids to have that quality time with parents experiencing different countries and cultures.

It might be that the parents of children might not be able to get holiday leave during school time. What then the entire family suffer by not being allowed a holiday. I am sure with assistance the school can give extra school work for the children. But agree a max of 10 school days, per accademic year.

prince of darkness wrote:
It might be that the parents of children might not be able to get holiday leave during school time. What then the entire family suffer by not being allowed a holiday. I am sure with assistance the school can give extra school work for the children. But agree a max of 10 school days, per accademic year.

I was going to come on backing the stance to deny in-term holidays but then I read your point above and thought, 'that shines a light on it I've never thought before'. Excellent point, that.

My son takes our grandson on holiday using the authorised absence route when he is home on leave from Afghanistan!

This was never an issue back in the sixties when flying somewhere was for the well heeled business person, now its become common practice to expect a holiday abroad. Never thought about Blackpool. Even the people on unemployment are flying for holidays nowadays. Then I get some knobber from the government saying my road tax will only be £30 a year if I buy a car that puts out less emissions to reduce my carbon footprint. A jet plane on the other hand puts out more emissions in one journey than my car will in twenty years, whatever the tax band. The CO2 emitted by a common passenger jet plane is around 10Kg/km so its about time that there were no such thing as passenger jet planes. I can't see anyone taking authorised absence to go to Blackpool can you?
I now expect a battering from the its not my problem I am killing the environment, I'm getting a good tan brigade.

Keep Darwen Green wrote:
This was never an issue back in the sixties when flying somewhere was for the well heeled business person, now its become common practice to expect a holiday abroad. Never thought about Blackpool. Even the people on unemployment are flying for holidays nowadays. Then I get some knobber from the government saying my road tax will only be £30 a year if I buy a car that puts out less emissions to reduce my carbon footprint. A jet plane on the other hand puts out more emissions in one journey than my car will in twenty years, whatever the tax band. The CO2 emitted by a common passenger jet plane is around 10Kg/km so its about time that there were no such thing as passenger jet planes. I can't see anyone taking authorised absence to go to Blackpool can you?
I now expect a battering from the its not my problem I am killing the environment, I'm getting a good tan brigade.

What's the solution then,tax all carbon emissions?.

JayneyG wrote:
Yet schools can send the kids home asking for £900 for ski trips etc which are taken during term time. We could get all inclusive for the whole family for that. It's good for kids to have that quality time with parents experiencing different countries and cultures.

Best quote of the year thus far. A woman I work with had to pay £1500 to send her son to Japan "during term time." The whole thing is a massive oxymoron. We took our children to Florida last year with a week of it unauthorised in term time. The children have never learnt as much in their lives.

Paul The Octopus Lives! wrote:

JayneyG wrote:
Yet schools can send the kids home asking for £900 for ski trips etc which are taken during term time. We could get all inclusive for the whole family for that. It's good for kids to have that quality time with parents experiencing different countries and cultures.

Best quote of the year thus far. A woman I work with had to pay £1500 to send her son to Japan "during term time." The whole thing is a massive oxymoron. We took our children to Florida last year with a week of it unauthorised in term time. The children have never learnt as much in their lives.

absolutely Bang On Both comments. The whole thing is hypocritical.
on another point Just had a week off and then an "inset" day tagged on to it, no-one at the school cares how we are supposed to handle that work wise. Wish we could close the business 4 times a year for "Training Days",

Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders representing secondary school heads, said: “The discretionary 10 days has become a bit of a cultural expectation with parents viewing it as a right in some cases. It is not.

“Children only have one chance to get their education right and for schools to do their best for pupils, it is essential that they have good attendance. Parents taking children out to go on holiday just to get a good deal is disruptive and makes life very difficult for teachers.”

Absolutely spot on Brian.
As far as the cultural bit is concerned, parents take their children out of school for several months and then expect the school to have a place for them when they return. Not only that if there is a place available, they then moan if the child is placed in a 'remedial' or lower class so that they can catch up.

onlyonesimongarner wrote:

Paul The Octopus Lives! wrote:

JayneyG wrote:
Yet schools can send the kids home asking for £900 for ski trips etc which are taken during term time. We could get all inclusive for the whole family for that. It's good for kids to have that quality time with parents experiencing different countries and cultures.

Best quote of the year thus far. A woman I work with had to pay £1500 to send her son to Japan "during term time." The whole thing is a massive oxymoron. We took our children to Florida last year with a week of it unauthorised in term time. The children have never learnt as much in their lives.

absolutely Bang On Both comments. The whole thing is hypocritical.
on another point Just had a week off and then an "inset" day tagged on to it, no-one at the school cares how we are supposed to handle that work wise. Wish we could close the business 4 times a year for "Training Days",

The cost of excursions from schools is so high because teaching staff and sometimes parents must accompany the pupils, and their travel cost is included in the fee asked.

As a known critic of education here and elsewhere, I feel bound to claim that the effect of school time loss is overplayed by some with interests in the matter.

Keep Darwen Green wrote:
This was never an issue back in the sixties when flying somewhere was for the well heeled business person, now its become common practice to expect a holiday abroad. Never thought about Blackpool. Even the people on unemployment are flying for holidays nowadays. Then I get some knobber from the government saying my road tax will only be £30 a year if I buy a car that puts out less emissions to reduce my carbon footprint. A jet plane on the other hand puts out more emissions in one journey than my car will in twenty years, whatever the tax band. The CO2 emitted by a common passenger jet plane is around 10Kg/km so its about time that there were no such thing as passenger jet planes. I can't see anyone taking authorised absence to go to Blackpool can you? I now expect a battering from the its not my problem I am killing the environment, I'm getting a good tan brigade.

blackpool you having a laugh,i can have a fortnight in spain for the cost of a week in blackpool. blackpools only fit for the pi55 heads on a weekend stag/hen binge.and the pleasure beach the only pleasure one gets are the owners counting all the money from the muppets that pay to stand in a line for two hours to get a 30 second thrill.my kids learn not only another language but another culture as well from holidaying in another country.

hunter3062 wrote:

Keep Darwen Green wrote:
This was never an issue back in the sixties when flying somewhere was for the well heeled business person, now its become common practice to expect a holiday abroad. Never thought about Blackpool. Even the people on unemployment are flying for holidays nowadays. Then I get some knobber from the government saying my road tax will only be £30 a year if I buy a car that puts out less emissions to reduce my carbon footprint. A jet plane on the other hand puts out more emissions in one journey than my car will in twenty years, whatever the tax band. The CO2 emitted by a common passenger jet plane is around 10Kg/km so its about time that there were no such thing as passenger jet planes. I can't see anyone taking authorised absence to go to Blackpool can you? I now expect a battering from the its not my problem I am killing the environment, I'm getting a good tan brigade.

blackpool you having a laugh,i can have a fortnight in spain for the cost of a week in blackpool. blackpools only fit for the pi55 heads on a weekend stag/hen binge.and the pleasure beach the only pleasure one gets are the owners counting all the money from the muppets that pay to stand in a line for two hours to get a 30 second thrill.my kids learn not only another language but another culture as well from holidaying in another country.

And when your children are older and gasping for air in your carbon filled creation gasping and heaving in and out of conciousness, they will remember all the good holidays they had with their I'm allright jack w@nker parents, at least they can think what a good tan we used to get before the skin cancer kicked in. I just hope you haven't sterilised them enough not to give you grandkids for you to enjoy in the future, if there is one.

And on that note I agree with the government on this but go a step further, all parents taking children out of school for a holiday should be shot.