Taking your Kids out of School outside Official Holiday Time - Page 2

Limey Linda · 23 May 2007, 02:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I have to say I agree with you there Nasher. Climbing onto my high horse, over 7 years of secondary school I only ever took 8 days off, with 3 due to illness, 2 due to such bad weather I couldn't get in, and 3 to visit uni open days. When I worked in the school, it became clear that the number of parents that took their kids out for trips/holidays caused a huge amount of hassle for the teachers, who are, at the end of the day, trying to deliver a consistent standard of education. It's alright to say "oh, but just the one kid is ok", but with 20 parents saying that, it becomes a problem.

I appreciate I may be joining Nasher in the minority here, but my reasoning is two fold - one, I made the effort for 7 years, and two, it does cause a problem in the delivery of education, which is, after all, what you go to school for.

I agree, good post Jimbo.

Stoo · 23 May 2007, 02:04

OK... The Significant Other is a Principal of an elementary school. In Ontario, it is illegal to remove a child from school, but a Principal can make exceptions for "special" purposes. Her feeling is that she would never deny that permission to a parent, but in cases where academic performance was lacking, or behavioral or attendance issues were present, she would put up a token argument. Her direct quote: "Parents are going to do it anyway..."

Her advice... if you have concerns that your Principal won't grant permission, don't ask for it. Simply advise them at the beginning of the term of what you are doing and respectfully ask the teacher to provide a work list, which some won't do...

Incidently, I took my kids out of school for many years for the same reason. The promise of this additional vacation time was always conditional on keeping their marks high. Thankfully, they did so, because I never did figure out what I would have done with them since the trip was paid for months in advance!

Tim M · 23 May 2007, 13:53

My parents used to take me out of school all the time when I was younger to go on holiday. When I reached "big school" we did it a few times, despite the fact that the school specifically stated in it's "terms and conditions" that you shouldn't take holidays during term time. My mother always wrote to the head master though to ask. They never said no.

Later on I used to take days off to do things like attend to boats/collect ebay purchases etc and there was never an issue. I remember I took one day off once to fit the console in Cormorant. I would argue that learning to do that would be more valuable in life than learning how to do simultaneous equations. Think I might be in the minority there though....

Stoo · 23 May 2007, 13:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim M

Think I might be in the minority there though....

But not here!

jwalker · 23 May 2007, 21:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biggles

I'm looking for some advice .... I'd like to take my daughter out of school one week before her normal Half Term time during the skiing season next year so I can pay normal prices for a holiday and not get ripped off.

Biggles, are you talking primary or secondary school? Years...?

Biggles · 23 May 2007, 22:00

Age 12.

Aidan · 23 May 2007, 22:09

Hi TCW, yep our laws are different as we follow you guys as our clowns are backward but our laws are very similar.

All I am saying is kids always come first. Seeing as how they dont make the laws, I can assure Biggles theat some things are worth it and this is one.

Furthermore there is a difference between lying and omission of truth, I think Frances Bacon did a didly on this one. However, if you present a situation to a person in charge that is illegal, then they cannot but make a stand on it.
If however you just go and do it, then its hard to undo. However many instutions have thought or allowed us to think only inside the box. I am suggesting that if its fail to all and good then do it. WOrry about it afterwars.

So Biggles, rise up, take charge and to hell with them. There is no such thing as an average child, it goes against nature, just do it. Finally if you must tell the battle axe, tell her you are doing it. DO not ask, but be very positive that it will happen, then she has to go deeply neg to block it. People do not like to do this so she will possibly say, I didnt hear that and good luck with it.
Good luck anyway, its worth it.

jwalker · 23 May 2007, 22:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biggles

Age 12.

Well, from a teacher's perspective, the issue is simply falling behind in her work. Whether it is easy to catch up depends on where in the coursework she is at the time she has off. If a new topic is being started at that time, a week may be difficult to make up because she is not likely to be able to self teach since it's new work and the teacher will be pretty much fully involved teaching the second week's work to the rest of the class when she returns. On the other hand, if it's an ongoing project, it will be fairly easy to put in a bit of extra effort to make up the lost time. Since she will be studying several subjects, there's a fair change she will loose out on something. Having said that, she's only 12 and there is a lot of schooling yet before she takes exams which really count. If she was older it may matter more and I guess she'll be 13 by the time you want the leave of absence.

I'll let you off this time but just don't make a habit of it....

Leave speaking to the school until much closer to the time. She'll be in a different year, have a different timetable and have different teachers by then.

pressman · 23 May 2007, 23:22

The school here has a form that you sign to say that you as a parent are taking annual leave at this time!! No more questions asked as long as there are no major exams or tests imminent, but as others have said if you make the effort to talk direct you will often get a better response

Hightower · 24 May 2007, 00:45

If you can afford to run a boat, you can afford to go in the school holidays

havener · 24 May 2007, 15:05

Simply point out that -

(a) the school is run by the council,
(b) the HT is paid by the council,
(c) you pay council tax for her wages and are therefore her boss...

Can't see you offspring being harmed too much by missing a few days of politically correct, historically inaccurate indoctrination that passes for education these days...

As Codders says, it is you the parent who has the authority, not some bunch of teachers who would think nothing of not teaching kids when (a) they are out on strike (i.e. skiving) or attending "in service training days" (i.e. skiving).

richyrich · 27 May 2007, 21:03

Can't believe how selfish this idea is. I've paid through the nose for the last 10 years so now my kids have left education I can go when the slopes/lifts/restaurants are empty plus it is half price.

Seriously (half) go high at the end of season (ie Easter holiday) - cheaper and snow is getting better later (certainly in Europe) thanks to the engines we all use to burn fossil fuel. Book late.

I personally think any lie is going to impact on your 13 year. Though attending a family wedding overseas is unanswerable...........(make it somewhere hot to explain the tan).

RJH · 27 May 2007, 21:38

Hi there,

I am actually in charge of attendance at a large Secondary school in the UK. It is the govenors who decide the ruling on allowing (or not as the case may be) pupils time off for holidays in term time. Our school allows pupils in years 7, 8 & 9 upto 10 days off providing their attendance record is good (95% or above). No holidays are authorised at all for pupils in years 10 & 11.

However...............even if the leave is NOT authorised does not mean that you cannot take her out anyway. The leave would be coded as unauthorised holiday which is nowhere near as bad as unauthorise absence. EWO (Education Welfare Officer) would only ever be called in if the pupil's absence is seriously low - a 2 week holiday would not put you anywhere near that zone!

My advice is...DO IT! The experience she will have skiing on much less busy slopes and the fact that you will have loads more dosh to use on fuel for ribbing next season will far outweigh anything else

With regards to the letter you write - the sooner you put in the request, the better it will be regarded and you can always use restrictions with one parent's work or family get together as an excuse. But generally the reason wont really make any difference, it will be the schools own guidelines that will used to make the decision.

If it makes you feel any better, we have AT LEAST 3 or 4 pupils who take unauthorised holiday every month and none of those had anything bad happen to them.

Until I worked in a school, we took our two girls out every year to go skiing and it has done them no harm whatsoever other than turned them into much better skiiers than us

Have a great time

Mrs RJH

Biggles · 27 May 2007, 21:42

Thanks Mrs RJH,

Your course of action is the one I would like to follow and makes most sense to me. As my doughter will be in year 8 next year I think I should apply now.

Regards Nick R.

Bigmuz7 · 27 May 2007, 23:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by RJH

Hi there,

I am actually in charge of attendance at a large Secondary school in the UK. It is the govenors who decide the ruling on allowing (or not as the case may be) pupils time off for holidays in term time. Our school allows pupils in years 7, 8 & 9 upto 10 days off providing their attendance record is good (95% or above). No holidays are authorised at all for pupils in years 10 & 11.

However...............even if the leave is NOT authorised does not mean that you cannot take her out anyway. The leave would be coded as unauthorised holiday which is nowhere near as bad as unauthorise absence. EWO (Education Welfare Officer) would only ever be called in if the pupil's absence is seriously low - a 2 week holiday would not put you anywhere near that zone!

My advice is...DO IT! The experience she will have skiing on much less busy slopes and the fact that you will have loads more dosh to use on fuel for ribbing next season will far outweigh anything else

With regards to the letter you write - the sooner you put in the request, the better it will be regarded and you can always use restrictions with one parent's work or family get together as an excuse. But generally the reason wont really make any difference, it will be the schools own guidelines that will used to make the decision.

If it makes you feel any better, we have AT LEAST 3 or 4 pupils who take unauthorised holiday every month and none of those had anything bad happen to them.

Until I worked in a school, we took our two girls out every year to go skiing and it has done them no harm whatsoever other than turned them into much better skiiers than us

Have a great time

Mrs RJH

Lovely post