Ultimately, a child's education is more important than a holiday

[Rupert_Baehr]

Ban holiday companies from hiking up their prices on school holidays and I would agree, but I suspect, as always this just means people will be forced to spend more money and the government wont give a toss.

 

They will tell you that they don't hike up their prices during peak periods. - Those are the 'regular' prices (and if you check daily hotel rates and 'regular' air fares you may well find that even the prices charged at peak periods are lower than those.)

 

The companies will probably tell you that they reduce their prices in off-peak periods to attract extra customers.

 

Should reduced prices be banned?

 

I suppose we could always revert to the fares structures common in the 1960s - when there were very few cheap flights and only the wealthy could afford to travel.

[Digsy]

I do agree with much of what you say.Does the same apply to a week spent on the beach at Skegness though ?

I left school in 1971 never having been away on holiday.But thats just my sob story.

 

And why would it not, our first week in Butlins (during 6 weeks hols), my five yea r old came back to the caravan and told me about the diggers on the beach, and the boat that dredges the seabed and pumps sand to the beach front.

She even went on to explain that it was to stop the sea flooding the area like back in 1953.

And that was just a day at the beach, unfortunately that day the beach was being replenished and little else could be done with it, so they entered a little cabin and learned all this new stuff.

 

That's without mentioning the Hardy's farm trip, Seal Sanctuary (Mablethorpe aswell), and then on top of that you had all the Butlins entertainment, wildlife exhibitions, bacteria demonstrations, dance classes, archery.

And they are just the ones that I can recall my children telling me about whilst on their four week stay.

 

All that from a trip to Butlins, it's amazing what life itself can teach never mind a holiday or even school.

[Digsy]

I'd like to tell you a story about a documentary I watched recently regarding the Baka and the Bantu tribes of the African rain forest, you can watch the 2 part documentary on Iplayer, here is what I derived from it.

 

Once upon a time a group of people with cameras went to visit the Baka tribe, they lived in the rain forest and were pretty much self sufficient, using the local village to barter for what they couldn't gather themselves.

All in all they looked happy with their existence.

30 years later and the camera crew revisit the area, the Baka tribe have pretty much forgotten the skills required for rain forest life and instead have become dependant on toxic moonshine, the neighbouring Bantu tribe have started logging for the global wood industry.

The Baka look on at the fortunes of the Bantu and begin to want what capitalism has to offer, so they work for the Bantu and village folk, but they're payment is in the form of alcohol.

They have become dependant on it to the degree they're children are dying around them.

They want their children to be educated by the schools, when they would have been better off learning the skills of the forest.

Because all they've got to look forward to is menial work for an alcohol addiction.

[Rupert_Baehr]

So what sort of education would you suggest for children in Sheffield?

 

Somebody said 'the education system in Sheffield is failing the children'

 

Yet a significant number of parents seem to think that it's quite acceptable to take their children out of it whenever it suits them.

 

I wonder whether there are any statistics which suggest a correlation between performance in exams (and that is how children tend to be assessed) and the frequency of school-time holidays?

 

Many parents no doubt assess the possible damage. - Many, but not all.

 

A teacher I knew well told me that the family of one of her students had taken their child on holiday during term-time - for the two weeks immediately prior to the GCSE 'mock' examinations.

 

That child didn't do very well in the exams. Then the parents complained that the school had 'let their daughter down'.

[Digsy]

So what sort of education would you suggest for children in Sheffield?

 

Somebody said 'the education system in Sheffield is failing the children'

 

Yet a significant number of parents seem to think that it's quite acceptable to take their children out of it whenever it suits them.

 

I wonder whether there are any statistics which suggest a correlation between performance in exams (and that is how children tend to be assessed) and the frequency of school-time holidays?

 

Many parents no doubt assess the possible damage. - Many, but not all.

 

A teacher I knew well told me that the family of one of her students had taken their child on holiday during term-time - for the two weeks immediately prior to the GCSE 'mock' examinations.

 

That child didn't do very well in the exams. Then the parents complained that the school had 'let their daughter down'.

 

My daughters last exam results were a little lower than expected, she had her holidays out of term time. She has had to deal with moving house twice over the last six months, we could put her decrease in achievements down to that.

Or we could put it down to the fact she spends most of her out of school hours pretending to be doing lots of homework but in reality sits in her room on the x-box 360 or laptop chatting to her boyfriend.

If you was to ask my daughter, she blames me for her educational failures.

 

The year before when she had her holiday in term time a week prior to her exams she had shown improvement from the previous year.

 

Swings and roundabouts m8.

 

It's fine just the way it is, don't need to suggest anything other than that.

What would you suggest, parents flogged at the notion of taking their children on affordable holidays.

Lined up against the fence and shot for handing out chip butties.

[Rupert_Baehr]

My daughters last exam results were a little lower than expected, she had her holidays out of term time. She has had to deal with moving house twice over the last six months, we could put her decrease in achievements down to that.

Or we could put it down to the fact she spends most of her out of school hours pretending to be doing lots of homework but in reality sits in her room on the x-box 360 or laptop chatting to her boyfriend.

 

I doubt she's alone there. She and a few hundred thousand other teenagers.

 

 

If you was to ask my daughter, she blames me for her educational failures.

 

Been there!

 

Up until my son was about 15, it seems I was 'OK' but suddenly I became the daftest bugger in the universe!

 

Apparently miracles do exist, because when he was 21 I made an amazing recovery.

 

 

It's fine just the way it is, don't need to suggest anything other than that.

What would you suggest, parents flogged at the notion of taking their children on affordable holidays.

Lined up against the fence and shot for handing out chip butties.

 

It's not my suggestion - I understand it's the government who are planning on passing a new law. AFAIR, Headmasters have been able to 'report' parents for failing to send their children to school, but it looks as if the government is now going to take that responsibility out of their hands. - Perhaps in response to the many who do claim that 'the education system is failing their children'?

[Digsy]

Education Secretary Michael Gove is to crack down on parents who take children out of school to go on holiday.

 

Headteachers will lose the ability to sanction up to two weeks a year of "authorised absence" during term time, in a new drive to improve attendance rates, according to The Sunday Telegraph.

 

The discretionary absence is intended to cover illness, bad weather and bereavements, but many heads come under pressure to grant it so that children can be taken on holidays at times when it is cheaper.

 

The move, to be accompanied by tougher fines for parents of children who regularly play truant, follows a review of school discipline and attendance by teacher and behaviour expert Charlie Taylor.

 

It is thought that 4.5 million days of schooling are missed by pupils going on holidays, which are often significantly more expensive during school breaks.

 

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 children 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."

 

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "This is a leak and we are not commenting on a leak."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/michael-gove-to-ban-termtime-holidays-7196952.html

 

Yeah just read up on it, so let me get this right.

Michael Gove is removing the Headteachers power to grant authorised absence "intended to cover illness, bad weather and bereavements".

And Issuing fines to parents who "regularly play truant".

 

So in English, he's planning on making money out of the cheap holiday industry by charging for the privilege of turning the children into Unauthorised Absentees.

 

It's the asbo effect all over again.

Not to mention kids will use this new found power (more than likely against their parents) and play truant just so that Mary the virgin teenage mother of three can't play bingo with gran on a Friday night. Just 'cos' they can innit.

[Cyclone]

Polarisation can be useful in casting the debate.

 

So,

 

Parent A: takes children out of school during term for a holiday.

Parent B: sends children to school during term.

 

If forced to guess,

 

Q1: Which parent would take the most educational holiday?

Q2: Which parent would take the least educational holiday?

 

 

 

 

(Sub parent with carer, grandparent, social worker as required)

 

The polarization ought to be based on something other than prejudice though, maybe some evidence for example... At the moment it doesn't appear that it is.

[Cyclone]

What did you learn on holiday that will be more useful in later life than the schooling that you missed?

 

What schooling was missed?

 

Do you remember being at primary school in the week before the summer holidays.

I remember helping to tidy the classroom, taking down displays, sports days and very little (if any) new material being covered. You wouldn't leave any new material to the last week of term before a 6 week break as you'll never have the chance to reinforce it.

[Cyclone]

Yeah just read up on it, so let me get this right.

Michael Gove is removing the Headteachers power to grant authorised absence "intended to cover illness, bad weather and bereavements".

And Issuing fines to parents who "regularly play truant".

 

So in English, he's planning on making money out of the cheap holiday industry by charging for the privilege of turning the children into Unauthorised Absentees.

 

It's the asbo effect all over again.

Not to mention kids will use this new found power (more than likely against their parents) and play truant just so that Mary the virgin teenage mother of three can't play bingo with gran on a Friday night. Just 'cos' they can innit.

 

If it's as you suggest then it will have little effect will it. One week of at the start of the summer holidays is not regular truancy and parents don't require the authority of the head teacher to keep their child out of school anyway.