Number Six Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I think it's down to the parents and the holiday destination. Surely there is some educational value in going to a foreign country and experiencing a foreign culture, maybe historical sites. Cramming them in a caravan in skeggy might not be able to offer the same thing. Basically do it on a case by case basis, there isn't a catch all. I was thinking more the other way around - I think my kid will learn more camping by a beach, watching wildlife, rock-pooling and finding driftwood for the fire we'll cook on than she would in a week in an apartment in Greece. It depends as much on the parents as it does the holiday. I'm already planning to take my kid out of school in term time because I want her to see a properly remote sea-bird colony in the full sound and smell of breeding season, and she will probably be too small to enjoy the journey until she's school age. Having been a teacher I tend to agree with the poster who says that if the education on offer doesn't stretch the child, they're better off with their parents. I'd love to be able to partially home-school to avoid it being an issue, but I don't think that financially that will be an option, sadly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llamatron Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I think it's down to the parents and the holiday destination. Surely there is some educational value in going to a foreign country and experiencing a foreign culture, maybe historical sites. Cramming them in a caravan in skeggy might not be able to offer the same thing. Basically do it on a case by case basis, there isn't a catch all. cramped in a wet tent reading, cooking and playing word and card games was quite educational also. The main thing I learned on my first greek holiday was the importance of sunscreen (also educational). Every experience is educational in some way and in many cases more educational than school when you consider how many abilities one teacher has to teach to in a classsroom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number Six Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Just to add explicitly that 'an education' versus 'taking a child out in term time' is a false dichotomy, and I expect better of headteachers. Sadly my expectations of Michael Gove to exercise any sound judgement at all are non-existent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 If schools set the children sufficient homework to keep them busy over the period they're away then this could possibly mitigate their absence. It would allow the parents to visit the cultural drinking dens whilst away happy in the knowledge that their children were gainfully employed and not missing out on their education. There are some rather sweeping assumptions being made here about what type of holiday will be taken, prejudices coming out a bit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willman Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Where would parents who take children out of school fit absenteeism and truanting into the equation? The child may feel they are obtaining a personal and valuable education by playing truant. Unfortunately as much as i empathise with the financials, i personally can't morally approve removing a child from school to visit Disneyworld yet support detentions and punishment for truanting. As much as i also empathise with parents who are intent on providing beneficial holidays(i try to do similarly) the norm is usually just an excuse for a cheap **** up in the sunshine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I was thinking more the other way around - I think my kid will learn more camping by a beach, watching wildlife, rock-pooling and finding driftwood for the fire we'll cook on than she would in a week in an apartment in Greece. It depends as much on the parents as it does the holiday. Although in Greece they might see ancient ruins, read stories about the Greeks and their exploits, learn about the modern economy and how to avoid being caught in a riot... I'm already planning to take my kid out of school in term time because I want her to see a properly remote sea-bird colony in the full sound and smell of breeding season, and she will probably be too small to enjoy the journey until she's school age. Having been a teacher I tend to agree with the poster who says that if the education on offer doesn't stretch the child, they're better off with their parents. I'd love to be able to partially home-school to avoid it being an issue, but I don't think that financially that will be an option, sadly. The assumption that a week out of school is of no value and will do significant harm to their education is the problem here. (Not your problem, the problem with the original statement). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Where would parents who take children out of school fit absenteeism and truanting into the equation? The child may feel they are obtaining a personal and valuable education by playing truant. Unfortunately as much as i empathise with the financials, i personally can't morally approve removing a child from school to visit Disneyworld yet support detentions and punishment for truanting. As much as i also empathise with parents who are intent on providing beneficial holidays(i try to do similarly) the norm is usually just an excuse for a cheap **** up in the sunshine. Children aren't in a position to decide for themselves whether to go to school or not, parents should be unless it's clear that their decisions are harming the child's education. How do you know what the 'norm' is for a holiday taken just before the end of term? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sibon Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Sibon is right that little work is done in schools after May. I'm getting used to the idea that some of your "facts" are less than accurate, but please quote me accurately and don't misinterpret what I say. That is lazy. What I actually said was: First of all, the school needs to be providing quality education, right up to the last day of term. That doesn't always happen, in my experience. Standards can slip in the last few days of a term. Lots of parents know this and opt to go away during the last week of term. I can't say that I blame them. The last few days of term are currently in July. You've just tried to wipe out two months of work. Fair enough if you personally believe that to be the case. Please don't falsely attribute that to me though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sibon Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 That sounds fair. Would you know if that school notices a correlation between the children that are taken out for holidays in term-time, and the ones who have parents who take the trouble to get them back up to speed? Or do the children just fall behind? I'm not sure of the correlation in that case. There is a clear correlation between attendance at school and attainment:) There is no excuse for parents not helping their students to catch up. In the school that I know about, most of the teaching materials are directly available to parents and pupils via a secure website. All it takes is a little time to download them and make sense of them. If they make that much effort themselves, most teachers will help their students with any really tricky bits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexusdee Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 That sounds fair. Would you know if that school notices a correlation between the children that are taken out for holidays in term-time, and the ones who have parents who take the trouble to get them back up to speed? Or do the children just fall behind? I agree that seems fair after all the teachers don't have time to make sure kids are up to date & understand it during the lesson so they have no chance a week or so later. I'd be more then happy to go through any missed work with my daughter & her have a holiday (which is something i do anyway) then to spend the rest of her childhood never having another holiday which we will be unable to do if the government enforce this. Unfortunately not all parents are able to take time off work during school holidays Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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