Holidays

[Rodcx500z]

Given that prices rise a lot during the school holidays, a small fine is probably still a net saving.

I don't think missing a week or two as a one-off is really going to make a huge difference to education as long as its not in the lead up to SATS or GCSEs which would arguably affect future prospects.

However from my point of view having no kids I prefer to take holidays during term time, so I'd rather they didn't

Not half as much damage as lock downs did, or does that not matter

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Not half as much damage as lock downs did, or does that not matter

We were supposed to educate our kids during lockdown not use it like an extended school holiday, its against the rules to take your kids out of school to save money on a holiday package but understandable why hard up parents feel the need to do so.

Do members think losing a week or two of schooling makes the slightest bit of difference to kids education, i have a feeling it will make little to no difference.

 

[MattH1973]

We were supposed to educate our kids during lockdown

"supposed" ? really ? i dont recall any such instruction from a government that seemed to think it had the right to micromanage every aspect of our lives. And the online learning put in place was shambolic.

I'm interested on what your basis is for saying this ?

Edit - it seems my subsequent contributions have been deleted. I am trying to find out what rule I have broken......

 

[matt.]

Wales is run by idiots.

That's a bit harsh.
On idiots.

 

[Clint]

"We"...both myself and the Mrs worked right through.
The teachers were supposed to do that via remote learning...total waste of time.
An abandoned generation.
To be more accurate I never missed a day but there were many times I went into work and did absolutely nothing...
This was purely down to total desertion by the management as they upped sticks and "worked from home" for years,preferring to ride the gravy train from there.
We weren't furloughed for the simple reason as while I and the rest of the shop floor,could live quite comfortably on the maximum furlough "wage" of £2600 a month and sit at home when you're on £10k+ a month...you can't.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

"supposed" ? really ? i dont recall any such instruction

I dont have school age kids so was under the impression they were supposed to home school them, switch supposed for encouraged.

Edit to add - looks like encouraged was the right term

During the current pandemic schools have closed, many parents have been made redundant or furloughed and mobility and goods have been restricted. Other parents have been asked by their employers to work from home. During this stressful and restricted period, parents have been asked by the UK Government to ‘home school’ their children and teachers have been asked to provide digital online learning opportunities for parents to do this.

https://www.bcu.ac.uk/education-and-social-work/research/cspace-blog/home-schooling-children-with-send-during-the-covid-19-pandemic#:~:text=Other parents have been asked,for parents to do this.

 

[Rodcx500z]

We were supposed to educate our kids during lockdown not use it like an extended school holiday

You mean like not having partys during lockdown, but the rule makers did, may be if they practice what they preach people would be more willing to play

 

[Chippy_Tea]

You mean like not having partys during lockdown, but the rule makers did, may be if they practice what they preach people would be more willing to play

It was a request not a rule, would you have ignored the request to home school your kids because they had a party?

 

[Rodcx500z]

It was a request not a rule, would you have ignored the request to home school your kids because they had a party?

That wasn't my point. if the rulers play by the rules they make maybe the public would as well, to answer your question no i would not

 

[Slid]

The Covid period sort of cemented what has happened to Society over many years - possibly back to 1945.

The idea that Rights were individual, but without any of the corresponding Responsibilities and that Entitlements were also sacrosanct, but somehow dissociated from actual Obligations.

That. to me, is where our society is right now. Everyone has their own expectations and believes that somehow, someone else will fulfill them on their behalf.

One of my late mother's favorites was the notion that "no child ever went to school in nappies". I was born in 1958. Now 24% of children starting school do indeed get sent to school by parents "too busy to potty train. The children of today cant dress themselves, let alone read, write and do simple arithmetic, like counting, at age five.

In short, Kleptocratic Socialism has utterly failed, because it has run out, not just of other peoples money, but has now, basically run out of net taxpayers.

 

[Leon103]

We were supposed to educate our kids during lockdown not use it like an extended school holiday, its against the rules to take your kids out of school to save money on a holiday package but understandable why hard up parents feel the need to do so.

Do members think losing a week or two of schooling makes the slightest bit of difference to kids education, i have a feeling it will make little to no difference.

No it doesn't. In fact when I speak to the teachers about going away they say they will learn more whilst away.

In Wales, my area in particular most of the school year is taken up learning and performing - eisteddfod, Xmas concert, urdd, Sr David's day etc etc. Yes the kids learn from it but it's bit too much

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

We'd go with the kids to centreparcs abroad either early july, the week after exams and the wind down in school week or october half term. much cheaper than uk centre parcs.

https://x.com/deanogorton/status/1763183609878310942?s=61&t=jSMt7aHPx1tpkET9S1ABlQ

 

[jof]

https://x.com/deanogorton/status/1763183609878310942?s=61&t=jSMt7aHPx1tpkET9S1ABlQ

My brother used to go to centre parks, but he would always go to one in France or Holland as even with ferry crossing it worked out much cheaper and they could afford the activities & said activities were not fully booked on arrival.

 

[Leon103]

That's why I go to Bluestone

 

[Nicks90]

Do members think losing a week or two of schooling makes the slightest bit of difference to kids education, i have a feeling it will make little to no difference.

But that link has been proved over and over again
https://explore-education-statistic...between-absence-and-attainment-at-ks2-and-ks4

Headline facts and figures - 2018/19
This release focuses on the link between absence and attainment at the end of key stage 2 (KS2) and key stage 4 (KS4) in 2019.

Pupils with higher attainment at KS2 and KS4 had lower levels of absence over the key stage compared to those with lower attainment.
Pupils who did not achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2019 had an overall absence rate of 4.7% over the key stage, compared with 3.5% among pupils who achieved the expected standard and 2.7% among those who achieved the higher standard.
Pupils who did not achieve grade 9 to 4 in English and maths GCSEs in 2019 had an overall absence rate of 8.8% over the key stage, compared with 5.2% among pupils who achieved a grade 4 and 3.7% among pupils who achieved grade 9 to 5 in both English and maths.
Generally, the higher the percentage of sessions missed across the key stage at KS2 and KS4, the lower the level of attainment at the end of the key stage.
Among pupils with no missed sessions over KS2, 83.9% achieved the expected standard compared to 40.2% of pupils who were persistently absent.
Among pupils with no missed sessions over KS4, 83.7% achieved grades 9 to 4 in English and maths compared to 35.6% of pupils who were persistently absent.

So a 5% absence differential leads to a 50% attainment differential
There are 180 teaching days a year, so that 9 days extra absence a year makes a significant average difference
Now I will caveat that with this does not take in to account socio economic factors and i firmly believe parental teaching and instilling a suitable work ethic is just as important to enabling your child to see 'outside' of the local community bubble and realise that sense of aspirations is possible
My daughter got 9 GCSEs at v.good grades and is on course for 3 A levels at A /B grade. We live in Dewsbury, hardly a paragon of the social elite. The majority of her peers aspirations are restricted to what their parents do, factory work or taxi driver or hair and beauty type jobs
When she tells them she wants to go study psych at Edinburgh, most of them are completely uncomprehending. This lack of aspirations and therefore desire to get good grades is a parental/socio problem and does THAT lead to a sense of lack of importance to attendance? Perhaps

 

[dad_of_jon]

My brother used to go to centre parks, but he would always go to one in France or Holland as even with ferry crossing it worked out much cheaper and they could afford the activities & said activities were not fully booked on arrival.

This exactly. Netherlands or Belgium - much better pricing.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

But that link has been proved over and over again
https://explore-education-statistic...between-absence-and-attainment-at-ks2-and-ks4

Call me an old cynic but wouldn't they say that, when we had infectious illnesses like yellow jaundice and flu etc we had to stay off school we were not home schooled and it made no difference.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Call me an old cynic but wouldn't they say that, when we had infectious illnesses like yellow jaundice and flu etc we had to stay off school we were not home schooled and it made no difference.

And that is why we are all thick as 2 short planks

 

[Donegal john]

It's been many years sinse we have had a family holiday abroad We would rather spend our spare cash on things we really need, I don't like really hot weather and spending days on the beach would bore me so as we live in the lake district we have days out we have no interest in faffing about at airports for hours on end paying rediculous parking charges etc it would drive us mad.

Tell the truth. Your victor meldrew aren’t you ??

 

[Donegal john]

We were supposed to educate our kids during lockdown not use it like an extended school holiday, its against the rules to take your kids out of school to save money on a holiday package but understandable why hard up parents feel the need to do so.

Do members think losing a week or two of schooling makes the slightest bit of difference to kids education, i have a feeling it will make little to no difference.

I regularly took my 4 daughters out of school for holidays as booking a family holiday for 6 during the school holidays was extremely expensive. And on top of that Spain and Portugal are way too hot in July and august for pasty Irish children.
Did it harm them ? Did it heck.
3 have degrees and good jobs (2 currently away in Australia and Canada) and the 4th is in the beauty industry and makes more than the other 3 and me.
They talk about the family holidays and the memories and all of them regularly take holidays and city breaks and say it’s because we showed them travel is important. Missing 2 weeks of school at the end of the term is nothing if the child is interested in learning.
The fines are pointless and as stated a money making exercise
What happens if the fines aren’t paid ?