Parents to be fined for holidays in term time
Discussion
So the Gov are considering handing out fines to those parents who take their kids out of school for holidays. Personally I think this is a good thing. As a child free person I holiday during term time and dislike having my peace and quiet disrupted by badly behaved children. Yes I know that it is cheaper during school term time - so just set your sights a bit lower. Two weeks by the British seaside never did me any harm.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/2791365.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/2791365.stm
So the Gov are considering handing out fines to those parents who take their kids out of school for holidays. Personally I think this is a good thing. As a child free person I holiday during term time and dislike having my peace and quiet disrupted by badly behaved children. [B] Yes I know that it is cheaper during school term time [/B] - so just set your sights a bit lower. Two weeks by the British seaside never did me any harm.
A Bit cheaper.
How about 75% cheaper - for a family of 6 to go to florida during school term than it would be to go two weeks later. As calculated when booking our family holiday this year.
Also, as a tax payer, it's bad enough having MY hard earned money wasted on the little beggars without having their parents remove them from the education I have provided.
In fact a better idea would be that parents taking children out of school for reasons other than serious illness or death should personally reimburse the non sprogg-owning tax payer directly by taking over our tax bills!!!!
In fact a better idea would be that parents taking children out of school for reasons other than serious illness or death should personally reimburse the non sprogg-owning tax payer directly by taking over our tax bills!!!!
Marcos maniac said:
How about 75% cheaper - for a family of 6 to go to florida during school term than it would be to go two weeks later. As calculated when booking our family holiday this year.
Then they could afford to pay the fine then! I think the state education system has a hard enough job achieving reasonable standards, without the disruption to classes by parents trying to save a few quid.
Cheers
Graham (a non-parent)
So what's wrong with a fortnight in Brighton then? Some years my parents could not afford a holiday so we spent 2 weeks with the Grandparents and had a brilliant time.
Marcos maniac said:
A Bit cheaper.
How about 75% cheaper - for a family of 6 to go to florida during school term than it would be to go two weeks later. As calculated when booking our family holiday this year.
Not as simple as saving money tho'
I remember going to Australia for a couple of weeks during term time, as my Dad was being sent there by his company. If he hadn't been going anyway, we woudln't have gone at a different time. And I'm damn sure I got more out of the two weeks there than two missed weeks at school aged 14.
I remember going to Australia for a couple of weeks during term time, as my Dad was being sent there by his company. If he hadn't been going anyway, we woudln't have gone at a different time. And I'm damn sure I got more out of the two weeks there than two missed weeks at school aged 14.
Big_M said:So what's wrong with a fortnight in Brighton then? Some years my parents could not afford a holiday so we spent 2 weeks with the Grandparents and had a brilliant time.
Marcos maniac said:
A Bit cheaper.
How about 75% cheaper - for a family of 6 to go to florida during school term than it would be to go two weeks later. As calculated when booking our family holiday this year.
Wouldn't be much of a holiday - I live there
Taking kids out of school for 2 weeks a year is not the end of the world for crying out loud. People take it sooo serious. I want a good education for my kids but they are kids - they've got the rest of their lives to worry about stuff. Now they seem to have exams at 9 or something - it's too much.
Kids should be allowed to be kids.
I won't hesitate to take my kids out of school if the timing is right. I see it was part of my role as a parent to educate them in certain areas - academic qualifications are not the be all and end all. This doesn't mean I'd be happy with them to come out with sweet FA but at the same time, I'm going to allow them to feel the pressure that I see put on other kids.
They've got 40+ years of stress at work - let them play.
Dan
Kids should be allowed to be kids.
I won't hesitate to take my kids out of school if the timing is right. I see it was part of my role as a parent to educate them in certain areas - academic qualifications are not the be all and end all. This doesn't mean I'd be happy with them to come out with sweet FA but at the same time, I'm going to allow them to feel the pressure that I see put on other kids.
They've got 40+ years of stress at work - let them play.
Dan
danhf said: Taking kids out of school for 2 weeks a year is not the end of the world for crying out loud. People take it sooo serious.
Kids should be allowed to be kids.
Spot-on. Why the hell should people be fined for going on their hols when they want? A lot of parents are restricted as to when they can take leave. It is not simply a matter of cost. I don't think any of my childhood holidays were taken during the school holidays and it hasn't done me any harm.
If the behaviour of kids annoys, perhaps a fine for people who are incapable of raising children who know how to behave in public is in order
Another case of the sodding bureaucracy in this country. It seems to me that these people don't realise a fundamental fact - the are civil SERVANTS. They are there to do the bidding of the majority, not what the hell they feel like, or what some minority desires. The government interferes too much in people's everyday lives.
>> Edited by Slayer on Wednesday 26th February 00:18
I'm surprised to see such a blinkered opinion from you, Big_M. I thought you were too enlightened to make such a sweeping generalisation. Your statement is the same as some fuddy-duddy saying that all sports cars should be banned because their drivers are irresponsible speed freaks who go around crashing into people and damaging property.
Personally I think this is a good thing. As a child free person I holiday during term time and dislike having my peace and quiet disrupted by badly behaved children.
My 8 year-old stepson is very well behaved and I kind of resent the assumption that all kids are badly behaved and should be excluded from holidaying anywhere near "child-free person[s]".
Whilst we're at it, I resent being near people polluting the air with their noxious fumes, so perhaps we should ban / fine smokers too?
OK it may be a generalisation. Problem is I never notice the well behaved kids. But some parents do have this 'My child must go everywhere with me' attitude these days - even in inappropriate situations. 'Friends' of ours are just about to drag their two and three year old off to St Lucia for a two week holiday. I just know they are going to grizzle/scream all the way there and it is a night flight as well. So now 300 odd people will be deprived of even a chance of getting some sleep on the plane. Maybe I am just lucky in that I can sleep on a plane if I am allowed to.
JonRB said: I'm surprised to see such a blinkered opinion from you, Big_M. I thought you were too enlightened to make such a sweeping generalisation.
Some holidays are not suitable for children and these are the holidays I tend to prefer anyway. Think there was a case recently where a toddler came back with some nasty infectious disease from Morocco and managed to close down his nursery school because he then infected all of his class mates.
Slayer said It seems to me that these people don't realise a fundamental fact - the are civil SERVANTS. They are there to do the bidding of the majority, not what the hell they feel like, or what some minority desires. The government interferes too much in people's everyday lives.
Which people would they be then Slayer?
Civil servants don't make laws nor are they there to do the bidding of the majority or even the government, they are the executive arm of the Crown. Their function is to administer the lawful affairs of the Crown who in turn adopt the laws and statutes proposed and approved by Government.
The confusion between the two functions has led to a confused and demoralised Civil Service and caused all of the Joe Moor etc nonsense.
In case you wonder I am not a Civil Servant.
OK it may be a generalisation. Problem is I never notice the well behaved kids. But some parents do have this 'My child must go everywhere with me' attitude these days - even in inappropriate situations. 'Friends' of ours are just about to drag their two and three year old off to St Lucia for a two week holiday. I just know they are going to grizzle/scream all the way there and it is a night flight as well. So now 300 odd people will be deprived of even a chance of getting some sleep on the plane. Maybe I am just lucky in that I can sleep on a plane if I am allowed to.
Just give the kid a plastic bag to play with - that usually gets the parents to shut them up....
Which people would they be then Slayer?
I am not sure what you mean by this.
Civil servants don't make laws nor are they there to do the bidding of the majority or even the government, they are the executive arm of the Crown. Their function is to administer the lawful affairs of the Crown who in turn adopt the laws and statutes proposed and approved by Government.
The confusion between the two functions has led to a confused and demoralised Civil Service and caused all of the Joe Moor etc nonsense.
I can see why you have said this however. I apologise for the confusion. By civil servants, I did not mean the actual Civil Service. I was expressing the view that the governing forces in this country, be it the government itself or any of the related bodies, are here to serve the people, and not simply implement this sort of thing at every opportunity.
To me, it doesn't seem to matter that the Civil Service itself does not make laws. As you have said, they do what the Crown approves from government proposals and the government is there to do as the population wants. Whether this actually happens is open to debate but it is certainly how it is supposed to be and how it should be.
You have probably noticed by now that I am not attempting to tell people how it is but rather my own opinion of how it should be.
In case you wonder I am not a Civil Servant.
Could've fooled me
>> Edited by Slayer on Thursday 27th February 19:01
1) Parents have a *legal* right to take their kids out for two weeks "with the permission of the headteacher". In reality there is little a head can do assuming the holiday is "enriching for the kids" (and who could argue it isn't).
2) Bloddy old story - it's been around since 1999, surfaces every year around this time, (Jan in 1999, March in 2000, Feb in 2001....). Yawn yawn ywan.
3) The irony of this whole thing is that in 1999 Tony Blair caught a whole load of flak for keeping his kids out of school for 2 days due to a holiday
See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/248133.stm for the 1999 story.
Seems Iraq isn't enough to keep the journojockies happy....
Bring bring bring.... Boring!
2) Bloddy old story - it's been around since 1999, surfaces every year around this time, (Jan in 1999, March in 2000, Feb in 2001....). Yawn yawn ywan.
3) The irony of this whole thing is that in 1999 Tony Blair caught a whole load of flak for keeping his kids out of school for 2 days due to a holiday
See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/248133.stm for the 1999 story.
Seems Iraq isn't enough to keep the journojockies happy....
Bring bring bring.... Boring!
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