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Schools fining parents for holidays

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' Forum started by Wobbles, Jan 27th, 2014 at 14:46 PM.
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Jan 27th, 2014, 14:46 PM  
Wobbles
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Join Date: May 2013
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Schools fining parents for holidays

What do you think about this? I think it's disgusting ... while I have not taken my children out for a holiday we have looked at the rising prices companies get away with in the holidays periods, we are simply not in a position to afford those prices and had discussed going in term time previously... obviously not now.

Here is one story of parents fined for taking their children on holiday:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-25733272
Ouch
Quote:
The couple, from Trench, were fined £630 and ordered to pay £363 in costs by Telford magistrates.
There has been a lot of chat about it on Facebook and many parents posting prices to various holiday resorts etc. which double if not more in some cases in school holidays.

And where is this money going to?

Do you think they have a right to do this?
 
 
Jan 27th, 2014, 15:24 PM  
TwylaDee
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 432

I think as long as the children aren't missing more than a certain amount of days for the entire school year, then it shouldn't be anyone else's business, except for the parents, if they are taking them from school for a week to go on a holiday.
 
Jan 27th, 2014, 20:59 PM  
Befit
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 466

i know that in USA a lots parents are now homeschooling because of other reasons but that one as well...companies really charge a lot extra money on holiday times when school is out and that simply not right !
 
 
Jan 27th, 2014, 20:59 PM  
Tinks
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Manchester
Posts: 267

I think it is terrible and understand why parents would pick term time to take a family holiday. A week every month or between important exams no the kids education should come first but 1-2 weeks in a year I don't see the problem unless known to the school for continuous absences.
 
 
Jan 31st, 2014, 10:28 AM  
PrincessPikachu
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Join Date: Jun 2013
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I think it's wrong and targets the wrong people! I can kind of see the logic behind it, but it's another of those harebrained schemes thought up by those in their ivory towers that don't have a clue what the real world's like!

There's always been an agreement between the head teachers in our village (something like 8 schools) that they'll authorise 10 days holiday a year, but they're not allowed to do it now. It's ridiculous, I didn't have kids for the government to tell me how to bring them up!

I'm actually not a massive fan of term time holidays and have always said I'll never do it, BUT, if they're going to start fining people for it, they need to sort the travel companies out first. In a lot of cases, the fines are cheaper than a holiday in the holidays would be! We're going away in august and it's at least double what it would have been earlier in the season, and that's with us going at the last possible time so it came out a bit cheaper. I'm actually waiting with baited breath to see when the inset days are cos they might miss the first day back, it's already costing us thousands to go though, if the flight is "delayed" then so be it

Whoops that turned into a bit of a rant!
 
Jan 31st, 2014, 11:07 AM  
FixMyHeart
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 49

I hate this too, I think it's obscene and just another way to make money off parents. I don't blame the holiday companies. When they aren't able to sell holidays for the majority of the year, they have to make money when they can-that means raising the prices in the school holidays. But yes, that means that they price out many people.

This current government should be ashamed of itself, for what it's doing to the NHS, economy, and the British people on the whole.
 
Jan 31st, 2014, 12:01 PM  
PrincessPikachu
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I think it's swings and round abouts, more people holiday in July/august cos of schools, but I think if holidays were more spread out throughout the year, more people would go away at other times. I'm probably one of the few people that would support them changing school holidays, although I'd still want the same amount of time off, just more equally spread. In terms of holiday costs, it would hopefully lower summer premiums because there wouldn't be such a massive rush of people. We went away at the end of may last year and it was lovely! The weather was still baking hot, but it wasn't too busy everywhere.

It's all Gove's fault well, the education side of it anyway, the rest of them are just as bad! If I could be bothered, I'd run for council myself! I think half the problem is that the vast majority of councillors have had very privileged upbringings and are just guessing at how the other half live, they don't actually have the life experience to know how the changes they're making are affecting real life people!
 
Feb 3rd, 2014, 11:15 AM  
Bevziibubble
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Location: UK
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I think they should be allowed a set amount of days off for holidays each year as long as it isn't during a time when exams or revision are happening and would have too much to catch up on.


But it's scandalous the amount that holiday companies charge families for holidays in the school holidays. If they kept their prices fairer then there might not be such a problem. I do think it's wrong that they can charge so much
 
 
Feb 4th, 2014, 20:25 PM  
avidian
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: EC
Posts: 449

While I think it is crazy to do something like this, if you as a parent know about it ahead of time then you are asking for it. When you live in a certain place with certain rules (no matter how insane they are) you either follow the rules or you suffer the consequences. Or you move.

As a child I had a very harsh upbringing so missing school was a regular thing for me, especially by the time I got into higher grades. My teachers never understood it and I was brought up on truancy charges a few times (nothing other than a meaningless threats though).

For my own children they go to school unless they are sick. We plan vacations in advance and never during normal school days, the only time other than a serious illness where they would be out is for a death in the family. I don't want my kids to miss out on what they can learn when they should learn it like I did.
 
 
Feb 5th, 2014, 20:03 PM  
Wobbles
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Join Date: May 2013
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Exactly I didn't have my kids for other people to tell me what to do... My mother doesn't even have that privilage

Term time holidays are only appealing due to the price companies get away with charging on holidays or it wouldn't be considered by many families I bet. I bet for every 5 chalets/caravans/lodges/etc there are 5 empty? Bring the prices down, bring more people in to spend funds on the other facilities/resturants/etc?
 
 
 
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