Unauthorised school absences

We used to take our children on holiday the first week in September when the school year started. DH was a farm manager and it was impossible to go anywhere in August because of harvest. This also applied to nearly all the kids in a small village primary.

Harvest tends to be earlier now due to hotter summers so it may no longer be the case.

I was always taken out of school in the 60s and 70s.

It was a private school. They didn't appear to be particularly bothered.

I was very lucky and got taken on amazing holidays.

My father used to insist on going during term time, not due to price, due to the fact he didn't like children! Obviously thought that there would be less sprogs around.

We took our children out of school for holidays a couple of times when they were at primary cause.

The reason had absolutely nothing to do with cheaper holidays but simply that DH could not get leave over the summer months. He worked in the offshore energy industry supervising and managing the towage and installation of platforms and rigs. Leave during the summer weather window that ran from April - October was effectively forbidden. One year we had our 'summer' holiday in early March during the spring halfterm.

I fail to understand this belief that to have a 'good' holiday you have to spend a lot of money. We never spent much on holidays, but we always had great fun. They were almost always self-catering, The three years we took the children out of school in late September, we went to the Lake District, not the best choice at that time of year, but despite rain and the occasional gale, we developed family holiday traditions that remain with us still.

We have recently returned from a gite holiday in France with DD. She insisted that we had to take a Fray Bentos Steak pie with us, otherwise it wasn't a proper summer holiday. This tradition started with the Lake District holidays.

I think that schools must be more flexible in Ireland, or like Scotland they must have different term times, because when we travelled to Spain the other year out of season we saw a fair few Irish families with school age children. Perhaps we could take a leaf out of their book and stagger term times, with schools taking their summer break earlier or later, maybe starting in June or ending in September etc. Then families won't need to take their kids our of school.
And for goodness sake something should be done about the price of holidays peak season, is beyond extortinate, and not every holiday destination can say it is because that is their only season, with everything closing in September, because these days people travel year round to these destinations, so they make enough money. Massive profits are being made. Is obscene.

Years ago I asked three teachers friends if they'd take their kids out of school for holidays if they weren't teachers and they all said yes but that was before fines etc.

The BBC seems to be saying that it's a tightening up of existing legislation.

Sixty pound fines will become eighty, doubled if not paid. And something or other (court?) If thr same occurs within three years.

MissAdventure

Is that a crime matter, or a civil one?

Not 100% sure, but I assume criminal.

Only going on that it’s illegal for a child not to be in education (of an approved sort) from 5-18

Yes, I know someone who was taken to court for failing to make her teen go to school.
The fine and court made no difference, as she still couldn't make her go.

Have never done it but I don't think a couple of days does much harm After all we all missed days through sickness.
I was surprised to hear that yesterday in my grandsons primary class 7 children did not turn up for the new term.

Is that a crime matter, or a civil one?

Ah, well that's at least credible.

Mollygo

The next step is rumoured to be taking parents to court for taking the children out of school in term time, resulting in a criminal record.

There is a fine of £X

If that isn’t paid within X amount of days the fine increases.

If the fine isn’t paid parents can and have been taken to court.

MissAdventure

Where do these rumours come from?

BBC news tonight.

Where do these rumours come from?

The next step is rumoured to be taking parents to court for taking the children out of school in term time, resulting in a criminal record.

How about fining the travel companies for raising their prices so horrendously during the school holidays ?

This isn't exactly news. Parents have been doing this for years. My son is in his late forties and we did it when he was at school. I do however think we were allowed 2 weeks in term time back then. The prices in school holidays have become astronomical. I had a shock reading some of the conversations on Mumsnet. They are paying thousands, not hundreds. That's for a fairly ordinary package holiday to Spain.

We didn’t go overseas as a family, although I went with a couple of school trips, my daughters do take theirs skiing, often the last week of term before Xmas, havn’t been fined yet.

I did in the 70’s, widowed with 5 and 7 year old, we had taken them every year in Wales, did not want to explain to them we couldn’t afford to go during school holidays .

The difference for our DD taking her 3 children away in August and September was over £2k. This was to Majorca for 10 days.

Spare a thought then for those who work in schools, they have to toe the line, or should they be allowed to go too? I don’t think so.

Grandma70s

I wouldn't have dreamed of taking my children out of school to have a holiday. School came first.

There was one girl in my form in senior school who had permission to go on holiday during term. I presume her parents had no choice of dates. If this had been the case for my parents I have a feeling there would have been no holidays!

Times change

Shelflife

I understand why parents feel this way , however......school is school and our children are fortunate to be given free education. Going on holiday in term time is not acceptable , I know it's expensive - so what !? They should go away in term time and if this means having a modest holiday in this country then so be it! I have no sympathy what so ever. We are privileged to have a sound education system and if parents can't appreciate that they don't deserve it ! No patience at all , if children are taken out of school for foreign holidays then a heavy financial penalty should be the ' price' they pay. They don't recognize how fortunate they are !!!!!!!

Thing is no one is asking is asking for yours ( or anyone elses) sympathy or approval.....parents will continue to to this.....for some it the difference between going on holiday and not going.... for others its the opportunity to have a better or longer holiday ....so they will do it anyway .....the jncreased fine won't deter people ....my DD took 2 of my GDs to Australia for a close family wedding at Christmas....so 2 weeks school holiday....then an extra 4 weeks ....they visited so many places and had so many experiences alongside their aussie cousins....the head just said I can't authorise but have a great time .....my DD certainly wasn't bothered what others thought ....and even at 80 quid it wouldn't make made any difference to her decision.

I wouldn't have allowed my daughter so much as a day off, but things, times, schools, are very different now.
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I wouldn't have dreamed of taking my children out of school to have a holiday. School came first.

There was one girl in my form in senior school who had permission to go on holiday during term. I presume her parents had no choice of dates. If this had been the case for my parents I have a feeling there would have been no holidays!