alcazar

iTrader: (2)

After bringing in legislation around two years ago to make it illegal for parents to take their children out of school in term time, on holidays, (and most other things too), Labour then required headteachers and the EWO's to enforce this law, with threats of legal action against schools, individual heads and the LEA if parents were NOT brought to book

Yesterday, education minister Ed ***** () made a speech containing an impassioned plea to heads to "be more lenient and flexible" in their approach to the problem.

So.............create an unpopular law, get someone else to stand up as an Aunt Sally to enforce it, then undermine them in order to gain support for yourself?

Is there no end to this lying, cheating, underhand government's duplicity?

Alcazar

unclebuck

Well, according to this poll ***** et al need as much popularity as they can get lay hands on...

Labour at its lowest ebb | Gordon Brown | Sun poll | The Sun |HomePage|News

Apparently even if Blair came back they would lose even more support.

warrenm2

You never know - at this rate it could be the end of the Labour party - which is nice!

Dan W

aye lets hope so. In the meantime the Government shambles on dragging the country behind them like a old rag.

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

I mentioned this to some friends of mine and the opinion is that it is a case of vote buying from those members of the community that like to visit other countries for weeks at a time and take all their family with them *cough*

Or other parents that want to save money and go on hols in term time.

Sonic'

At our school we are allowed to take up to ten term days for kids holidays should we wish to go away during those times

Prasius

iTrader: (1)

No

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Serious question, do you really think having just one major political party in the UK would be a good idea?

Hint: NL got elected when the Tories were almost down and out and look what happened. Ditto Thatcher got elected when the Labour party were so bad as to be unelectable and again look what happened.

Far better we have a ruling party AND a strong opposition to keep them honest. A situation that has rarely existed in the last 30 years.

warrenm2

No I just wish sh1tty death to the idea of socialism - not talking about one party states at all

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

But the current Labour party and socialism are two entirely different things

warrenm2

if you say so

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Oh dear, well I will just leave you to your childish rants against the evil 'socialists' then. LMAO at this place sometimes

Diesel

My kids come with me on holiday regardless of what's in the best interest of these bunch of nitwits. Travel to foreign cultures is an education in itself. t's all about their statistics rather than the needs of parents and kids.

D

DYK

my mate has booked his holiday and his Mrs told the school ,that they would be taking their son on holiday out of term time .The school said they would take action against them if they did this..But for the same holiday in the holiday season,it will cost an extra £500.00.So my mate has basically shoved two fingers up at the school and told them to give him an extra 500 quid,to take the same holiday in term time..

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Yep, even sillier from Labour. The fine is usually around £100 IF IT GETS TO COURT, but most families save 4, 5 or more times that amount

Alcazar

The Zohan

I think that is a very valid POV!

gallois

perhaps your mate should look for a holiday that costs £500 less, the kids would hardly know the difference, and their education would be unaffected too, unless of course, the kids are not the priority here?

Diesel

Missing a week of school is in-significant in the great scheme of life; especially when you learn new tastes/languages/cultures/customs. I may not be talking about a week in Cornwall here, but families do have budgets you know. You sound just as blinkered and self serving as the politicians that cant see society other than from an affluent Westminster 'party line' perspective I'm afraid to say.

Also, at the end of the day, my kids are mine and I will TOTALLY say what goes in their best interest as a proud father and parent. Politicians and self serving civil servants needs do not really figure into this. This is why they came with me to Mauritius recently (esp as southern hemisphere climate doesnt fit into school summer hols) - talk about gaining worldly perspective and learning so much useful life stuff... Much more rounded kids...

D

gallois

being a proud father myself, i would not take my kids out of school to save a few quid £500 isn't a lot in the grand scheme of life now is it. If you want to do it then crack on. no-ones judging you, although i suspect you don't actually give a **** what people think.

c_maguire

Consider this though. You might be 'Dad of the Year' and have the most well-rounded kids this side of Wisbech, but there will be other parents who will use the same arguments you have for removing their kids from school during term-time but will not then have your conscientious attitude to parenting. People like the Irish couple who recently had their kids taken temporarily into care in Spain after they were arrested for rolling around paralytic in the lobby of their hotel, the cultural education of their children obviously not high on the list of priorities. Most parents who remove their kids from school in term-term are undoubtedly doing it for one reason only, saving a few bob on the cost of their holiday. The difference in cost is certainly a problem, and the right solution should be to go some way towards removing this (which no doubt will require some negotiation between the Government and ABTA etc).
In the meantime I believe parents should accept the consequences of the choices they have made and obey the rules. When I was a kid there was no way my parents would have considered removing me and my brothers from school to go on holiday, and so our holidays often ended up down the coast in good old Blighty rather than under the coconut trees in Mauritius.
Kevin

gallois

also it seems that the few people who do take their kids out during term time, do it every year too. the obvious solution is to abandon the 6 week summer holiday, i.e. have 3, 2week breaks during the spring, summer, autumn, and stagger them so different schools are off at different times, then there would be no 'price fixing' during the 6week holiday.

daddyscoob

well said. So also lets all tell the schools that closing when it's ok for them for teacher f***in training isn't ok for the rest of us who have to work. To one sided !!!!!!!!!

Diesel

Gallois - a good solution there maybe to killing the term time holiday cost premium? Sounds a rather better solution than castigating the less well off, who, damn them, still want a holiday with their kids, and to pay the mortgage when they get back????

Some other valid points before you there too, and maybe why I am being a bit reactionary to this as 'easy, cop-out' dumbing down in a one punishment fits all policy; its easy but not fair or rational. Assuming that kids are taken out despite their best interest rather than BECAUSE of it doesnt wash. You can presume that all parents are dodgy chavs (esp if you can finish work at 1530 on a Friday ). but that doesnt mean I'm going to start acting like one (despite slightly darker rear windows on the Evo )

D

daddyscoob

I saw that story about that couple and was outraged. However as is often the case the tabloids made a story out of nothing it would seem ( there's a surprise ) and reported what they thought would make good headlines.....

Sonic'

If it is illegal now to take your kids out of school in term time, how come we are allowed upto 10 days per child a year in case we have a holiday ?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Wouldn't work, holiday companies would just extend the peak times to take in all available holidays.

Tell that to the government. THEY invented so-called training days, and THEY insist on at least one a term, and five in total!

Alcazar

OllyK

I'm all for totally banning kids being removed from school during term time to go on holiday. There's nothing worse than booking what you think will be a nice peaceful holiday during off peak times only to find the place full of screaming kids.

Diesel

Ah but Olly one's OWN screaming kids are fine - it's other people's that are the problem!!!

D

OllyK

I don't have any kids, screaming or otherwise, so ALL kids are a problem!