I am forever getting into debates on twitter about the blanket ban about taking the kids out of school in term time.
You probably already know about the rule changes, imposed by the Department of Education, made on parents taking children on holiday during school term time. The maximum fine for a child’s absence is £60 per pupil, per parent, per day.
The backlash from angry parents is inevitable – peak holiday prices for flights and accommodation often mean that travelling during term time is the only way they can afford to take their children abroad, and I do not intend to bash the holiday companies as I understand it is simple supply and demand with most of Europe on holiday at the same time and most of them making a loss out of season.
However, education editor at The Guardian says ‘Parents could accept that their child’s classroom education is far more important than a week in Europe, no matter how many museums they visit. That’s especially true for young children: the evidence is unanimous that early-years education is vital for future attainment.’
The team at BookFHR.com think that pitting a week in a classroom against an opportunity to explore a new place and culture, spend quality time with family and break daily routine is a very tough comparison. Subjects you learn in the classroom can seem pretty abstract without context – travel is a fantastic way to bring studies to life and spark passion in a child.
Their campaign ‘Travel is Education’ aims to highlight the specific nature of how travel can enrich our children beyond the classroom.
What do I think?
Personally I think you should be allowed to take your kids out of school for a maximum of two weeks a year, in a chunk – not bits here and there as that probably impacts education more. We are lucky in this day and age that we are able to travel farther afield than our parents / grandparents did, but back then a working week was Monday – Friday with weekends off and quality family time. Nowadays with modern demands, many parents work shifts and weekends to make ends meet. For many years hubby and I were like passing ships in the night, juggling the kids and work, rarely getting to see each other never mind quality family time.
Holiday’s can be educational in many ways – even a sunshine holiday by the pool can give a child confidence to meet and befriend other children, learn to swim, dive, sail, perhaps even learn some of the local language or do something out of their normal comfort zone. I know that Isaac hates the classroom but get him in an outdoor environment or a museum that his thirst for knowledge knows no bounds and he asks question after question.
My dad emigrated to Cyprus a few years ago and we could never afford to visit him during peak times because flights alone were extortionate, especially with children over the age of 12 who were charged an adult fair.
We took the kids out of school in April 2013 for a trip to Disneyland Paris after a stressful time which saw my husband made redundant. They were only out of school for a few days, but we all got to relax and the smiles on their faces were enough to know we had made the right decision and they caught up on school work within a week.
I would never take a child out of school in their GCSE years, although that being said my teenage son has activities week coming up where they do not do school work so that would be a possibility.
I took a poll of some of my fellow parent bloggers and here is what they think:
Emma from theminimesandme.com
Term time holidays are not only a lower cost break from the norm to enjoy time as a family, children (and adults) can benefit a lot from travel in terms of education which they may not be able to afford otherwise. You can have a go at new languages, learn about other cultures, try different cuisines, discover new animals and terrain. Hands on experiences like this can be just as good, if not better at times, than what is learnt sat at a desk in school.
Nichola from globalmousetravels.com
You can beat the crowds which means that you can really enjoy the sights without huge numbers of fellow travellers who will be there during official holidays. When you’re with children queues can very quickly cause unhappy kids so I love the quiet times of non-term time travelling!
Liska from NewMumOnline.co.uk
Less traffic less queues more space in the water world there and less boisterous older ones. A holiday probably predominantly with pre schoolers which suits me just fine.
Mellissa from thediaryofajewellerylover.co.uk
Some people only get set holidays or only a set number of staff are allowed off at any time. This often happens with shift workers and staff that cover 24 hours. If everyone wants time off in the school summer holidays it could mean missing out on a family holiday if you don’t book outside of this time.
Becky from themummyadventure.com
We intend to take our son out next year, the area I feel he needs encouragement is physical confidence and so I see a week of outdoor activities (we are taking him skiing) will be better for him than being in a classroom. I wouldn’t dream of taking him out at an important time but during those weeks he won’t really miss much I think he will get more
Lucy from theparentgameblog.co.uk
Less crowds and queues would be a major plus point for me, as would the lower cost. We haven’t been on holiday since 2010, because we just can’t afford the inflated school holiday prices!
Erica from 92three30.com
I think children are at school too much of the year anyway. Most parents have experienced that end of term tiredness or the last week of term bug (because the child is run down). Taking a holiday in term time can give them a welcome extra break.
Mary from over40andamumtoone.com
For us it’s being able to get a flight that doesn’t cost a fortune to visit family. Easier to get a flight at last minute, tourist places we might want to visit won’t be packed, which makes things easier with a nervous child. Less queuing. In the UK – one example – parking at a beach in Cornwall was £3 cheaper at the beginning of last week (when a lot of schools hadn’t broken up) went up to £4 on Thursday! I know of places that have ‘holiday’ priced menus too, so can be cheaper to eat during term time.
Gretta from mumsdotravel.com
Affordability. There are many families who simply cannot afford to take a holiday during the school holidays because of the inflated prices during those periods.
Emma from thesyders.blogspot.co.uk/
I home school now but back in the day when all 4 of mine were at school we took our holidays during term time every year, mainly because we wouldn’t have been able to afford a holiday if we didn’t. I also love how much quieter places are out of term. I hate crowds & queues especially with 4 kids so even if I could have afforded a holiday during holiday dates I still would have gone out of term.
Looking back at my own childhood, I was very lucky to be well travelled with visits to the Greek Islands, Canada, USA, Sri Lanka, Austria, France, Spain etc etc. I remember each holiday, experiencing the different cultures, exploring caves and natural wonders, riding elephants, becoming a Junior Park Ranger in California and even learning some foreign languages……..much better than school!
On a personal level, I would also really like to see the school holidays in the UK changed as the roots of the long summer holiday go back to the UK’s agricultural heritage, to a time when children had to help pick fruit and farm the land – not something they do these days. A shorter summer break with longer half terms to compensate would help ease the crazy prices in the school holidays as breaks would be more evenly spread.
So what do you think – are you a teacher that despairs when children are taken out of school for holidays, or a frustrated parent desperately in need of some family time?
This is a collaborative post with BookFHR.com
Excellent post! All my views are exactly the same as yours. We used to take our children out a lot when they were younger before the rules came in and neither of them are struggling in school now because they missed so much. We don’t take them out now because they’re both at more important stages. We’ve compromised with short breaks through the year and then a Mon-Fri in October because the week we’re off, the places we visit are not off so they’re always cheaper holidays x
Thanks for the mention. Our holidays are always educational as we are always out and about, learning about the places we visit and making the experience fun for Monkey. He then shares what he’s learnt with his class mates in their show and tell sessions. I’ve been stunned by how expensive everything becomes now he’s at school. It’s total madness.
Brilliant post and I was nodding all the way through. As a teacher, I can’t see a real problem. If it were a number of holidays then yes, but children don’t miss that much by going out of school for a week or two. I think family holidays are hugely important like you say and I don’t really worry if they are educational but they often are. If my husband wasn’t a teacher, we would take school time breaks, no question
We have always holidayed out of season, and in school time. When the rules began to change, I asked for one day holiday during school time. My son has an otherwise 100% attendance record. He’s an A* student and her presents no concerns to his school. I think each case needs to be looked at on it’s circumstances. If a child’s attendance is low, and a parent wants to take them out for a holiday, maybe they shouldn’t. If there is no concerns maybe it should be considered. I took my son out for the day!
Fantastic post and I whole heartedly agree that travel can be educational. We have had very few holidays in the last few years because they are so expensive and do feel like the children are missing out. Education doesn’t have to be confined to the classroom. I think the last few weeks of term are mostly spent wasted, with every other day a bring a toy to school day. I’d much rather take the kids away but couldn’t afford the fine!
Travel is definitely an education if done right. Exposure to different cultures, climates and people makes you more appreciative and understanding. Real life experience is better than anything learnt in a book on my eyes.
Great to see so many different sides to the same issue together. There’s a lot of parent bashing that goes on from government and the press, so it’s nice to see our point of view represented. Thanks for featuring my comment.
At primary age I think a family holiday can “educate” a child in many ways and they miss very little. Obviously that can’t be a hard and fast rule, some weeks are more important for different children for different reasons, but as a parent of kids with chronic health issues – two of who average 85% attendance I can honestly say they miss little and the important stuff is quick to catch up on. A primary school day wastes about 75% of the time in marshalling children and moving between activities. Actual learning time is usually only an hour or two a day. Later on it’s a different matter all together, my eldest currently has 100% attendance and would go in unless really unwell because he can’t afford to fall behind.
I am on the fence with this, there are enough school holidays during the year, probably far too many, so I don’t agree, but… cost is always a huge matter for most families as the comments show, but for me (I have no children) is the holiday more important than education?
I agree with not taking the most in GCSE year .
Obviously I work in a school so it is a no go from me anyway
I don’t have kids but I do think it is silly, as long as you aren’t going OTT and having kids out every month or two it could really help as it is educational. Obviously it’s common sense to not take them out at important times such as exams but at other times I don’t see the issue and think it’s sad that it is becoming the way it is with schooling.
I do think that parents should be able to take their children out of school for a week or maybe even two weeks.
Thank you for including me! Great post and I can’t believe that the Guardian education editor has said that – I just think that’s ridiculous. I believe children can get so much from holidays and travelling especially when they have an educational element.
I agree that children should be allowed 2 weeks a year to go on holiday out of school times because as your say visiting new cultures and experiencing how they live first hand is a greater education then learning in a class room or from a book, sometimes.
I think they often learn more while on holiday than in a classroom, agree with not during exam times etc but otherwise I don’t think it hurts
what an interesting post! I think travel is such an amazing thing to teach and experience with your kids x
I think holidays can have a hugely positive impact on children. It is not just about education, time spent in a new place as a family, building memories has to help in the long run.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!