Parents not allowed to parent any more

I agree, except that I don't think any amount of travel would have taught me to read and write and do sums.

It's all very well to diss OFSTED ratings when you are not at the sharp end of them. Worsening grades causes massive problems for teachers and schools - although it's arguable whether a week's holiday here or there makes any difference to them.

It's true that wise parents are best left to parent wisely in their own way. But what about the ones that are not wise? We are quite happy to concede that children should be protected from neglectful or violent parents, so why not protect them from feckless and inconsiderate ones as well? Where should the line be drawn?

 

I don't intend to diss OFSTED although I have seen first hand how some pupils are treated to ensure their potential lower grades don't bring down the school average. I think if common sense isn't applied i.e extra support for failing inner city schools through deprivation rather than finger pointing is a much more pragmatic approach to raising the level of education. Once you put unrealistic targets in place, the temptation to "cook the books" (similar to waiting times in the NHS) increases which benefits nobody.

Comparing a school in an area where the children arrive with empty bellies shouldn't be compared to one in middle England leafy suburbs, it's not apples and apples.

Reading, writing and maths are basic skills and probably all I was really taught at school because they assumed I would get married and churn out kids.

I now have a long career in the medical sector behind me, single and childless by choice so they couldn't have been more wrong!

 

The line should be drawn way before we turn into a nanny state

 

I don't remember that my parents took us anywhere! Family holidays were an unfamiliar concept. We were packed off to school no matter how sick we were, also.

Learnt quite a bit from roaming around unsupervised all summer, though.

 

Same here, holidays abroad did not exist anyway..

We did get around but only for a week in the summer visiting relatives in other parts of the Country

There is a way out, HOME EDUCATION does not have set term times, Though I would not advise it

Before I retired last year, we had a girl work with us, whose edumacationy was brilliant to degree standard, The problem was she was home educated

She was locked in her room when Mummy and Daddy had social parties

She had no person skills, ie could not converse, or be with other people without feeling shy, uncomfortable and frightened
Eventually she was dismissed, not because she could not do the job, but had so much time absent afraid to come into work

Jack McH

 

Interesting. Poor girl. Of course, it could be her parents decided on home schooling because she was already showing signs of extreme shyness and social phobia at a young age, rather than the home schooling being the cause of her difficulties.

 

She had been home educated from the age of four
She had no social skills, never been bullied in the playground or heard jokes from peers, consequently unable to handle Life
If you are told in the play ground at the age of five, hey what a big nose, it is upsetting but you got over it
When someone jokingly says it when you are 22 years old it is devastating not a joke
NOT necessarily a big nose just general ribbing

Jack McH

 

Prior to the change in legislation, parents were required to make a written request to the Head of the school to ask for time off for such things.

However, I cannot see anywhere in the article which suggests that the parents had followed that procedure either. Had they done so, they would have had firm (written!) evidence that permission had been granted and the Head of the school concerned would have been able to back them up by using the "exceptional circumstances" argument (seeing as it was booked 11 months previously).

On only one occasion did I make a request to take my two sons out of school for a holiday during term time. It was for a week (or, 5 school days, in Spain) and it was so important to me that I didn't want anything to go wrong. So, I:
a) went through the official school diary dates to find a pocket of time where it would have least impact and still be affordable (end of June);
b) checked the area we were going to see what local "events" were happening so I could strengthen my cause by stating the cultural argument;
c) requested they were given work, and
d) (most importantly) waited until I was granted permission before booking the holiday

I was given consent, they were not given any work and we had a wonderful time.

 

Altough I disagree with action of being fined for taking your kids out of school for 5 days ,Big brother is taking us over whats coming next.
I do agree with a lot of the comments very few of my school mates ever went abroad the most we got was a couple of train rides to the Hastings and that wasent annul and yes I remember if you wanted term time break you had to fill out a form for the head teacher. So maybe ifas stated above they had done this there would have been no problem. But I do think the powers that be are getting too heavy handed after all its the parents that should control there kids and I am sure they would soon catch up with 5 missing days I supose next it will be a docoters certificate to prove they are ill and cant go to school

 

Oh, bliss! We were desperate to go to Butlins, our dad would never take us. In retrospect I can see how much he would have loathed it!