Getting kids out of school

[Danauk]

I too usually promise myself that I will not reply to these types of threads. However I have to agree with the above poster. If a person asks a question about schools and holiday time please do not turn it into a thread making comments about anyone who works in education, their pay, holiday time etc. Everyone knows that people who work in schools get lots of holidays, everyone has their own opinion as to how hard they work, everyone has their own opinions about their pay etc. Educators are aware that some families have to take their holiday in school time due to their jobs just like educators have to take their holiday at peak time. As a teacher I do get annoyed about the constant bashing of my profession in these types of threads. Yes I make a decent wage (however I hardly "rake it in") which I work hard for, but so do many other professions.

To the OP: Schools can authorise up to 10 days of holiday time. As long as the child completes any work due in when they are away before they go and are aware that they will probably have a little extra work upon their return then go and have a great time.

 

[andip1967]

The reason I started the thread was a simple question.

Having always been with friends before I have never taken family.

Therefore the opportunity arose that my girlfriend and her 2 children want to go, 1 of them is in school when we go hence the question.

My girlfriend has been away for 5 years and she is a child minder.

Please I dont wont to cause a fuss, just asking for some straight answers.

Thank you.

 

[maggs]

Unfortunately this always happens. Instead of a direct answer or a knowledgeable reply 'bricks' are thrown at teachers. I dont know why there is the need for this.It is so disheartening. Your question only asked for a reply to a simple question.
I hope that at least some of the replies make that clear and please remember there are teachers who are members of this forum. They dont need this abuse.

Maggs

 

[Netty]

I really do get sick of a simple question , being turned into a have a go at teachers etc. If you think its great having a job in education because its so highly paid and loads of hols, then why arent you working in education.
I love my job working with autistic children, it is low paid, but its what i chose to do!
andip, its not your fault, hope you get your questions answered

 

[disney13]

As someone who is married to a very good teacher I think it's time that those people who think that teachers "rake" it in should try doing their jobs for a few weeks.

I, for one, wouldn't want to do this thankless job.

Let the flames begin,
Andy

 

[marlouwrig]

There are 'good' teachers and 'not so good' teachers just the same as there are good and bad in every other profession. It isn't the teachers who make the rules they just have to apply them. My son's school has now decided that it will only allow holiday in term time for 'exceptional family circumstances' which have to be proven.


The main reason I prefer to go to Florida in October rather than the summer hols is the weather (not primarily the cost although that is a consideration)

I just wish that the October holiday could be expanded to 2+ weeks and the long summer holiday cut down slightly.

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

marlouwrig has a very good point! Both my DD and I are VERY fair skinned and don't cope well with hot weather (DD gets prickly heat and I get migraines)so if our only option was to go in the summer holidays then we'd never get to go!

 

[happytraveller]

Hi, i too would'nt mind the school hols in the summer being cut and the october one being expanded as i have no-one to look after my chidren during that long break really, so for me i have no choice now but to go in the summer.

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Hi, i too would'nt mind the school hols in the summer being cut and the october one being expanded as i have no-one to look after my chidren during that long break really, so for me i have no choice now but to go in the summer.

This is likely to happen within the next few years (depending on what LEA your child goes to school in).

 

[Bekki]

This is likely to happen within the next few years (depending on what LEA your child goes to school in).

Our local school is one of the schools in the country which is trying this scheme next year. Basically it's a term of 6 weeks then its a one or 2 week break. Their summer holiday is the 21st July - 21st August.

Bekki

 

[VSL]

RE,Teachers wages They rake it in! . . .They do extra marking for Foreign countries and also get paid again for checking each others marking!

This is the most offensive and uneducated post I have seen on this thread.

"The unqualified teachers' pay scale ranges from £13,938 to £22,041 (£17,529 to £25,629 in Inner London).
If you are accepted for training on the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) the school will have discretion to pay you as a qualified teacher.

Main salary scales range from £19,023 to £27,801 (£22,611 to £31,518 in inner London).

Teachers who reach the top of the main scale may apply to be assessed to progress to the upper pay scale. This ranges from £30,120 to £32,391 (£35,721 to £38,634 in inner London).

Advanced Skills Teachers earn between £31,263 and £49,872 (£37,509 to £56,115 in inner London).Head teachers earn between £33,006 and £92,619 (£39,249 and £98,862 in inner London).

Teachers of special needs students may receive extra allowances."
http://www.learndirect-advice.co.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/profiles/profile1105/

You think that after spending years at College and Uni, and then getting onto a PGCE course and ending up with this kind of salary is 'raking it in'?
Like I said before, teaching is one of the lowest paid (and thankless) graduate jobs in the country. An accountant, for example, would start at about the same point on the wage scale but would go way above a teacher.

Also, marking exam papers takes a lot of time out of a teachers' holidays and so they should get paid extra for it.

This is on top of all the paperwork, marking, and stuff that they already have to do just to get the basic £28,000 (approx.) a year salary. If they want to get on to the higher scale and make more money, they have to take on even more paperwork than they already do.

A headteachers pay doesn't even come close to his/her counterpart in the business world.

Also, I don't think that many people realise that while teachers are only in school from 9am-4pm (depending on school hours), they actually often find themselves working up to (and over, sometimes!) 70hrs per week.

 

[mark&sue]

The problem with school holidays and time off during term time is nothing to do with teachers it is the Government. They are having an extremely hard time with truancy figures and the only way they can get anywhere near their targets is bullying middle class families who take their children out of school for holidays.

The real problem is the hoards of children hanging around street corners, shopping centres, parks taking drugs and making a general nuisance of themselves.

I really wish they would tackle this very real problem instead of picking on me (well that is how it feels when I have to beg, and I mean beg my boss for excactly the same time off as everyone else wants in the team, and of couse my boss always pulls rank)

I too would love two weeks in October as my boss does not like to take this time but our Local Authority have confirmed that 2006/2007 is still the out dated way. I live in hope for 2007/8

Sorry to go on.



Susan

 

[rpbert1]

as said before here , if you think teachers are overpaid and about the hols they get ,then you people should be working as a teacher if you are so wound up about it.
that being said i wouldnt do there job for all the money in China, they work hard, they take abuse from parents and pupils and get very little gratitude.
like i said if your jealous of what they get do something about it and do the training to be one

 

[Danauk]

To those asking about 2 weeks October half term:

My DH teaches in Linconshire and they have had 2 weeks October half term for a few years now (I teach in Northants and we do not have this yet but hope to in a few years time.) I grew up in Leeds where we always had a 2 week October half term when we used to take our holidays abroad.
It is proposed that schools change to a 6 term year which will mean that schools end up with 7 week terms for each of the 6 terms and a 2 week October holiday. Some LEA's are trying this now.
One school in our town works on a different system. They have 5 terms of 8 weeks with 2 weeks off in between and 4 off in the summer. Some LEA's are considering this as well but the government is recommending the 6 term year.

 

[Oddjob]

Everything I said was true!!

How does that make me
Uneducated
Offensive and get this one Jealous

And who said I was Wound up about it!!

its a Discussion Board - Sorry For speaking the truth!!

 

[homerdog]

it's a Discussion Board

True, there seem to be some over-sensitive types on here. Teachers, how can you take these comments so personally, when they don't actually apply to you?

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

True, there seem to be some over-sensitive types on here. Teachers, how can you take these comments so personally, when they don't actually apply to you?

How can teachers NOT take some of the comments on these threads (past and present) personally when so many digs are aimed at teachers - just go back and read Oddjobs first reply

Yet again I'm going to reign back from this debate because it's getting personal - can I just remind everyone THAT CHILDREN ARE REQUIRED TO GO TO SCHOOL TO GET AN EDUCATION. Pure and simply that. School has two sessions each day and term times are set over a a year in advance.

If I wasn't able to take my child out of school because it was the schools' policy, I wouldn't go on holiday to somewhere (1) I couldn't afford if it wasn't in the holidays (2) too hot in the holidays - and before you jump on me both my DD and I are fairskinned too and struggled with the heat/humidity this August - but it was the only time we could go for three weeks and I'd rather struggle for an hour or so than not go at all

Roll on two weeks in October - but then the travel companies will hike the prices because it will be the most popular time to go. We've noticed the price rising the last few October's we've been and you hear more British accents than anything else.

 

[disney13]

Before this gets out of hand, I have a simple solution to those who want to take their children away during school term times - Why don't you teach them at home yourselves. You can then take them away whenever you like.

Good luck and please let us know how you get on,
Andy

 

[marlouwrig]

[B]

Yet again I'm going to reign back from this debate because it's getting personal - can I just remind everyone THAT CHILDREN ARE REQUIRED TO GO TO SCHOOL TO GET AN EDUCATION. Pure and simply that. School has two sessions each day and term times are set over a a year in advance.

DS Headteacher shuts the school at short notice at least once or twice a year. Last school year it was closed for a whole day so the teachers could watch the Pope's funeral on television and on another occassion because teachers wished to attend the funeral of a colleague's mother. I don't find either of these sufficient reason to disrupt the education of a whole school. Its the lack of consistency I object to - the attitude seems to be 'do as I say not as I do'.

I can only get two weeks of during school summer hols every other year so every other year we take our main holiday in this time. However does this mean we should not be entitled to our family holiday when DH and I are unable to get time off together.



Roll on two weeks in October - but then the travel companies will hike the prices because it will be the most popular time to go. We've noticed the price rising the last few October's we've been and you hear more British accents than anything else.

[/B]

Very true. Its not the answer to everything, but at least it is a more pleasant time of year.

 

[Shooby doo]

Wow been off the board for a few days & can't believe how off track it's gone!! I was under the impression that the initial thread was about taking the kids out of school? On the news yesterday & this morning,they were on about truancy figures again......Sorry but I would 've described that as deliberately missing school not the same as missing for a family holiday,unless of course you're talking a few holidays a year!! So the Travel Companies ( England & Wales..... How can it be cheaper to drive to Manchester,stay over night in an Hotel than it is to fly from Scotland during our holidays!?) are going to start giving discounts to encourage going away during school holidays...Yippeee do!! So are the Orlando hotels going to discount their Peak rate just so the Agent can pass it on to you....Don't think so!
WDW is the only holiday that we take DS out of school for & although price does play a part it is more the fact that Sept/Oct is quieter! We've done the 2/3 queues...where's the fun in that?!! Quite simply if the only time we could go was during school holidays then we wouldn't go.
SD aw:
PS. You teachers out there I wouldn't do your job for the world! Little or no recognition & impossible targets!!