Unauthorised absence of children

I hate to be the one to defend the government but the law referred to has been in effect for at least five years. It is true that it is vertually impossible for children to have authorised absence, this has been the case for as I say at least five years.
Will it effect the ski industry I think not, if it was going to it would have by now. As for school ski trips I hope they continue as this is for many pupils a rare opportunity to be introduced to the great sport of skiing.

As others have said, it has been the case for a number years that absence for holidays will be marked 'unauthorised'.

But just because it not authorised, it doesn't mean you can't choose to take them them out. That is parental choice. We just advise the head teacher of the relevant dates that they won't be in school.

The first time we took ours out we did "ask". The head teacher replied, "Sorry family holidays during term time cannot be authorised by the school. Yours Sinc. Mrs Head. PS Have a nice time!"

What does become a problem is too many days missed, then it becomes 'persistent absence' and you'll probably be under investigation by the school/authorities. Our school sets 19 days missed as 'persistent'.

As for kids affecting 'adults' enjoyment of holidays, yes some might whinge & run a-mock, but in my experience plenty adults are as bad if not worse and more offensive. My kids will give many adults a lesson in dining etiquette and manners.

I had a nasty letter from the school once, threatening me with jail etc. because my older daughter's attendance rate was only 80%.
The reason for this was because she'd been very ill, and she'd had many visits to the hospital and GP etc. and she was 'under' the paediatrician. And all her absences were 'authorized' as in I had written to the school on each occasion and explained that she was ill.

So - as someone else said what really matters is the total school attendance rate your kids have, and if it drops below the minimum level then you may well be investigated by the local authorities and get a visit from a social worker or someone like that.

I complained about my letter, to the headmistress and she said she didn't know anything about it, but I pointed out that her signature was on the bottom of the letter! And they never did put me in jail or anything, thank goodness.

And when my kids were young (and healthy) I did used to take them out of school for 5 days per year to go ski-ing, and I'm quite sure their education never suffered from this at all :)

Now that my children have grown up and left home, I actively holiday out of school holiday periods, summer as well as winter. The peak weeks when families tend to ski are ridiculously expensive, its the same in the summer with sun holidays.
Personally, we used to take our kids on holiday when it suited us, not some jumped up bureaucrat, and when we could afford to.
If this legislation scares more families off taking their kids away out of school time thats good by me, but I sympathise with those who have kids.
I'd hate to pay 3 times the amount just to go when the slopes, airports, roads, hotels etc are packed beyond capacity and see no fun at all in that kind of holiday.

As for enforcing any fines, I am not entirely sure how a school can try to do this.

Funnily enough, school trips dont seem to be affected as they claim this as part of the education, so why cant a parent take their child skiing and claim the same?

Thanks guys some interesting points coming through. My own view is that it will have an affect on the slopes - some will welcome that - less kids on the slopes but others will feel the pinch especially people with rental properties who are not seeing a consistent rental period but spikes for the half term and Christmas periods - expect to see larger apartments up for sale?? I also think it worked perfectly well before and do not for the life of me understand how people who take their kids out for a family holiday are now being placed in the same category as those parents who don't give a monkeys whether their kids attend school or not or kids who break their 'parole' and hang out on the streets when they have been banned from school - that's not right and it greatly annoys me - I for one will not be voting for the Party who brought that piece of legislation in - alienate the lower-middle classes at your peril Mr Gove - rant over, thanks all

It's not the school that fines it's the courts via social services, the EWO. However the government eas trying to set up a system so the schools could issue fines, how this would work I don't know and the schools would not welcome this.

One day the kids grow up and then you have the luxury of paying less and enjoying a holiday without children in tow and the only ones on the slopes are nothing to do with you.
Just got there.
Can't wait.

Dids1 wrote:One day the kids grow up and then you have the luxury of paying less and enjoying a holiday without children in tow and the only ones on the slopes are nothing to do with you.
Just got there.
Can't wait.

Welcome to my world 8)