For many people with children the issue of taking term time holidays can be a sore one. Basically, from a legislative point of view it is frowned upon. If you take your children on holiday during term time your actions may be frowned upon as being those of a bad parent, or worse, if your child’s regular attendance is not exemplary, you may even find yourself in court if the holiday pushes their attendance figures ‘into the red’.
For many people this is a real bind, as they simply cannot afford to take their children on holiday during the peak periods, and we’re not talking about the Bahamas, we’re talking local caravan holiday parks whose prices can really inflate over the peak season.
One group of parents who are further restricted in the choice of holiday dates is parents who have no choice but to work during the holiday periods because they are employed within the tourist industry, and therefore simply cannot take the time off work.
This issue has been raised by Sheryll Murray Conservative MP for South East Cornwall. Cornwall’s tourist industry keeps the region afloat, as it is one of the poorest areas of England. Many parents who work within leisure take their children out of school for holidays, a great deal higher than the national average, which is in some respects to be expected.
Mrs Murray has asked for the specific needs of workers within certain tourism heavy areas be taken into account when schools attain flexibility over assigning term times in 2015. However, the counter arguments to this that will inevitably arise from various quarters will perhaps expose the ‘quagmire’ that the whole issue is. The effects of changes in term and holiday dates would no doubt have a knock on effect in many areas.
Teachers for one may be reluctant to give up their free summer, and the N.U.T. whilst not possessing a large and sharp set of teeth is just one of many organisations which may step up in the fray. A problem would appear to be the size of the fines for taking children out of school, something which teachers on the whole disapprove of, and they are the ones nearest to parents.
The whole debate has been going on for a while now, and while the announcement of flexibility for schools at least shows that the ‘ear that matter’ are listening although it may not be the best solution to the problem. We will be following this one closely. Original article.
By: Gareth Whieldon
