Term time school holidays

[martyn1949 12]

School Holidays

===========

 

One thing that makes me curious is what the government expect the holiday companies to do with their staff, premises and aircraft during term time?

 

The Govt say we should NOT go on holiday in school term, but take the kids abroad during the school hols. OK, but you can tell that none of these politicians (or Educationalists) has ever run a business, can't you?

 

What are the airlines and hotel owners and tour operators going to do with their staff during the school terms? Send them home on no pay? and hotels and aircraft still incur costs even when not occupied. The mortgages/leases still have to be paid. Are the hotels expected to make a profit from only a quarter of the year?

 

The holiday companies do the only thing they CAN do - they offer discounts during term time to fill those airline seats and hotel rooms, and keep their staff paid. (Where are the staff to get their wages from in term time if there are no customers to pay them?)

 

The idea that the whole holiday industry can go into hibernation during term time, then spring into full action in the short school hols gets more absurd the longer you think about it.

 

Of COURSE the companies don't discount during the school hols - they can sell every seat at full price then, because of the overwhelming demand, because of parents obeying the school rules and taking their hols in that window. The companies NEED that money to help tide them over the slack term period when, despite discounting to try and fill seats, they lose money due to lack of demand.

 

This whole system is lunacy - and all to suit the SCHOOLS????? Why are they more important than every other business? What about all the small firms, who can't possibly allow all their staff with children to take the same fortnight off - without the business grinding to a halt, and customers probably going elsewhere?

 

This is a monumental arrogance on the part of the education establishment - to believe that their interests are supreme, and everyone else should dance to their tune.

 

Particularly when they turn out 25% of their product unable to read and write sensibly, or add up. And 90% of the rest of their output unable to spell or punctuate effectively.

 

Dear God, most of the TEACHERS are unable to spell or punctuate!

 

And this is the industry that thinks it should dictate how the rest of us live? Backed by politicians - but then no one expects anything approaching common sense from THEM, anyway....

Edited September 15, 2013 by martyn1949

[A.B.Yaffle 24]

Parents do not legally have to send their children to school, so long as they are providing their children with an education.

 

If I took my 5-year-old out of school to go and look at the pyramids in Egypt, for example, what grounds would the LA have to fine me?

[Daven 10]

I would do the lieing, not them.

 

But you should be a role model for your children by not allowing them to believe that telling untruths are ok.

[Happ Hazzard 10]

Parents do not legally have to send their children to school, so long as they are providing their children with an education.

 

If I took my 5-year-old out of school to go and look at the pyramids in Egypt, for example, what grounds would the LA have to fine me?

Maybe none. But you might have to find your 5 year old another school.

[A.B.Yaffle 24]

Maybe none. But you might have to find your 5 year old another school.

 

We have never taken our children out during term time. Even if we wanted to, I couldn't as I am a teacher. The new strict rules do worry me though.

[GLASGOWOODS 10]

Your choice to send them to different schools. The dates don't vary that much do they? I know Scotland is significantly different but how many people have different kids at school in England and Scotland?

 

I had a 2 week window of opportunity to enable my daughter in England and my partners daughter in Scotland to have an holiday together with us. Scottish summer holidays start a few weeks earlier. I guess this was the reason my daughters school were more sympathetic to my problem.

 

---------- Post added 15-09-2013 at 13:42 ----------

 

School Holidays

===========

 

One thing that makes me curious is what the government expect the holiday companies to do with their staff, premises and aircraft during term time?

 

The Govt say we should NOT go on holiday in school term, but take the kids abroad during the school hols. OK, but you can tell that none of these politicians (or Educationalists) has ever run a business, can't you?

 

What are the airlines and hotel owners and tour operators going to do with their staff during the school terms? Send them home on no pay? and hotels and aircraft still incur costs even when not occupied. The mortgages/leases still have to be paid. Are the hotels expected to make a profit from only a quarter of the year?

 

The holiday companies do the only thing they CAN do - they offer discounts during term time to fill those airline seats and hotel rooms, and keep their staff paid. (Where are the staff to get their wages from in term time if there are no customers to pay them?)

 

The idea that the whole holiday industry can go into hibernation during term time, then spring into full action in the short school hols gets more absurd the longer you think about it.

 

Of COURSE the companies don't discount during the school hols - they can sell every seat at full price then, because of the overwhelming demand, because of parents obeying the school rules and taking their hols in that window. The companies NEED that money to help tide them over the slack term period when, despite discounting to try and fill seats, they lose money due to lack of demand.

 

This whole system is lunacy - and all to suit the SCHOOLS????? Why are they more important than every other business? What about all the small firms, who can't possibly allow all their staff with children to take the same fortnight off - without the business grinding to a halt, and customers probably going elsewhere?

 

This is a monumental arrogance on the part of the education establishment - to believe that their interests are supreme, and everyone else should dance to their tune.

 

Particularly when they turn out 25% of their product unable to read and write sensibly, or add up. And 90% of the rest of their output unable to spell or punctuate effectively.

 

Dear God, most of the TEACHERS are unable to spell or punctuate!

 

And this is the industry that thinks it should dictate how the rest of us live? Backed by politicians - but then no one expects anything approaching common sense from THEM, anyway....

 

Damn good write up Martyn.

 

I'm in the private sector and it really annoys me that I have to fight with colleagues (not literally) to get those precious holidays booked off, on the staff calendar.

A couple of months leeway either side of the school holdays would solve this problem.

[spilldig 187]

I hate this system. My children are all grown and almost flown now, but us lads at work always make sure the staff with kids get the six weeks hol, and other term hols, and the rest of us are happy to mooch about with whats left over. I feel so sorry for parents today, not only having this crap fine system watching over them, but also the price of package family holidays during the hol terms. It makes me wonder if there really is a conspiracy theory, designed to just make every body thoroughly peed-off.

 

I did notice though that holidays with Ilkeston co-op travel,this year seemed to be priced about the same throughout the year.

[dawny1970 10]

Bit rich really, parents get fined but its fine for the teachers to go in strike, 1st Oct they on strike!!

[Evei 10]

Bit rich really, parents get fined but its fine for the teachers to go in strike, 1st Oct they on strike!!

 

Teachers do not make government policies about fines. I think you will find that teachers are as annoyed about the many negative regulation changes as parents.

 

Just a thought, if teachers all have different holidays how would they go on holiday with their own children who are at different schools?

Edited September 20, 2013 by Evei

[Coroa 10]

I can understand that you can't have everyone taking their kids out of school during term time - it would be chaos. On the other hand, there should not be a price hike by travel companies during times when they know full well that they have a captive market. I don't agree that they "discount" prices during term time in comparison to holiday time - they get plenty of people travelling outside school holidays who try to avoid being away at the same time as families with kids - they DO increase their prices to maximise their profits from people who have no choice...

[scousemouse 10]

Bonzo77 Ever heard the expression 'out of the mouths of babes comes the truth' How would you feel if your child told the teacher the truth! Just a thought..........

[Daven 10]

Bonzo77 Ever heard the expression 'out of the mouths of babes comes the truth' How would you feel if your child told the teacher the truth! Just a thought..........

 

I doubt that he's the type that would care much.