Those £9.50 holidays are back

[Gazza58 10]

Wrong on both counts. I have a lot of experience of children, schools, teaching, exams and the education process generally.

 

Many kids are under-aspirational and could do better, given a different attitude at home. Like it or not, in the end, kids who do brilliantly at school (at whatever level is 'brilliantly' for them), are the ones whose parents give them the same messages as the school, not contrary ones such as yours : 'Oh, come off on holiday with us, rather than being bored to death at school!'. Actions speak louder than words and even if you don't say it explicitly, it is the message they receive. See other thread.

 

Cheap holidays : I've looked into these a few times and rejected them as being misrepresented. I've had friends book them and be disappointed or ripped off. You don't get owt for nowt!

 

But do you have children.

[Anna B 1,401]

No, it makes perfect sense. If you take your kids out of school to go on holiday, their education suffers. Unless they are so bright that they can get A*s without full attendance and their teachers' input, it is rational to assume that whatever they got, they could have got more marks if they hadn't missed a week (or two, or three) of lessons.

 

Actually, as a teacher of 30+ years' experience , I always supected that it was more to do with attitude than with hours of schooling missed (although both are significant). When you take your kids out of school, the message they get is : school is important, but not that important. Tenerife is more important. We know better than all your teachers. That message undermines what their teachers are telling them and affects motivation... and exam results. The arguments are re-visited here:

 

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1223677&highlight=school+holidays

 

I agree up to a point, (certainly about the attitude,) but when I was teaching I also saw holidays as a learning opportunity, and a chance to broaden horizons.

I used to set tasks right from the airport (lot's of geography opportunities,) keeping a diary, drawing, finding things out about the place they were staying, learning some of the language, collecting things, all sorts of ideas.

 

The parents liked it as it kept the kids busy, and the kids used to come back with a great scrap book of their adventures.

 

Done right they probably learned far more than they would in the classroom.

[aliceBB 10]

I imagine you as one of those teachers that punishes the entire class for the indiscretions of a minority.

 

You clearly know nothing about me and have a defective imagination to boot. When in a hole, stop digging.

 

---------- Post added 05-01-2014 at 18:00 ----------

 

I agree up to a point, (certainly about the attitude,) but when I was teaching I also saw holidays as a learning opportunity, and a chance to broaden horizons.

I used to set tasks right from the airport (lot's of geography opportunities,) keeping a diary, drawing, finding things out about the place they were staying, learning some of the language, collecting things, all sorts of ideas.

 

The parents liked it as it kept the kids busy, and the kids used to come back with a great scrap book of their adventures.

 

Done right they probably learned far more than they would in the classroom.

 

For primary children, I'd agree with you, but for students on GCSE or A level courses they just miss too much curriculum content and exam practice, don't you think? Plus, most teenagers (and their parents) do not see term-time holidays as a cultural, mind-broadening opportunity so much as a cheap chance to eat a lot of (English) food, get drunk and lie on a beach somewhere. Most of them come back not even able to tell you where exactly they have been, or what language was spoken there (let alone say 'please' or 'thank you' in that language!).

 

---------- Post added 05-01-2014 at 18:05 ----------

 

But do you have children.

 

Yes, three of my own. All with very different interests and careers, but all with positive attitudes to their education (even if they didn't all like all their teachers. We just told them to get on with it and see personality clashes as a lesson in life!). And I taught for 30+ years, all age groups from 9 to 18 year olds.

Edited January 5, 2014 by aliceBB

[daneha 10]

You clearly know nothing about me and have a defective imagination to boot. When in a hole, stop digging.

 

You are right, I know nothing at all about you, thankfully, other than you claiming to be a know it all teacher with more knowledge of children than their parents.

The next time you want to condemn someones actions, despite knowing nothing about them, you should think about how much you didn't like someone generalising about you.

Edited January 5, 2014 by daneha

[aliceBB 10]

Other than you claiming to be a know it all teacher with more knowledge of children than their parents, you are right, I know nothing at all about you, thankfully.

The next time you want to condemn someones actions, despite knowing nothing about them you should about how much you didn't like someone generalising about you.

 

Whatever! Nothing you say or don't say bothers me in the slightest. Whinge on to your heart's content!

[daneha 10]

Whatever! Nothing you say or don't say bothers me in the slightest. Whinge on to your heart's content!

 

I didn't expect to.

[butterball 10]

Whatever! Nothing you say or don't say bothers me in the slightest. Whinge on to your heart's content!

 

I really hope when my children start school they don't get somebody like you as their teacher. Your petty squabbling makes you not much better than the kids

[ll49 10]

Whatever you say.

 

(Protesting too much, methinks...)

 

I absolutely loved school and achieved very good marks and went on to achieve good marks through A levels, degree and masters degree but I have to say teachers with attitudes like yours spoil the whole thing for so many students!! You sound like a jumped up know it all and I imagine being in your classroom is unbearable for some children. Nobody knows a child better than their parent, and I seriously don't think a week away from school is going to have long term effects on their results. Also, it's easy for you with your 12 weeks holiday a year to fit your holidays around term time, not so easy for parents with jobs with significantly less holidays!!

[Mr Clowning 10]

My cousin went on one to a camp site somewhere, it was the worst holiday of his life he reckons, he came back after 3 days.

[Anna B 1,401]

 

For primary children, I'd agree with you, but for students on GCSE or A level courses they just miss too much curriculum content and exam practice, don't you think? Plus, most teenagers (and their parents) do not see term-time holidays as a cultural, mind-broadening opportunity so much as a cheap chance to eat a lot of (English) food, get drunk and lie on a beach somewhere. Most of them come back not even able to tell you where exactly they have been, or what language was spoken there (let alone say 'please' or 'thank you' in that language!).

 

---------- Post added 05-01-2014 at 18:05 ----------

 

 

 

Indeed, I was thinking in terms of Primary.

 

I definitely don't think years 10 and 11 should ever be taken out of school for holidays, and years 7, 8 and 9 only if absolutely necessary.

 

However I do sympathise with parents. It's no joke having to pay twice the price for holidays. Nevertheless your kids education should come first.

[daneha 10]

 

 

Indeed, I was thinking in terms of Primary.

 

I definitely don't think years 10 and 11 should ever be taken out of school for holidays, and years 7, 8 and 9 only if absolutely necessary.

 

However I do sympathise with parents. It's no joke having to pay twice the price for holidays. Nevertheless your kids education should come first.

 

An happy child will learn far more than a miserable child, just think how miserable a child will be when all their mates are talking about their holidays, and they didn't go on one. Going on cheap holidays out of season is a good compromise and will make a child happy.

The answer to this problem is flexible school holidays in which children can take at least two weeks off any time. Cutting teacher holidays to 5 weeks would make this possible, but I would guess that if this was suggested suddenly the kids education would be secondary to the teachers holidays. Many teachers also don't appear overly concerned about a child's education when they are striking.

Edited January 6, 2014 by daneha

[anderbyangel 10]

last year we rented a caravan for a hundred pounds for the week what a bargain.got there thinking its going to be like a shack. it was a palace free bottle of wine free tea coffee milk eggs even sent us a christmas card .