General Chat

If it were a trip touring the Canyons of America, or anything else that could be considered educational then I agree that they learn a lot from it. I fail to see what they actually learn in disneyland, although maybe someone will argue that Epcot is educational, i suppose in a way it is. We used to take ours out of school for the occasional holiday because husbands firm had fixed holiday dates (shut down). I do think that these days there is so much pressure on children with exams etc all the way through school that, if they are the sort of child who would not be able to catch up, they will lose out. There is also the argument that one child trying to catch up holds the whole class back. i suppose it is down to this continual assessment and how it reflects on the school. what I don't understand is how it is considered OK for them to go on exchange to another country and are not considered to have a problem with catching up. I think the Government should be tackling the fact that Air lines and holiday companies charge a lot more in school holidays. Incidentally it is not always possible for all employees in one company to have school holidays which I think maybe where the tradition of being allowed to take 2 weeks to coincide with Father's holiday came from. Ann Glos

We took two of our children out of school for 3 days to go to the paralympics in Athens in September because a friend of ours was competing for GB. They learned a lot from the trip and my daughter had to write a newspaper report for school on her return. I would never take them out of school for a beach or theme park holiday although I do understand why parents do this as the cost can be prohibitive during the school holidays. Daisy

No I don't - what a load of b******s!! I go on holiday out of school hol time deliberately - when there are no children around! I don't see what a child is going to 'learn' from a beach holiday or Disneyland either, although I agree that holidays can broaden the mind.

Hi, I agree that children do benefit from holidays (although I'm not sure about Disney - not exactly cultural) but parents have 12 weeks of the year in which to take them away. It isn't just that they miss school and have to catch up when they get back, it's the message given to them that school isn't important. It's OK to miss school if there is something you'd rather be doing is not a message I would pass on to my child. Good attendance at school leads to good attendance in the workplace. Gwynne

Parents should be encouraged to take their children on holiday during school time to Disneyland and the Costas as they can learn more than in lessons. Primary school pupils in particular would learn more from two weeks in the sun than they would in school. Parents take their children on holiday during term time for a variety of reasons, particularly as it can save hundreds of pounds for a family of four. Holidays can benefit a child’s education. The above are the views of Geraint Davies, Secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers in Wales. This view is not shared with his union or the National Association of Head Teachers. Aileen