School Holidays

 Sometimes I write a blog to remove the splinters from my bum. If there's an issue that's doing the social media rounds and I find that I can't join either side then I'm on the fence and that's never a comfortable place to sit. So, I do a Boris Johnson and write about it to get some perspective. Obviously, whatever side I come down on I'm not going to write it on a bus and try to convince you to feel the same way and I urge you to ignore everything I write if you wish.

It is summer holiday booking season. A very stressful time. Especially, if, like me, you find making decisions impossible. This stress has pushed a barrage of social media posts about how children should be allowed to take a holiday in term time in front of my eyes and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

The pressure to take an annual trip abroad is huge and I remember when our children were young the financial burden was almost crippling.  Even if you opt for a break within the UK, during the school summer holidays the prices are 50% higher. Sometimes, companies charging so much more at these times feels criminal but it is a simple economic decision of supply and demand and the fact that the world is set up to benefit the rich and penalise the poor should never be a surprise.  The government has a petitions scheme, whereby if 100,000 people sign online they will 'consider the issue for debate.' There is currently a petition that has over 150,000 signatures with another 5 months to run. I think this means that the government will respond in a few days, rather than waiting until the petition closes.

Just because they have to respond does not mean that they have to debate it. There was a petition in 2015 and another in 2017 that got the required numbers quickly but it wasn't taken to a house of commons debate. The government, instead responded with details about why they wouldn’t change the policy, which included lost test cases at the Supreme Court.

Fining parents for poor school attendance isn’t new. I have been transcribing my local court records from 1901 this week and there are several parents brought to our courts by the school attendance officer, Mr Ainger. These parents were just as cross that they couldn’t keep their kids at home to help in the bakery or at the blacksmith shop, arguing that they were getting a better ‘education’ from that. They may have been right but a school education is supposed to widen the opportunities. 

The current argument is that a holiday is a widening opportunity, which could also be true. Seeing the pyramids close up, or kayaking down the Zambezi river might be an educational experience but if we are honest, for most kids, watching their parents get drunk round the pool on all inclusive pina coladas is probably less useful than a week in school when they are learning to tell the time.  

As I work in a school I am very aware of how much is packed into a curriculum. There is so much that children are supposed to ‘know’ by the time they leave primary school that there is not enough time to catch up those who have missed a week.  This is a problem in itself because without time for practice, knowledge can never fully embed into a small brain but that is probably an argument for another blog. 

The argument that missing two weeks of school is insignificant is not backed up by studies that show educational outcomes (ie exams passed) are lower the less someone is in school and that starts from the moment they begin. These studies also show that as little as a two week holiday appears to make a difference. This is why there is such a push for 100% attendance, making schools a Petri dish of live germs. (Again, a subject for another blog)

So far, it sounds as though I’m against holidays in term time and you are wondering why I needed a blog on the subject. However, there is more to children and families than exam results. If a  holiday in Ibiza is going to create a happier home life then that could have a greater impact on their ability to learn. 

From my lofty position of being able to afford a holiday in one of the 12 weeks we are not in school, I probably do think that children should take holidays during that time. Apart from anything else, it really breaks up that long 6 weeks. 

However, I’m not sure fines are the way to stop it.

A fine is such a blunt weapon. Does it ever change a person’s behaviour? Am I more likely to drive slower in residential areas because I’ve seen the advert where the creepy looking child dies or because I might get a fine? Wouldn’t it be best for the school to explain exactly what their child would be missing that won’t be repeated? Also, fines seem to me to always make a problem, caused by poverty, worse. 

I have seen several comments on the petition link where people are suggesting that this is just a money making exercise for schools or that teachers can take time off for strikes or non pupil days or close the school if the building falls down, so why is it worse for the parent to decide to keep their child out?

I was shocked at the venom that was being shot towards teachers, as if any of this was in their control.

The decision about whether to allow time off remains with the headteacher. They are ‘allowed’ to authorise time off for a holiday (in exceptional circumstances) but when Ofsted comes in, the school will be rated ‘inadequate’ and the head’s ability to make further decisions will be removed.  It is also the headteacher’s decision to refer the parent to the local authority who will then issue a ‘fixed penalty notice’ (fine). The school I work in rarely does this, as far as I’m aware, preferring to work with parents. Large academy trusts, however, are likely to have a system where the referral is automatically triggered by the code that, by law, has to be put on the register. Schools are now expected to run as businesses and for most schools the way to save money is to have all admin tasks done remotely and work in large groups, who can share costs. The personal, decision making touch is lost.

As far as I know, the school will see none of this fine money. All money from fines goes into the government’s ‘consolidated fund’ - their general bank account. 

The other problem that worries me is that this fine of £80 is encouraging some people to book a holiday in term time. People who can afford a vacation in the holiday period are working out that £80 is a small price to pay for the saving they get on their holiday. 

If you are the person that angrily wrote that your child’s school was closed due to crumbling concrete and you had to take time off work but then you aren’t allowed a holiday then I’m thinking you are angry at the wrong thing. Your child's teacher didn't make the decision that your child should stay at home. Schools shouldn’t be falling about around your children’s ears. Burst water pipes, broken heating, staff having nervous breakdowns  the lack of glue sticks are all due to chronic underfunding that has been going on since 2010. This is what deserves our attention and fury. 

I will keep watching the government website and if they do debate the issue and make any changes, I will let you know. However, I am reminded of the joke that is also doing the rounds on TeacherTok at the moment.

Genie appears and asks teacher what their one wish to make their job better would be. Teacher replies, "A dragon." The genie is confused. The teacher explains, "Yes, it could come out on playground duty, keep me warm, chase round the children who won't line up. The kids will love it. I could train it to do my marking and it's just cool." The genie says, "No, Seriously. I'm not giving you a dragon. What else would you like?" Teacher replies, "A class set of glue sticks that last all year."

The genie asks the teacher what colour dragon they'd like.