Term-time holidays

[Valvebloke]

@browellm

As with most things in life, a middle-way is the best compromise here. There are enlightened headmasters that agree a small, fixed number of days for children to be off outside term over the period that child attends the school, or by individual consultation.

This gives parents some flexibility in planning whilst taming those that would take advantage and serially remove their kids during term-time.

I have some sympathy with this. This is how my secondary school headmaster worked (back in the late middle ages). But he was both enlightened and as hard as nails. So the scheme worked because parents had to do what they were told.

I’m not a teacher, but the few I know tell me that these days the problems are not with the kids but with the parents. They argue about everything. If discretion was allowed on this then some headteachers would yield to pressure and some kids’ education would suffer.

It’d also be good if schools staggered their holidays a lot more than they do. If they can’t agree dates then they should be decided by lottery, or rota, 2-3 years in advance. It can’t be beyond the wit of man to spread the demand out more evenly over the year.

VB