Taking kids out of school for OS holidays

[GladstoneTim]

It is certainly understandable that many schools are resistant to students being absent, particularly for multiple weeks. With data being so important to schools and regional offices of the schools, having absent or poorly performing students in assessment tasks is a major negative in the snapshot higher authorities and MySchool look at. With teaching so closely aligned with the assessments tasks, any absence in the teaching time usually impacts the assessment outcome. As a former principal, my advice was usually "go for it", just make sure the regular reading is maintained and experience usage of the local currency etc. The next report card might be slightly diminished with the grades but the life-experience definitely immeasurable.

 

[Warks]

Thanks for all the responses - I thought there'd be a few.

Outside of travel our kids have missed less than ten days of school in their careers (now Yr 10 and 9) so absenteeism isn't an issue. They are also top performing students - not THE top but not far off. We've only taken them out of school once before about six years ago. I think my kids aren't the ones they would be targeting but the usual thing is "one size fits all".

This is a one-off for high school for them. So I would hope the school won't make a big deal of it. We will be visiting family for the out-of-school part of the trip - the theme parks will be in the holidays. These are close relatives we haven't seen in six years.

 

[DaveB]

Back in 2009/10, our youngest daughter during Years 11 & 12 (government school) took three school run OS trips, one to Italy, WW1&2 Europe battlefields and a Pacific Schools Conference in Japan fully paid for by the Japanese hosts. Only one trip entirely in holidays and one entirely mid term missing close to four weeks in her two senior years.
She never missed a beat and has now finished her double degree.
Good to see there are still some teachers in the NSW public system willing to take on the head office bureaucracy hellbent on making it as difficult as possible for school run OS trips.
Definitely has not diminished her taste for OS travel.

 

[ReLoad]

We took our twins away for 3 weeks last year, their teachers gave us some suggested curriculum (which is just like what we had been doing anyway) plus they had to write up their trip and present to the class upon their return.

Exactly as everyone else said, they learnt way more about life, cultures other than their own and of course how to help dad through express lanes

As a great example Our kids are in the sponge questioning phase and we sat down in front of the Lincoln memorial and I told them the story of Ol Abe and how the USA was born, it was only an hour but Ive ever seen my kids more engrossed in anything before (apologies to Anna and Elsa at Disneyworld you were a close second ). For a short burst away I have no issues with taking them out of school.

As all things in life it's up to us the parents to make the best decisions and to guide them as best we can into making the right decisions. Leading by example and making the trips at least part educational is a good way to go.

 

[Lizzi]

As many others have said, there's a huge educational benefit to travel. As a teacher I would advise as much travel as possible, but with some provisos: it makes a huge difference if the student is in year 9 or year 12; if they do any work to catch up (or at least read the class novel while they're away); and if the trip is the family's annual term-time month-long holiday to a resort in Bali where they just lie around the pool, or a special trip to Europe where they will experience new culture, art and history.

 

[samh004]

I always had a break from school to visit the snow, as the "winter holidays" here never include periods when there's actually decent snow

The only problem I ever had was when the school forgot to tell cadets and cadets thought I was skiving... but that was cleared up quickly.

I truly believe there's more to learn from the world than what you can in an Australian classroom too!

 

[Archphoto]

My folks took myself and my sister out of school for a 3 month trip to Europe over 35 years ago; best thing to *ever* happen to me during school. I learned a hell of a lot more than an education could have ever provided. We had homework with us, but the teachers basically said "Let them live - this is an opportunity to experience the real world."

Sure it wasn't high school, but the experience of visiting so many different countries, different cultures and exploring life outside Australia is one I'd never trade in; we remember it like it was yesterday even today, and often bring up things our folks have forgotten or weren't aware of.

I don't have kids, but if I have the chance to take my nieces on a similar journey, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Some things you just can't learn in a classroom - life isn't about rote learning, it's about experiencing it for yourself and what better way to do that, than by travel?

So they say - it broadens the mind, and I thought that was what life was all about; opening oneself to new experiences and enjoying the differences cultures the world over have to offer.

Schools need to understand that sometimes it's the actual living of life that makes the person, not how much they studied at school . . . . . . . .

 

[Moody]

...Schools need to understand that sometimes it's the actual living of life that makes the person, not how much they studied at school . . . . . . . .

And the schools might reply - We give you 75 days of holidays a year plus the remaining weekends to "live the life that makes the person". What is it about scheduling that you don't understand?

(Just playing devil's advocate here and I am a self-confessed sinner in this area)

 

[juddles]

And the schools might reply - We give you 75 days of holidays a year plus the remaining weekends to "live the life that makes the person". What is it about scheduling that you don't understand?

(Just playing devil's advocate here and I am a self-confessed sinner in this area)

Very good point. And in an ideal world all trips would not need to interfere with scheduled clases. But the greater economic impact of travel in holiday periods would for *most* put that special overseas trip out of reach.

 

[cove]

I don't think we did that in our sons Year 11 and Year 12 but the rest of the school times were suitable for travelling. Our children were not harmed by missing a little bit of school.

 

[Mal]

The UK takes it seriously

Holidays in term time

You have to get permission from the head teacher if you want to take your child out of school during term time.

You can only do this if:

you make an application to the head teacher in advance (as a parent the child normally lives with)there are exceptional circumstances

It’s up to the head teacher how many days your child can be away from school if leave is granted.

You can be*fined*for taking your child on holiday during term time without the school’s permission.

 

[harvyk]

Another one whom sees as much value in traveling as I do in school work.

Last year we took our kids out of school to go to the US. All the teacher asked was that our eldest (in year 1 at the time) kept a diary of the trip (which she did).

When I was in year 3, my grandparents took me our of school for a trip to the USA.

But the thing which has made me decide it actually an ok thing to do, midway through year 10, the School itself ran a trip from Canberra, through central aust, up to Darwin. This trip was scheduled for the final week of term 2 / first week of school holidays. There was only 30 students whom went (it wasn't exactly cheap to go), from years 7 to 10. Year 10 had over 250 kids in it, and there where only around 10 of us from year 10, so hardly a whole school thing. We where not expected to do "normal school work" on the bus / plane apart from keep a diary of the trip since the teachers felt the educational experience of travel was it's own classroom. Ever since then, there is no one who will convince me that taking kids out of school every so often for travel is not a really good thing.

 

[andye]

To play Devil's advocate:

One of the concerns that Government has about differences in school performance in Australian students of various ethnic heritages is that it is at least partially due to poor school attendance. A trip to Rome, Paris, London etc might be culturally relevant to a family of European heritage but not philosophically less so than a prolonged trip to remote Australia for an indigenous child or a trip to the Pacific for a child of Islander heritage. One could also argue that the economic drivers are even more keenly felt by groups that are likely to have lower average incomes than the average AFFer.

Difficult to have one rule for some and not for others. (I'm pretty sure this is one of the reasons for the UK hardline policy as it is also a country with a large number of children of a diaspora)

All of the above does not change my view that travel is a great educational thing to do, and I will continue to take my children out of school

 

[harvyk]

To play Devil's advocate:

One of the concerns that Government has about differences in school performance in Australian students of various ethnic heritages is that it is at least partially due to poor school attendance. A trip to Rome, Paris, London etc might be culturally relevant to a family of European heritage but not philosophically less so than a prolonged trip to remote Australia for an indigenous child or a trip to the Pacific for a child of Islander heritage. One could also argue that the economic drivers are even more keenly felt by groups that are likely to have lower average incomes than the average AFFer.

Difficult to have one rule for some and not for others. (I'm pretty sure this is one of the reasons for the UK hardline policy as it is also a country with a large number of children of a diaspora)

I honestly don't know how ethnicity has anything to do with educational outcomes if the child is taken out of school for a period of time.
Whilst there are certainly ethnic stereotypes which can hold somewhat true in terms of certain groups of people prioritizing education, with other families not seeing the value of. I'm personally of the opinion that differences in a child of one heritage over another has more to do with playground racism and / or an good understanding of English than if the family goes back home to visit the extended family from time to time.

Whilst of course it's anecdotal, this certainly held true among my own friendship groups right throughout the various levels of schooling.

All of the above does not change my view that travel is a great educational thing to do, and I will continue to take my children out of school

Agreed.

 

[Lizzi]

Timing is another issue. If parents choose a good time like the last week of term 3, which is traditionally the week most schools send off their trips, there should be no problem (except for year 12s doing their semester 2 exams of course, which I don't recommend!) but if it's the middle of the term, it will have much larger academic consequences.

I do understand why parents will do this for financial reasons -- the teachers among us have no choice but to take our holidays in peak times and pay a premium, and would much prefer to travel off-peak! My friends don't understand why I've never been able to just take off on a spur-of-the-moment holiday like them -- you have to plan 8-10 months in advance if you want to access cheaper flights, find the holy grail of a redemption flight during holidays, book accommodation etc unless you're lucky. If we could take extra leave without too much fuss we'd do it too! I took leave without pay last year and WOW was it amazing to be able to travel at non-peak.

 

[Thom]

I have taken my kids out of school for three of the last four os trips, the week before the April school holidays and finishing the week after school starts again. On two occasions my son missed his school camp that was on the first week back at school, he was more than happy to be surfing the north shore of Oahu rather than camping in the bush.

 

[cove]

Well the time off did not affect our sons grades and they became more worldly as a result of our family travels. We paid for private schooling but our sons say their children can go to public schools. That of course may end up as code for us to pay again.
Year11 has a lot of fresh study material so we were careful in both year 11 and 12 and we just did school holidays in those 2 years.

 

[amaroo]

We've taken our our kids on OS holidays at least once a year since they've been at school - oldest is in grade 9.

We've minimised the impact on school life and work the holiday schedule to suit the timetable .... the only downer is the lack of greenery in Hyde/Central Park.

 

[JohnK]

And the schools might reply - We give you 75 days of holidays a year plus the remaining weekends to "live the life that makes the person". What is it about scheduling that you don't understand?

The obscene prices for airfares and accommodation around and during school holidays.

Unless education has changed in the past 30 years then taking children out of school for 2-3 weeks isn't going to make that much difference.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Great thread!
We've been given warnings by our school but plan on leaving a week early.
There was a story a year or two ago about a boy in Sydney who was denied time of school to represent Australia in chess! Some schools take it too far

Yes - it was ridiculous - he still went....