Sponsored by
Letter: Time to shake up school holidays
THE question of families wishing to take holidays in term-time is in the news once again.
Click here to register and have your say on the news stories and issues that matter to you
The problems of parents wishing to do so is a minefield of uncertainty as to their rights and the correct action to take while staying within the law.
One predicament is the way travel companies take unfair advantage by extortionately raising prices at school holiday times, knowing full well the education authorities’ reluctance to allow more than a 10-day absence in one year, taken only by permission of headteachers, with the availability of cheap holidays, better weather and accommodation not normally accepted as reasons.
It also seems that holiday dates of parents are never even considered. Unlike in the past when the mills and other industries took their ‘wakes weeks’, today many employees have to take their holidays in order of seniority, particularly in the service industries, which raises problems of a different kind, especially if both parents work.
Yet during the long summer break, no matter how it is explained, little mention is made of the fact that absence from lessons is no different from holidays taken at other times. Perhaps a more sensible approach would be for summer breaks to be divided, which would then allow parents a better chance to organise holidays at other times.
While agreeing that children of responsible parents need to take advantage of all opportunities at school, it is equally important that they are able to enjoy the company of parents while on holidays when, due to overtime etc, many working class families have limited opportunities. Surely two weeks away from school does not seem unreasonable, without doing any permanent harm to a child’s education?
It is time for a re-evaluation of the whole subject. Less prevarication and more action, with efforts to bring holiday companies into line by searching their conscience and asking for fees no different from other times of the year. Is that too much to ask? If they value our custom, especially during such difficult times, they would be well advised to do so.
Ernest Lundy, Leeds
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 1 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Nigel B
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 10:05 PMYou cannot blame the travel companies! They just run their business the best way to make a profit, they give cheap deals at quiet times too. Do you really want a standard price all year round, that is bonkers.
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.