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this should make an interesting discussion

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By *ichaelangela OP   Couple
over a year ago

notts

the police federation believe their officers should be given special permission to take their kids out of school to go on holiday during term time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26955778

what about all the other parents??

over to you lot

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Government crap and jurisdiction one rule for one and one for the other. There are some amazing teachers and police etc but there are some lousy ones too. My daughters junior school went downhill after head teacher took over and I moved her she is now flying high in senior schools always have got involved with school pta etc. Too many targets to reach that they will fail. Same as NHS and passport fiasco and telling us where to go holiday and telling us how we should live our lives hate the bloody nanny state.

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By *otlovefun42Couple
over a year ago

Costa Blanca Spain...

I think taking kids out of school in term time is a bad idea, but fully understand why some parents do it.

The problem in the UK is that you have the worst of both worlds. Parents have to choose between paying a fine or paying through the nose for a holiday in peak periods.

Surely it's not beyond the DFE to allow, or even encourage, different regions or towns/cities to stagger the school holidays. The current mad scramble with the whole country trying to get away in the same six week period is madness. It wouldn't solve the problem completely but would take away some of the pressure on prices.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I think with the exception of exam periods, parents should have the right to take their children out of school whenever they like up to a maximum of maybe 5 days.

The staggering holidays thing seems fine - until you have children all at schools with different holidays.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

What about quality family time and time to be a child without pressure and learning life skills it is not all about education. If say you take the kids to Italy or Spain or wherever learning about other cultures etc I cant afford holidays at the moment but have planned days out for the school holidays x

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I think with the exception of exam periods, parents should have the right to take their children out of school whenever they like up to a maximum of maybe 5 days.

The staggering holidays thing seems fine - until you have children all at schools with different holidays."

That is if you can get your children in your chosen schools as they are all full x

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"the police federation believe their officers should be given special permission to take their kids out of school to go on holiday during term time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26955778

what about all the other parents??

over to you lot "

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Out of term holidays are the only ones we childless couples get without kids running around screaming the place down.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

we took our 6 year old daughter out of school for the last week of term in may and combined that with half term so that we could have a fortnights holiday together(my son does not start school till september). We have not had a fortnights holiday together as family at all and my wife and i have not had one for 10 years. We paid £2900 for a fortnight all inclusive in kos. If we went in school summer holidays the exact same package would have costed £6100.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I think up until the two final years of GCSE's, there is no harm in taking children out of school for a couple of weeks a year to be honest.

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By *teveanddebsCouple
over a year ago

Norwich


"

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Out of term holidays are the only ones we childless couples get without kids running around screaming the place down."

And cheap, don't forget cheap.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It should all come down to common sense, IF the the children in the family are at an age where there are no key exams then missing a week of school shouldn't hurt. if specific important subjects are covered then detail that and let the parents teach it.

Also if the police force have to ban officers from taking holidays at any time of year, they they need more police officers. Annual leave is a right that budget holders should be accounting for too.

Even street sweepers and dustbin lorry drivers who are friends of mine have difficulty getting leave at appropriate times.

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By *ichaelangela OP   Couple
over a year ago

notts

but my thoughts were, which i hoped would be debated are, why should the police be the only ones to be given this privilege??

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Abolish fixed school Holidays full stop and introduce the kids to the world of having to book holidays in competition with their peers

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"but my thoughts were, which i hoped would be debated are, why should the police be the only ones to be given this privilege??"

They won't get it, but you wouldn't expect the police federation to ask for it on behalf of firemen, that is a job for other unions.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Abolish fixed school Holidays full stop and introduce the kids to the world of having to book holidays in competition with their peers "

That is just mean! Let them be kids, used to love summer holidays playing in the abandoned quarry. Not that many died either.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"but my thoughts were, which i hoped would be debated are, why should the police be the only ones to be given this privilege??"

But will it just be the Police - the Police Federation have asked hence it's reported on? I'm guessing if successful, other Federations would follow suit and ask for the same concessions.

Personally, I think 1-2 weeks out, if not an exam year - would do no harm, dependant on a child's attendance being ok otherwise.

It's not been granted to the Police and may not be ! It's a request at the moment.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Unlike most, police officers rarely get the option of booking leave and when they do they are ordered to cancel. Term time is much quiter than the school holidays incident wise, so less chance of losing the holiday.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Unlike most, police officers rarely get the option of booking leave and when they do they are ordered to cancel. Term time is much quiter than the school holidays incident wise, so less chance of losing the holiday. "

Not true, any occupation that has a large number of parent age employees has an issue with leave in the school holidays. e.g. Nurses, Builders, Electricians, Street Sweepers, Shops well you get the picture...

The trick is to pay overtime and have enough staff in the first place to have some flexibility. but the modern employers model doesn't like either of those options.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"but my thoughts were, which i hoped would be debated are, why should the police be the only ones to be given this privilege??"
Don't think they are expecting a privilege they are representing their members position just like any other union does with their staff.

Would you start this thread if it had been Unison or another Trade Union? Not sure if this is a Police bashing thread or a discussion on taking children out of school? No they shouldn't get preferential treatment and no I don't think kids should be taken out as it all becomes messy with different kids out at different times expecting different treatment.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I think up until the two final years of GCSE's, there is no harm in taking children out of school for a couple of weeks a year to be honest.

"

I agree. To make it simpler all the children coukd take the same weeks off. We could call it something like half term.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If you really want a solution then it's simple, cut the summer holidays to 4 weeks, and allow parents to take kids out for up to two weeks of their choice between May and October. Use the two weeks recovered from the summer provide reading lists for topics missed in the time they are away, and the 2 weeks recovered from summer holidays to cover those lists. of course teachers will need an extra 10 days pay per year but hey it's only money

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"If you really want a solution then it's simple, cut the summer holidays to 4 weeks, and allow parents to take kids out for up to two weeks of their choice between May and October. Use the two weeks recovered from the summer provide reading lists for topics missed in the time they are away, and the 2 weeks recovered from summer holidays to cover those lists. of course teachers will need an extra 10 days pay per year but hey it's only money "

Ahh yes...provide lists of outstanding work which teachers won't be able to monitor as class sizes are too big to give one on one treatment, and also the parents can then moan that poor little joey is behind and they aren't happy ? It's not that simple unfortunately hence the system in place which is not perfect is the best available.

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By *ust RachelTV/TS
over a year ago

Horsham

You could then extend that to nurses, hospital workers, fire men, mountain rescue and the coastguard. Nice attempt, bit cheeky though

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By *indys loverCouple
over a year ago

Stratford on avon

the job that I do i have never had a summer holiday in 35 years ,,,, just doesnt go with the teritory , but our girls education meant to much to them / us so holidays have been on the back shelf anyway

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Unlike most, police officers rarely get the option of booking leave and when they do they are ordered to cancel. Term time is much quiter than the school holidays incident wise, so less chance of losing the holiday.

Not true, any occupation that has a large number of parent age employees has an issue with leave in the school holidays. e.g. Nurses, Builders, Electricians, Street Sweepers, Shops well you get the picture...

The trick is to pay overtime and have enough staff in the first place to have some flexibility. but the modern employers model doesn't like either of those options.

"

From experience, you are wrong and have missed my point.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"but my thoughts were, which i hoped would be debated are, why should the police be the only ones to be given this privilege??"

Where do they say they are the only ones that should? They are only asking on their own behalf - and have very good reasons for the requests.

An officers family is subject to constant shift working meaning limited family time, short notice redaction of days off, long hours and generally struggle to have social interaction as a family. Annual leave blocks are dictated to - and these may fall outside set school holidays. This limiting family time even further.

Ask away, and others (such as those in the armed forces) should also ask.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Unlike most, police officers rarely get the option of booking leave and when they do they are ordered to cancel. Term time is much quiter than the school holidays incident wise, so less chance of losing the holiday.

Not true, any occupation that has a large number of parent age employees has an issue with leave in the school holidays. e.g. Nurses, Builders, Electricians, Street Sweepers, Shops well you get the picture...

The trick is to pay overtime and have enough staff in the first place to have some flexibility. but the modern employers model doesn't like either of those options.

"

I agree. That is all

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"but my thoughts were, which i hoped would be debated are, why should the police be the only ones to be given this privilege??

Where do they say they are the only ones that should? They are only asking on their own behalf - and have very good reasons for the requests.

An officers family is subject to constant shift working meaning limited family time, short notice redaction of days off, long hours and generally struggle to have social interaction as a family. Annual leave blocks are dictated to - and these may fall outside set school holidays. This limiting family time even further.

Ask away, and others (such as those in the armed forces) should also ask.

"

Was this all new and learnt when the job was started or had no-one made you aware of working hours condition etc?

I might be wrong but often people get into trades which they have researched etc and then complain about all that comes with it.

I getting ready for the barrage but firemen (Maybe shouldn't be in the list because their role has transformed over the years) strike due to pay, Army - (Again long standing soldiers joined to defend thier country and not fight in wars abroad) but those new troops know what they are signing up for? Sure policing is just as difficult and an often thankless job yet when officers sign up they must know it's not going to be easy and again know what they are joining up for?

Just saying?

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By *ophieslutTV/TS
over a year ago

Central

I am against them as a special case and parents doing this generally. Education costs us all dearly and wasting the little time that kids have is wrong. Overseas holidays are not a right, anymore than travel in this country is. And certainly not when investment of our taxes is made for learning at school during term times. The police federation seems somewhat lacking as an organisation that I would listen to anyway, it is not one that I have much trust or confidence in.

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