Why I think kids SHOULD be allowed on holiday during term-time and parents SHOULD NOT be fined if it isn’t in the school holidays.

I struggle with the education system in this country. It seems that it is a stressful ordeal for teachers to deliver and for children to really learn and experience subjects of interest. I would love us to be able to have a more holistic and flexible education system.

But there are currently only two main options; to either put your children into school or to home educate.

We were hoping to do the latter but we let our daughter decide and she wanted to go to school (I am not sure if this is because she had gone to nursery and pre-school which gears a child up for schooling. But we tried home-ed groups and school tasters, and she was adamant).

And now looking back I am not sure how we would’ve afforded to home-educate our daughters, so it is of some relief that she chose the formal education route… and we do love the school she attends.

But I do think parents should be allowed a hybrid education system where they are allowed to take their children out of school during term-time. It would be ideal if the schools could give windows of term-time that would be most ideal for parents to take their children away, rather than just in the nationally set school holidays.

Especially as prices are so high during the school holidays, so much so, a lot of parents are out-priced or cannot get the relevant time off as other staff also want school holidays off, to be able to go on holiday.

Even if you stay in the UK during school holidays, as we are doing this year, accomodation prices tend to soar.

It is a real shame that parents who already struggle financially are then being fined for taking their children away.

I know how much my children have learnt from travelling and experiencing different cultures, which is also such a valid form of education in itself.

But it’s not just about education, it is having quality time with their family that also matters. In a world where a lot of parents are working long shifts or zero hour contracts, where they have to work at the drop of a hat… the school system needs to support these parents too.

What the current situation leads to is parents pulling sickies on behalf of their children and an air of secrecy between families and schools.

What we actually need is an open conversation between teachers and parents and for each family to be treated for its individual needs. Nourishing this relationship (between schools and families) and putting the child-first is a lot more important than putting pressure on teachers and pupils to perform at certain levels.

My children have had their minds opened through travelling (and meeting family abroad) and, I would hate to discourage other parents from doing this.

What is your view? Do you have a solution?

My solution is: Schools to have their own school calendars and green weeks that are most ideal for parents to take their child(ren) away.