Parents should be encouraged to take their children out of school for family holidays, a teaching union official has said.
Geraint Davies, secretary of NASUWT Cymru, said children could learn more from the experience of travel than being in school and called for a change in the rules to allow "permitted absences".
However, the UK's biggest union, the NUT, has attacked the calls, saying children should be in school to be educated by qualified teachers.
Do you think children should be allowed to take time out of school for family holidays? Are you a parent and, if so, would you take your child on term-time holidays? Do you think children could learn more from the experience of travel or are they better off being at school?
This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.
The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:
I have no kids myself, but I do not see how anyone has the right to deny a parent spending time with their children... They are the best judges of their kid's progress and abilities...
Jay, Warwickshire
It sounds like you Brits want to follow the US's lead and dumb your kids down as much as possible. Good luck employing them when they grow up.
Dwayne Chastain, West Jefferson, Oh USA
Only if teachers and other school staff are allowed to take two weeks each year during term time. Why should parents in often higher paid professions be allowed to benefit from the lower prices whilst teachers cannot?
Neil, NJ, USA (ex Cambridge, UK)
 |  Are we going to ban pupils being ill?  |
Education that is so strict as to be restrictive about when to have holidays is not worth having. Such is the state of educational measurement that schools are now selecting (or not) based on a pupil's record of absences. Not on real educational criteria. So are we going to ban pupils being ill, or turn them away because they have lowered our ratings in "the unspeakable Paper Listings". Educate is to care, not to ban freedom of choice.
John Roche, Birmingham It's saying something about the education system if we have to debate whether school or holiday is more educational.
Jeffrey Lake, London, UK
My parents kept me out of school for a holiday once when I was in the 6th year and I have never recovered! I was unable to attend university and I now find that I can only find work cleaning hotel rooms. Please! Keep your children in school!
Anon, Rotherham, UK (living in the US)
With the scrappy holiday time kids get in the UK education system, I'm not surprised parents need to use non-allocated time. Change the term-times to give the kids more time off in the summer, and less of these useless mid-term weeks. June to September off with a week for Christmas and Easter and the odd day off for mid-term. It's their youth and happiness these education dragons and dinosaurs are stealing. Bunch of control freaks.
Eoin Donnellon, Cornwall, England
Travel companies charge more during school holidays precisely because that's when people with kids can go. It's how they make their profit margins. If people can take holidays anytime, travel companies will just stick the prices up during term time as well, but I'll bet there won't be a reduction during the summer and Easter holidays.
Bob Campbell, London, UK
| More can often be learnt from travelling and experience than from the laborious study of books |
Just because we are living in a competitive working atmosphere it does not mean that we should expose our children to the same pressures. More can often be learnt from travelling and experience than from the laborious study of books. Often the parents don't possess flexible times to travel and holiday, it is only fair that they should be allowed to spend time with their children when they do get the time off.
Anonymous With all the problems in education today such as bullying, drugs etc, taking a child out of school for a week or two during term time is surely a minor one. The NUT and the government should concentrate on solving the major problems inside our schools instead of wasting their efforts on relatively minor ones.
Terry, Newcastle, UK
Given the way the holiday companies hike their prices during conventional holiday periods the answer must be yes.
Roger Cope, Burton upon Trent
As a parent I have read this debate with great interest. I have taken my son out of school for 5 days to go on holiday and can honestly say that the time and experience were well worth whatever he may have missed at school. As for the teachers who have complained about having to work extra hard to get absent students caught up - who are you kidding? Your lesson plans are made out months in advance (if not left over from last year) and providing a syllabus of what will be covered in that time frame to the parents in advance would not be any hardship. Teachers and administrators need to get off their high horses and realise that the occasional holiday planned during the school term is far more enlightening and enriching than that weeks multiplication table!
Sandi, Minneapolis, USA
| Some children are patently going away for several holidays a year |
The question is irrelevant as parents will always do what they like anyway. If they're 'not allowed' to take children out of school for holidays they'll just ring in to say that Johnnie is ill. In my view, as someone who works in a middle school, ten days of holiday a year during term time is just about acceptable provided it doesn't coincide with exam revision and exams. But some children are patently going away for several holidays a year. Perhaps I'm just jealous.
Sass, Somerset I think it really depends on what the children do on their holidays - surely camping, skiing or walking is far better than spending a week in the Costas. Surely schools are being hypocritical as they often run ski trips and language exchanges. Are they assuming the school automatically knows best?
Jonathan, Chesterfield, Derbys, UK
The inflexible attitude towards mid term holidays is from people living in the past not the present. This attitude was fine when the shipyards, miners, etc all had their holidays at the same time and everyone else fell in line. Those times are long gone - flexibility in schools is needed to fall in-line with current workplace practice.
Les, Morpeth, England
It seems to me that there are two clear camps on this argument, some who think it is fine to take kids out of school and those who think it is wrong. Surely this suggests that there should be some form of compromise... I don't know.... say 10 days off per year at most?
Chris, UK
Parents should not be allowed to take their children out of school for holidays. I talk to young people who have been to the USA and most European countries, yet have barely ventured a few miles from their home town or city and have little knowledge of local castles, historical sites etc. Let children travel when they have had an education and are going to appreciate what they see.
Helen, Midlothian, Scotland
Schooling should not be free. When parents are paying for this service, it can be discretional to take them away when they wish. I think the rate of absenteeism would be far less, and the standard of education would be far higher.
John, CPT, South Africa.
Due to having a fairly liberal parent I was frequently taken out of school to go on holidays and don't feel in any way that this impacted on my education. I have a degree and a highly responsible job. During these absences from school I was encouraged to write about my experiences and given work to do in my own time to catch up. I feel privileged to have seen so much of the world at a young age so I can focus on my career now.
Jess Pemberton - James, Portsmouth, UK
| Children need to know that there are times when they should be in school and times when they don't need to be |
In my eyes, the possible downside to taking children out of school for holidays is not the missed days of education, or the catching up they will have to do when they return - it's the message it gives. Letting a child know that it's ok to take time off school just because you have something to do that's more fun, or cheaper, just seems a little silly to me. I'm not dismissing the benefits of travel and it's educational aspect, I'm just saying that children need to know that there are times when they should be in school and times when they don't need to be.
Tori, Wolverhampton As both a parent and a Chair of Governors, I agree with Geraint Davies. Provided absences are kept within the recommended ten days each year, I see no reason why the child's education should suffer. On the contrary, visiting other cultures is likely to provide more "educational value" than sitting in class. Most schools, including my own, realise this, and allow children to take reasonable amounts of time off. In my view, it is only the schools that don't have a good relationship with their parents and children who treat limited absences as "a problem".
Alan Stevens, London, UK
Does Mr Davies' statement imply that children don't benefit from being exposed to foreign culture when taken on holiday during school holidays?
G J Robinson, Reading, Berks
There was an experimental system used in the US where the school year was divided into four parts and between each part was a three week break. The summer break was completely eliminated. This system kept students from becoming bored and it gave families an opportunity to have a holiday away during each season of the year. Paris in the springtime? Great. Finland in the fall? Fantastic. Maybe such a system could work well in the UK. The old school year is based on an agricultural society. Most people do not live on farms any longer and do not need their children to work in the fields. Time for a change, don't you think?
Cathy, USA
How many more parents' rights will we take away?
Anne, UK
I'm a teacher and see no harm in a couple of weeks on holiday during term-time each year. However, I do object to being asked to provide work for term-time holidays. Missed work is a consequence of the holiday, a consequence parents must be prepared to accept.
John, Halifax
Given that the number of weeks in a school year is arbitrary anyway, how can reducing it by a week make any difference? Surely no one really believes that attending school for 39 weeks a year instead of 40 weeks will actually make a difference to a child's education. It looks more like the people who are in authority want more and more authority over people's lives every day, and has little to do with harming someone's education.
Adrian Mugridge, Chester, UK
If children/parents don't want an education and can't see the value of education then why should they be forced? Why waste taxpayers' money on this? Without a decent education one thing is certain, their children won't be able to afford an expensive holiday in the future as they won't get a well paid job.
James, Cornwall, UK
| Holidays are also about families spending quality time together |
Parents should not be encouraged to take children out of school for holidays, but they should not be punished for it either. Holidays are also about families spending quality time together rather than snatched moments around travelling to work, and when you are working six days a week to support a family, you simply cannot afford to go during the official holidays. To then punish parents for family time and to say one week of education at school is more important is basically ludicrous and unfair.
Keith, Essex I know that some commendable parents make an effort to introduce their children to new cultures and languages on trips but let's face it, a lot of children are taken out to go sit on a beach somewhere and then teachers are supposed to make sure that the child catches up and is not in any way disadvantaged by their parents' actions. Some people seem to think that a holiday in the sun is their right - it's not. My parents weren't well off so we went camping in the school holidays, memories of which I still treasure.
JM, Birmingham, UK
I'm a school secretary - I can't take time off in term time, so holidays are expensive for me as well. We point out to parents that if a child misses one week of school through sickness and is taken on ten day holidays a year between the ages of five and eighteen they lose the equivalent of one year of education.
Sally, Cornwall
| Perhaps we should be more worried about the high levels of truancy? |
I was regularly taken on holiday during term time as my parents work commitments meant they couldn't go during the school holidays. Since then I've graduated from University, spent 18 months travelling and am now doing well in my chosen career. Do I think I suffered? Of course not! One or two weeks away from school doesn't do you any harm providing you are lucky enough to have parents who encourage you to take an interest in your studies. Perhaps we should be more worried about the high levels of truancy? At least we know where the kids are when they're on holiday.
Ian, Dundee, Scotland Parents are very quick to blame teachers for the poor development of their children and then equally quick to demand their 'rights' to remove the child from school. It is fine as long as parents start to take overall responsibility for their children. Perhaps parents need to learn what responsibility really means.
Gavin, Hull, UK
I am a parent who has 3 children and has taken them out of school. I think it is very educational - one week makes very little difference and is so much cheaper for us. Many kids take that time off being "sick". It is also much nicer for the family to go skiing/holiday when there are few crowds, less queues, enabling the kids to learn or do more. Most kids adapt pretty quickly back at school and don't miss too much work.
Susan John, Esher, Surrey
There is one group of people whose needs are not represented in this discussion, namely those who work in the leisure and tourism industry in this country. They cannot take their holidays during school holidays as they are required at work and have to take their holidays during term time. Why should their children be deprived of a holiday? Imagine taking the children to Alton Towers in August, only to find a sign saying 'Closed for 2 weeks - staff holidays'.
Michael Read, Norwich
Let's see - a week skiing in Switzerland - what could they learn? A foreign language, a love of physical exercise and skiing is a better physics lab than any classroom teaching Newton's laws of motion, friction, conservation of momentum and energy. And let's not forget that if they ski well they may one day be an instructor. Then there is learning to be tolerant of other people and cultures. Oh, the list is endless. Teachers should get out more.
Roger, UK
I am a governor of a small rural school, and we have agreed that no permission will be given for children to have holidays in term time. This is due to the disruption to the rest of the class, the difficulties it causes teachers in getting the children to catch up on their return, and the damage it does to the education of the child concerned. Most families don't try to do it - but those that do, do so repeatedly, which is extremely disruptive. So a blanket ban was the only fair way of dealing with the problem.
Fudgie, Sussex, England
| You can get a holiday anytime in life, school education only comes along once |
I'm amazed anyone would want their children to miss out on the benefits of a single day's school education. Just wait until they are out having to compete in the real world and moaning that others are doing better than them. Maybe then they'll realise what educational opportunities they threw away. You can get a holiday anytime in life, school education only comes along once.
Ken, Bournemouth, UK Complaining that it's wrong for holiday companies to charge more in summer is the same as complaining that greetings card companies charge far more for Valentines cards on the 12th of February than on the 15th of February. Supply & demand extends to all things. If you don't like it to move to North Korea.
Peter, Nottingham
Many people here are complaining about the cost of holidays during the summer break; it's true that package holidays at this time can be hugely expensive. A resort in Spain is not the only option, however, and families who are strapped for cash should perhaps think about camping in Cornwall rather than sunning in Spain! Term-time is for learning and children should not be absent except in the case of illness. When it comes to summer holidays, there's always an affordable option.
Jennifer, Cardiff
To all the folk defending their "right" to take their kids out of school I ask: Will it be OK for the teachers to take their holidays during term-time?
Phil, Newcastle, UK
I don't think it's a good idea at all. Why on earth would I want to take my delightful children on holiday at the same time as the grumps who loath children!
John Lancashire, Reading, UK
| As long as it is not exam time, children should be allowed time off |
Not all parents can fit in holidays when the children are off, parents need to relax as well. In Europe it is considered educational for a child to travel and would seem to have a benefit. As long as it is not exam time, children should be allowed time off.
Eve, Leatherhead Judging by what we read in the media about school education nowadays a couple of weeks away from drugs, smoking, alcohol abuse, bullying and, dare I say it, some not too competent teachers, and classroom disruptions in order to learn about the real world outside of classrooms and playgrounds, sounds like a very sound educational proposition to me!
Alan Glenister, Bushey UK
I think it's fine as long as the kids are given work to do to cover for the fact that they are missing a weeks schooling. This is how my out of school holidays were covered when I was a kid.
Anon, Newcastle
Considering how narrow the education system has become due to the introduction of the national curriculum it would be hard for a child not to learn something from a holiday especially when travelling abroad. Oh and by the way, how receptive are children to learning in the last two weeks of each term....and does everyone have the luxury of setting when they can take holidays, I for one do not. Perhaps it's time to look at a greater number of terms and more evenly distributed holiday pattern than occurs today.
Neil Thewlis, London, England
Yet another left-wing do-gooder talking absolute nonsense. The tourism industry should be brought to justice on overcharging for holidays abroad in school holidays. But children have enough annual leave already and the government should be making law changes so that those, like my ex-wife, cannot take our children out of school without me, the father's, consent. I keep praying this corrupt and incompetent government are eased out and the Union's in the country have their powers severely reduced. Mind you I don't really care what Geraint Davies does in his capacity in Wales, as long as it doesn't affect my children's education in England.
Ben, Kintbury, Berks
Personally I see nothing wrong with this. If the option is no holiday at all (because of costs) or holiday during term-time then I know what I would choose. If the government wants all kids to stay in school then they should provide an additional child holiday benefit, say �250 per child, so that parents can afford to take their children on holiday during the school holidays.
Tony, Chorley, Lancashire Some people don't like parents taking their children out of school for a holiday, so how would they feel if their employer said they could not have a holiday other than the few weeks that children have for holidays? That's what I get told, - sorry you cant have any time off in the school holidays - and that goes for us all, we work for a large supermarket, so my family have not had a holiday together now for years, and as my last child leaves school next year, I will still have the same restrictions of when I can/can't have time off work. So do you call that fair? I don't. Why can't we be more family orientated in this country instead of making people fell they are freaks because we have children, you would not get this in Europe.
Sue, Eastbourne, UK
We need some consistency here. On the one hand parents are entitled to take their child out of school for ten days, but on the other a head teacher may withhold permission and fine the parents �100 if they go ahead and take the child out anyway. This could, and probably has, lead to the situation where parents with children in two different schools could have permission granted by one head teacher, but then be fined by the other. What does that teach the parents and children involved?
Bernard Lazzari, Rochester England
Surely there's a difference between taking a 5-year-old and taking a 15-year-old. Near exams every day counts, so absence through sickness can cause serious problems - so Year 11 really should be in every day, but a Year 1 pupil would barely notice a week's absence, provided s/he read a book or wrote a page about the experience before s/he went back. Also, we shouldn't forget that if a child misses lessons s/he needs to catch up, and this can be disruptive to the rest of the class. Why should a teacher have to make up the time?
Lucy Jones, Manchester
| Until travel companies even out their pricing structures parents will take their kids on holiday during term time |
I've read the bleatings of the very obviously single and have one question for them. Could they afford to take a family of four away during high season? I'm a parent and we have one wage coming in. Yes, a holiday is a luxury, and one completely unaffordable in high summer. So the bottom line is ...until travel companies even out their pricing structures parents will take their kids on holiday during term time.
Neil, Bristol No, parents should not take their kids away in term time. Not only are they missing out on an education, but those of us who don't have kids and are fed up of having holidays ruined by unruly children, will not be able to go anywhere in peace and quiet if everyone took their kids out of school. School holidays are there for just that holidays, don't ruin the rest of the year or the people who do not wish to be around children.
Clare, UK
My wife is a teacher. Her school is in a different education authority to our son's school. The only times that their holidays coincide are Xmas and summer (funnily enough, the two most expensive times of the year.) The NUT and Tim Collins seem to be implying that my family should pay extra for the privilege of having a family holiday. Is this 'desperately dangerous' for us to do or is it 'desperately mean' to teachers who happen to be parents. Maybe my child/wife should change school/jobs so that their holidays coincide?
Raf, Ilford
I went on holiday during term time when I was at school in the 50s and 60s, and so did my own daughter in the 80s and 90s. We can both read, write and matriculate; we both have jobs and are active, responsible citizens...perhaps it is the length of time spent in the company of "qualified" teachers that is leaving today's youth with such a poor grasp of the basics of language and mathematics, and with so little respect for society in general. My daughter and I certainly did not need an Asbo to keep us in order.
Martin Smith, London
| Leave the decision up to parents |
At the end of the day, if the parents don't feel that their child will fall behind in school work, then I see no problem with it. Leave the decision up to parents - but the schools should not be expected to make special allowances for any kids on holiday during term time.
Anna, Birmingham, UK Last year my friend got married abroad, and had to wait until the Easter holidays so that the 2 teachers in her family could attend. Teacher's time is precious too, so I think parents should respect that as it is them who will be helping the child to catch up with the work they have missed. I was never taken out of school for a holiday - my parents always saved hard, and some of the best holidays we had as a family were small and inexpensive camping trips. Children don't need 5-star resorts.
Alix, London
This is fine in principle, especially as it saves families a lot of money. However, what about families where one or other of the adults are actually teachers? Will they be allowed to take holidays during term-time and thereby save themselves money, and work their hours at another time so that they are not financially penalised ? I think not.
Ian H, Hertfordshire
The days of parents having fixed, 9-to-5, year-long, regular jobs are long gone. School systems will have to adapt to the migrant work patterns of the global economy, otherwise how will families be able earn the money to survive in the first place. If not, parents will increasingly steer clear of rigid, government schools in favour of smaller, more flexible education set-ups, to the detriment of the already-crippled state schooling system.
Umlungu, London, UK
Of course they should. After all, parents always know what's best in education. Then, when the child hasn't reached the required standards of literacy and numeracy they can blame the teachers anyway.
Sven, Colne, UK
As long as they're not taken out of school more than once or twice a year, for no longer than a week at a time, it surely can't do their learning any harm? Also, it's cheaper during school time and a lot of parents cannot afford to take the family away during school holidays. On the other side of this is the parent's work life. At least if they could take their kids away during school time, there wouldn't be a huge influx of holiday requests making their way to HR departments at the same time. It would benefit employers as well.
Sonia, Luton, UK
| This just seems like a licence for parents not to feel guilty for pulling their children out of class for their own convenience |
It rather depends what Mr Davies means by 'the experience of travel'; if he means 'getting on a cheap flight to Spain and staying inside a virtual British colony in a large hotel' then that's hardly an educational experience. This just seems like a licence for parents not to feel guilty (which they should) for pulling their children out of class for their own convenience.
Katherine, London, UK I don't need 'permission' to take my child on holiday at any time. His welfare is my responsibility only and nobody else's. Perhaps the schools should concern themselves with bullying. Surely that is more detrimental to a child's education than a week or two in the Sun.
Anon, UK
There is going to be greater demand for a more flexible approach as some education authorities seek to introduce four-term years with shorter breaks. The reaction of the NUT once again demonstrates that it acts in the interest of the producer and not the consumer. I hope they remember these words the next time they call for strike.
Chris Klein, Chandlers Ford, UK
As a young child, my parents twice took me on "permitted absences" travelling in the Far East. The experiences I gained matched anything I could have learned during the comparative missed weeks of schooling, and helped develop the character I have as an adult. Consequently, I would always be in favour of such absences in the circumstance where the experience will prove valuable.
TJ, London, UK
| If a child misses important schooling whilst away it'll be the teachers who get the blame |
What a wonderful world it would be if we could allow our children to take time off school and travel on holiday with their family, learning about different cultures and family life in general. Surely though, in our society which seems obsessed with statistics and objectives, where children are to be churned out like robots - all identical, this cannot be possible. If a child misses important schooling whilst away it'll be the teachers who get the blame.
Adam, Douglas, IOM
Why don't schools allocate a week for non-curriculum activities such as drama, sports and field trips, where parents have the option to take their kids on holiday instead. Schools could vary the timing of the week so the whole country was not off at the same time.
Matt Sherar, Bracknell
Of course children should not take term-time holidays, schools have long periods set aside for vacation. As a parent of five children I see no reason why people should neglect education when there is time off allocated. As for learning from holidays, they will not pass exams through going abroad, and not all parents can take their children on holidays, and as I have said, those that can are able to do it out of term time!
Lorcan Taylor, Stoke on Trent
We have taken my partner's little boy to France on several occasions in and out of term time. I agree with the teachers on this, as not only has he started to learn to speak French and learn about other cultures, which at 8-years-old is fantastic, especially in a world where there is so much intolerance to other cultures. I was amazed on one trip that he was able to interact with a group of other children, some from Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain and Italy, and although they had a language barrier this did not deter them from becoming friends and playing together as well as learning each others' languages. Due to the expense of holidaying in the school holidays, many children will miss out on this course of development due to their parents not being able to afford to go in the school holidays.
Alec, London
| Everyone is entitled to a decent holiday, and if it means some children have to be taken out of school during term time, then so be it |
I agree wholeheartedly that parents should be able to take their children on holiday during term time. Working parents can't always take time off during school holidays, not to mention the fact that during the school holiday period, prices rocket to a ridiculous level, which is unfair to people on lower incomes. Everyone is entitled to a decent holiday, and if it means some children have to be taken out of school during term time, then so be it. The NUT should not be allowed to dictate to parents what they can and can't do, and I hope Geraint Davies is successful in his quest for a change in the rules.
Candy, UK
There's a big difference between an educational trip where a child can learn a great deal and a 'fish 'n chips, stay in the hotel complex, lie on the beach' package holiday. Perhaps schools should be able to identify whether the trip has educational potential and require proof of that in the form of a project or report by the child on return to school (in addition to catching up with missed lessons).
Lorraine, Portsmouth
I am getting sick of comfortably-off politicians telling me I can't take my children away for a short holiday during term time. The simple fact is if we don't go during term time then we can't afford to go at all. Our holidays mean a great deal to us as a family and have always centred on places of interest in the UK and not some beach in Lanzarote. And as for effecting their education; our eldest passed all 10 GCSEs with flying colours and is currently predicted A grades at A level for chemistry, biology, and psychology, and our other child is doing even better! Leave the decision to the parents and the school.
Richard, Diss, UK
We took our son who was 9/10 on holiday to Greece in 2002, he missed one week from school but kept a holiday diary. We visited lots of sights and museums, we kept receipts, tickets, photos and yes, written work. He would spend about half an hour at the end of each day sticking things in and writing comments, it was easier to get him to do this than his regular homework! When he got back his teachers were very impressed. He remembered a lot more about Greece itself than we did.
Mike Gant, Leeds England
I am all for kids having occasional term-time holidays. Personally I find something vaguely disturbing about a state requiring parents to seek permission to do something harmless with their kids...
Lee, Winchester
Keep children in school during term time so that the rest of us know when we can safely book a break when we can avoid other people's screaming kids!
Brian, Lancashire, UK
Parents would be less inclined to take children on holiday outside of the holiday period if the cost of holidays didn't practically double at that time. Too many businesses cash in on the school holidays as it is. We went on holiday last summer and chose to keep the children out of school for the first week of the new term. Doing so saved us nearly one thousand pounds.
Donna Chisholm, Staffs, UK
This is an outrageous suggestion. Tax payers pay a fortune to provide teachers for just 30 weeks a year (60%). Why should we pay if the children don't even have to go?
Tracy, Watford
As a parent who is about to take his 5-year-old out of school for a week's skiing holiday, I think the maximum ten days out per year rule is sensible. I care passionately about my son's education, but there has to be flexibility, because as parents we have lives too. Surely the school can have a dialogue with parents if they think the child's education is suffering. For the Tory spokesman to say it's "desperately dangerous" is just ridiculous. There are far more important issues to worry about in education than kids taking a few days off school in order to spend time with the family.
Nick, London, England
| Children can learn a lot from travel, but this should be done in the holiday time |
Permitted truancy? I think not. Only in exceptional circumstances (where parents can't get time off during school holiday) should children be taken out of school during term. Children can learn a lot from travel, but this should be done in the holiday time. They would loose more being away from school.
Lillian, West Ealing
As a gite owner in the south of France, I feel it is unfair to force parents to all have to compete over limited properties at expensive peak points in the season. By taking pressure off certain weeks the rental prices should come down (good for the family budget) as we then have a longer working season to make our income. The child actually can gain a lot from foreign holidays, and class work can be caught up or brought along.
Ben, France
How can children learn from the "experience of travel" if they are going for a week's self catering in a typical tourist area? Kids have enough time off school for the parents to be able to take them away during school breaks without having to take them away in school time. Yes the tour operators charge more for holidays during school breaks but people choose to have children.
Karen, London
Basically no. Children have really long holidays anyway, why not use that time for a holiday instead of having even more time out school?
Jo, Canterbury, Kent
With the prices of holidays greatly inflated during school holidays, many parents cannot afford to take holidays during these periods. There is a lot to learn by travelling the world, and children soon catch up with work at school.
Andrea, Preston, Lancs
No way. I have to put up with other people's kids everyday - going on holiday during term time is usually a good bet for avoiding the little horrors and their seemingly ignorant parents for a couple of weeks. Plus it's cheaper! This country is marginalising single people and couples without kids enough as it is. We have to cover the workload when the parents have to run off home early because little Johnny has a cold, cover for maternity and paternity leave and then listen to you all whinging about the local schools. I cannot work out how Geraint Davies thinks children will learn more spending two weeks at Disneyworld than sat in class...
Vince Warrington, Leicester, UK
There is no major issue with taking a child out of school for a short time. It's good for them to experience something a little different that can also encourage their minds. It becomes more difficult when a child is in secondary education. But people need to consider that it is extremely expensive to travel during school holiday times and some parents only get the opportunity to travel during the off-peak seasons. And if parents are fortunate enough to experience a family holiday abroad then go for it. It's better than these parents going off leaving their kids or simply not taking them to school half the time.
Dionne, UK
Why should the kids take their education seriously when their parents don't respect it enough to confine their holiday-making to when the schools are off anyway?
Helen Greenhalgh, Edinburgh, UK
Parents who take children out of school so they can have a cheaper holiday are just being selfish. The rest of us should be able to go on holiday in May, June or September for a bit of peace without having to listen to screaming kids. From experience - the ones who are taken out of school tend to be amongst the lesser disciplined children - and ruin it for the rest of us.
Alan, Glasgow, Scotland
One-Minute World News 
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