Mr Shoe Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 The BoE and a couple of people here are making one big assumption: that EVERYONE gets 4 weeks paid holiday per year and that all this complaining is todo with getting a better price package for 2 weeks in Benidorm. There are other reasons for term-time holidays: Weddings and Ski-ing (already mentioned) If you mow lawns for a living, what then? You sure as hell don't take time off during the summer. You want to visit relatives in Oz at Xmas (take off the 2.5 days travel each way and you're left with a VERY expensive 9 day holiday) You'd like to see Disneyland but want to get onto the rides in less than 4 hours? You work for yourself - you go when cashflow and commitments allow And does John Gill earn too much to notice there's a Credit Crunch? Flights to Perth (Oz) used to come in around £500. With the oil 'crisis', they've doubled. If you can only go in the holidays they're....wait for it....£1,781.40 - each (source: expedia.co.uk). Family of 4, you work it out. Of course, now that 10,000 families have to leave the Island at the same time, you won't get to the mainland anyway. Has the BoE arranged for the Steam-Packet to put additional boats on for the first and last couple of days of each holiday? Of course not. If you're paid to make policy for a Government (no matter how mickey mouse it is) then at least think it through. It's so embarrassing having amateur ministers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newsbot Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Schools in the Isle of Man are clamping down on parents who take their children out of school to go on holiday. Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/...man/7621075.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KERED Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 John Gill, head of legal and administrative services said: "If children miss lessons, even just for a week or two, they risk falling behind and this can have a knock-on effect on their exam results and their whole futures. Yet, on MR this lunchtime, the Head of Ramsey Grammar said that students will continue to be allowed out of school during term-time if they are members of one of the cadet forces, or to take part in sporting activities such as cycling. (Cycling?! - of course the IOM hasn't gained any kudos from the sport of cycling recently, has it?) So don't cadets and cyclists risk falling behind with their schooling, whilst they are off Island during term-time? Seems a bit unfair on the students who are not sporting or militarily-minded, but prefer to go on holiday with their families. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cronky Posted September 17, 2008 Author Share Posted September 17, 2008 Have a look at the Isle of Man Today website: Education chiefs get tough on term time holidays I have never seen so many comments on a news topic in one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 You will die if you don't go off-island on holiday: FACT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KERED Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 IMO there is nothing wrong with the old "10 Days Rule" to enable parents to take their children on holiday during term-time. (After having first wriiten to the Head to obtain permission.) If Gill and his lackeys want to adopt a "tough stance", then they should more vigorously persue the lazy chavs whose kids are off school virtually every other day, because they couldn't be arsed dragging them out of their pits each morning! How many prosecutions of parents for non-attendance of their children have there been during the time that Gill has been in the DOE? (All the schools are obliged to supply the DOE with comprehensive attendance records) Just an aside, and not necessarily to do with THIS thread - Could be wrong, but wasn't Mr Gill on the Board of Governors at CRHS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monasqueen Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 If you have kids, you should be responsible for keeping them in school when they are supposed to be there. Don't they have enough weeks holiday in the year? Alright, so holidays at other times are cheaper. Having no kids would be a lot cheaper still. Tough. Would you expect teachers to take a couple of weeks out here and there, because they want a holiday during school term? Kids have to learn their own responsibilities - there are numerous jobs that require attendance at particular times of year, for whatever reason. They must learn that holidays are not available to all at the drop of a hat, at whatever time they fancy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD4ELI Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 You will die if you don't go off-island on holiday: FACT. I didn't leave the rock until I was 11 - didn't die (I think). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilDDog Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 You will die if you don't go off-island on holiday: FACT. Agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Shoe Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Alright, so holidays at other times are cheaper. Having no kids would be a lot cheaper still. Tough. Not everyone wants term-time holidays in Benidorm coz they're cheaper. As has previously been stated, we don't all have 4-weeks paid holiday per year. Some of us (you know, the small businesses who provide the jobs for those who don't work in government or Skandia) have cashflow and client commitments to work around. And as for the poor old seasonal workers... Case-by-case is the only way to do this. The BoE will complain they don't have resources for that. Okay, how about a policy of 10 days per year - no questions asked? Oh, hold on, that's what they had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
champagne Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 It's not just the cost of holidays or the need to take holidays outside of term time thats the only problem. What about if you want to take a legitimate 7 night foreign holiday in a half-term? Because of our wonderful inclement weather and unreliable carriers, you have to take 9 nights off the island. You might just do it if you can manage to get on the last flight off island amid all the suits but try finding a holiday departing on a saturday going where you want it to - impossible! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronague Ram Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Most of the High schools I know of have regular truancy from a minority of children who can't be bothered going to school or alternatively have parents who can't be bothered. When they are in school the same kids frequently disrupt classes and cause others to miss this valuable education time Mr Gill refers to. The schools have to bend over backwards (due to DoE policy?) to accomodate these individuals at the expense of the decent kids. Suspensions are only half day or a couple of days at most. Expulsions - has anyone actually known of them? What level of repeat havoc does a child actually have to do to be expelled? Even then they just move on to another school. Now we have John Gill telling everyone that families taking any holidays in term time (presumably even a day or two overlap) can expect warnings and potential action. These holidays as far as I am concerned have potentially more benefit in 'life education' than the ten days they may miss. I would, however, never take my kids out in exam years, but am limited myself as to dates I can take holidays. John Gill would get a great deal more respect from me if he was announcing they were going to properly deal with the wrongdoers and stop them disrupting the education system day after day after day. This would allow many other decent kids a far fairer crack at an education. Why don't they tackle the real problems? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
champagne Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Most of the High schools I know of have regular truancy from a minority of children who can't be bothered going to school or alternatively have parents who can't be bothered. When they are in school the same kids frequently disrupt classes and cause others to miss this valuable education time Mr Gill refers to. The schools have to bend over backwards (due to DoE policy?) to accomodate these individuals at the expense of the decent kids. Suspensions are only half day or a couple of days at most. Expulsions - has anyone actually known of them? What level of repeat havoc does a child actually have to do to be expelled? Even then they just move on to another school. Now we have John Gill telling everyone that families taking any holidays in term time (presumably even a day or two overlap) can expect warnings and potential action. These holidays as far as I am concerned have potentially more benefit in 'life education' than the ten days they may miss. I would, however, never take my kids out in exam years, but am limited myself as to dates I can take holidays. John Gill would get a great deal more respect from me if he was announcing they were going to properly deal with the wrongdoers and stop them disrupting the education system day after day after day. This would allow many other decent kids a far fairer crack at an education. Why don't they tackle the real problems? Well said and hear hear! Stop penalising all of us for the wrongdoings of others! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cronky Posted September 17, 2008 Author Share Posted September 17, 2008 The mother of those children being taken out of school at that time was I believe at that time a member of the board of education member and is currently the Education Minister! I don't think Mrs Craine thought up this daft idea. She always talks good sense about kids. This policy seems to have been lifted straight from the UK by a civil servant who does not understand the family nature of this community. Over half the people in the Isle of Man were born off the Island. These people need to see family and that is not always possible in term time. Do not expect this issue to go away quietly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tugger Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 IMO there is nothing wrong with the old "10 Days Rule" to enable parents to take their children on holiday during term-time. (After having first wriiten to the Head to obtain permission.) If Gill and his lackeys want to adopt a "tough stance", then they should more vigorously persue the lazy chavs whose kids are off school virtually every other day, because they couldn't be arsed dragging them out of their pits each morning! How many prosecutions of parents for non-attendance of their children have there been during the time that Gill has been in the DOE? (All the schools are obliged to supply the DOE with comprehensive attendance records) Just an aside, and not necessarily to do with THIS thread - Could be wrong, but wasn't Mr Gill on the Board of Governors at CRHS? I'm sure he was one the trustees at King Bill's at one time too, and I also seem to remember him being the boss of Gore's Rock - I went for an interview there for a summer job (didn't get it and had to KP at the Howstrake instead) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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