You are the Secretary of State for Education

[RED-DOG]

Stop fining parents for taking their kids on holiday or on a special day trip. They learn more than they would in school anyway, and surely the odd week off can't affect that education that much.

The local councils fine parents, not schools. And So why bother with school if you can take a holiday when ever you wish.  How long would you allow them to take.....on top of the 6 weeks in summer, 2 at easter,2 at christmas and 1 week in May, and 1 week in October?

It's not a question of how long, it's a question of when. Two weeks at Easter is no use if the event you want to take your kids to is in February. I suspect that most parents would be happy with half the number of days but take em when they need em.

Gypsy children only have to make 200 attendances per year BTW, and 1 day = 2 attendances  so 100 days per year. this is one of the very few pieces of positive discrimination we have, it's been in force for decades but it's up for repeal this year.

[Waz1892]

Stop fining parents for taking their kids on holiday or on a special day trip. They learn more than they would in school anyway, and surely the odd week off can't affect that education that much.

The local councils fine parents, not schools. And So why bother with school if you can take a holiday when ever you wish.  How long would you allow them to take.....on top of the 6 weeks in summer, 2 at easter,2 at christmas and 1 week in May, and 1 week in October?

It's not a question of how long, it's a question of when. Two weeks at Easter is no use if the event you want to take your kids to is in February. I suspect that most parents would be happy with half the number of days but take em when they need em.

Gypsy children only have to make 200 attendances per year BTW, and 1 day = 2 attendances  so 100 days per year. this is one of the very few pieces of positive discrimination we have, it's been in force for decades but it's up for repeal this year.

Never knew that!!

[The Camel]

Stop fining parents for taking their kids on holiday or on a special day trip. They learn more than they would in school anyway, and surely the odd week off can't affect that education that much.

The local councils fine parents, not schools. And So why bother with school if you can take a holiday when ever you wish.  How long would you allow them to take.....on top of the 6 weeks in summer, 2 at easter,2 at christmas and 1 week in May, and 1 week in October?

It's not a question of how long, it's a question of when. Two weeks at Easter is no use if the event you want to take your kids to is in February. I suspect that most parents would be happy with half the number of days but take em when they need em.

Gypsy children only have to make 200 attendances per year BTW, and 1 day = 2 attendances  so 100 days per year. this is one of the very few pieces of positive discrimination we have, it's been in force for decades but it's up for repeal this year.

Never knew that!!

Me neither.

Not sure what I think about it either.

Any decent links justifying or explaining the difference?

Any decent links

[Ransom]

Might go against what I said earlier but secondary school id do life skills such as credit rating, obtaining a mortgage, insurance, basic first aid, cv writing, interview skills, managing a budget etc

We had a class in school from years 7-9 called 'Citizenship' that covered all of this.

Used to do lessons in four week blocks of things like managing finances, first aid, gardening, general DIY things and home maintenance, introduction to politics etc.

All for something like that being mandatory, if only for an hour a week. We got an hour a week of that, and three hours a week of religious education. Ratios were well off.

[RED-DOG]

Stop fining parents for taking their kids on holiday or on a special day trip. They learn more than they would in school anyway, and surely the odd week off can't affect that education that much.

The local councils fine parents, not schools. And So why bother with school if you can take a holiday when ever you wish.  How long would you allow them to take.....on top of the 6 weeks in summer, 2 at easter,2 at christmas and 1 week in May, and 1 week in October?

It's not a question of how long, it's a question of when. Two weeks at Easter is no use if the event you want to take your kids to is in February. I suspect that most parents would be happy with half the number of days but take em when they need em.

Gypsy children only have to make 200 attendances per year BTW, and 1 day = 2 attendances  so 100 days per year. this is one of the very few pieces of positive discrimination we have, it's been in force for decades but it's up for repeal this year.

Never knew that!!

Me neither.

Not sure what I think about it either.

Any decent links justifying or explaining the difference?

Any decent links

Download the first pdf



https://www.google.co.uk/search?site=&source=hp&ei=Sb9gVbvRB-WY7gbSl4PQDQ&q=Gypsy+pupil+200+attendances+&oq=Gypsy+pupil+200+attendances+&gs_l=mobile-gws-hp.3...5190.38017.0.39480.28.28.0.1.1.0.486.4478.3j21j3j0j1.28.0.ekpsrh...0...1.1.64.mobile-gws-hp..16.12.1924.3.0bigA6zhpxU

[Jon MW]

That explains the difference and the reason for it - but is there any evidence that there is any benefit to it? Isn't it just massively damaging for the longer term prospects of any child who misses so much school (for any reason)?

[RED-DOG]

That explains the difference and the reason for it - but is there any evidence that there is any benefit to it? Isn't it just massively damaging for the longer term prospects of any child who misses so much school (for any reason)?

I suppose it depends how you define long term prospects Jon. Missing school and missing education aren't always the same thing.

[Redsgirl]

I don't think I could do just one thing.  There are so many things that need changed to bring education forward.  

1) I'd delay the starting age until 7, in turn make the minimum leaving age 19 (unless you were going to do some vocational learning/guaranteed a job)
2) The number of holidays would be cut, kids would learn more and would be kept away from mischief (hopefully)
3) Rotating staff every few years, I think similar to Hutch's point but when I was growing up and at school the fact my teachers tought my parents, aunts and uncles already had you marked depending on who or what they knew,  I also think after a time teachers stagnate and no longer have the drive to teach those who want to learn and this is down to a variety of factors.  
4) I'd give every state school the same dispensation on council tax as the private schools.  
5) I'doffer more vocational training and work towards giving pupils real life skills (including driving lessons)
6) I'd bring back the belt.  

Do you have children Kmac?

I don't.  Is that prerequisite of being able to comment on education?

Not at all, I was just asking you to confirm the obvious,  as I really can't imagine any parent saying they should 'bring back the belt' even one like me who thinks kids in this country are namby pambied far to much these days.
Out of interest, what kind of heinous crime do you think a child would have to commit during the school day to warrant coming home with a large red whelt accross their bottom?
Maybe it couldn't be their bottom, or the backs of the legs because of the obvious reasons.
What about the hands then? After the initial injury it would only take a day or two for the bruising to go down enough for them to be back writing away like good uns.

Would you bring in official guidelines for this punishment?  Would each school have a nominated flogger or would all teachers be free to whack away as they saw fit?
Would there be a age restrictions?
Would there be a limit to how many blows and how often, and an independent overseer to make sure little Freddie didn't end up with more stripes than a zebra because he's teacher had taken a personal dislike to him?
Before you answer these questions Minister for education, think about a child you care about, maybe a niece or nephew being on the receiving end.

[david3103]

I don't think I could do just one thing.  There are so many things that need changed to bring education forward.  

1) I'd delay the starting age until 7, in turn make the minimum leaving age 19 (unless you were going to do some vocational learning/guaranteed a job)
2) The number of holidays would be cut, kids would learn more and would be kept away from mischief (hopefully)
3) Rotating staff every few years, I think similar to Hutch's point but when I was growing up and at school the fact my teachers tought my parents, aunts and uncles already had you marked depending on who or what they knew,  I also think after a time teachers stagnate and no longer have the drive to teach those who want to learn and this is down to a variety of factors.  
4) I'd give every state school the same dispensation on council tax as the private schools.  
5) I'doffer more vocational training and work towards giving pupils real life skills (including driving lessons)
6) I'd bring back the belt.  

Do you have children Kmac?

I don't.  Is that prerequisite of being able to comment on education?

Not at all, I was just asking you to confirm the obvious,  as I really can't imagine any parent saying they should 'bring back the belt' even one like me who thinks kids in this country are namby pambied far to much these days.
Out of interest, what kind of heinous crime do you think a child would have to commit during the school day to warrant coming home with a large red whelt accross their bottom?
Maybe it couldn't be their bottom, or the backs of the legs because of the obvious reasons.
What about the hands then? After the initial injury it would only take a day or two for the bruising to go down enough for them to be back writing away like good uns.

Would you bring in official guidelines for this punishment?  Would each school have a nominated flogger or would all teachers be free to whack away as they saw fit?
Would there be a age restrictions?
Would there be a limit to how many blows and how often, and an independent overseer to make sure little Freddie didn't end up with more stripes than a zebra because he's teacher had taken a personal dislike to him?
Before you answer these questions Minister for education, think about a child you care about, maybe a niece or nephew being on the receiving end.

 

[celtic]

I had the belt at primary school. Was always across the hands. It didn't leave any long lasting marks, but it made me think twice about doing something I shouldn't have been doing.

Think yous have had a different kind of experience.

[Woodsey]

I had the belt at primary school. Was always across the hands. It didn't leave any long lasting marks, but it made me think twice about doing something I shouldn't have been doing.

Think yous have had a different kind of experience.

We used to get it on either the hands or arse, we often got a choice of the cane or detention, most of us chose the cane as it was 15 mins of pain v half a Saturday stuck in detention. Don't see the big sweat about corporal punishment really...

[Redsgirl]

I had the belt at primary school. Was always across the hands. It didn't leave any long lasting marks, but it made me think twice about doing something I shouldn't have been doing.

Think yous have had a different kind of experience.

Regardless of any lasting physical/emotional effects do you think you deserved your punishment every time?

Would you be happy for your son to be punished in the same way for the same offences?

Thankfully I was never sent to the office to face Mr Sell's fabled slipper, in fact no one in my knowledge ever was, but our teachers assured us it existed and he would use it if necessary
.
Apparently it never was then and I can't see why it would be now, even though I understand that a lot of kids don't seem to have been brought up with the respect for their elders that our generation had but unfortunately I can't imagine any child saying I didn't really care much for Mrs so and so but she slapped me a few times and now I think she's mint.

Also, there is the possibility of  teachers abusing their authority which as you probably guessed is my main problem.
My poor old grandad still used to get upset when he told us about an incident that happened over sixty years ago, when he was caned in front of the class simply because a particularly nasty teacher wouldn't believe a poem he had submitted was his own work.  
She called him a liar when he protested and then beat him.
As you say Vinny the pain was only temporary,  but the humiliation and injustice obviously stayed with him his whole life, and that's not something I'd be happy to risk happening to other kids. Surely we can do better than that?

[celtic]

Aye, I guess we def had different experiences then. I wouldn't necessarily want it brought back, was just saying it wasn't the worst experience and it did make me think. I obviously didn't think often enough at the time

[Redsgirl]

Aye, I guess we def had different experiences then. I wouldn't necessarily want it brought back, was just saying it wasn't the worst experience and it did make me think. I obviously didn't think often enough at the time

Yeah I stuck my finger in a plug socket when I was six.
It wasn't the worst thing that ever happened to me,  but it did make me think!  

Enough of this crap, go and have a look at my dinner!

[celtic]

As you wish.

A solid 9/10.

Been threatening to visit Tom for a long time, then I got extradited to scotchland. One day tho..