h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

" Nowadays parents will take their offspring out of school any old time if they decide to book a holiday. Nice for the adults but annoying for the teachers! With a limited number of school days in the year - eroded more by teaching practice days (or whatever they are called now) - pupils are already under pressure to cram as much into their day as possible. Ten or more of these carelessly sacrificed for a couple of cheap weeks on the Costa can leave little Sarah or Marc playing serious catch-up for the rest of the school year."

This is a bit out of date, I'm surprised you say 'nowadays' as this isn't so. Parents are so actively discouraged from taking kids out of school for holidays that we are liable to £100 fines if we do.

The act of doubling prices the minute school is out on holidays is being looked into, as this is what's blamed for parents wanting to take kids out of school. So I'm afraid I have to argue with you about this.

I wish I could type...

Hmmmm... I guess that's what comes of working in the private sector. I didn't know the state schools had tightened their rules up. Good for them

Being only a lowly practical music teacher the lesson times were pretty limited to start with - if I was lucky we'd manage 12 1/2 lessons per term. For this we were expected to get them through regular AB or Trinity exams, help with their GCSE/AS/A practical work and coach them for concerts/with orchestral music - plus throw in some theory for good measure. You can imagine the frustration when I found out that Melindra was off to the Canary's for two weeks!

shazz

I can imagine it's annoying. My mother can't afford to take holidays in peak time - she wants to take J to Spain next time she visits her sister who lives out there, and I've had to say no, as she won't go in half term. flight prices go up too much.

It's a shame, as he'd benefit from a week in the sun, with a pool to hand. His swimming might improve! But I can't take him out of school, that's important too (despite him doing sod all work all year).