Is it ever okay to take children out of school to go on a cheaper holiday?
Parents Have What Time Say Holidays? Issue Of The Do On And Educators Schools, School To
As lathair? It's that time of the year when thousands of families across Ireland are scouring the internet and travel agents for an elusive last minute summer holiday deal. But with rising fares and prices, for many, the temptation for families to take their children out of school during the term for a cheaper deal has never been greater.
But what do schools, educators and parents have to say on the issue and just how tempting are their deals? This week, I spoke to a roll call of people in the education and travel fields to find out…
My quest began at Pobalscoil Na Tríonóide in Youghal where I’m a regular substitution fixture when not out seeking polar bears.
“Of course, our number one priority is that students attend school every day of the school year,” principal Séamus O’Ceallacháin tells me. “However, given personal circumstances, not least the cost of living and inflation crises, we do understand if some parents opt to take their students out during term. We would advise against doing so if the pupil is in an examination year."
O'Ceallacháin also points to the greater financial pressures many families face due to the standardisation of the school year since 2004.
“We used to have the scenario where a family might have had two children with different mid-term breaks or Easter holidays, were they attending both a primary and a secondary school for example, but nowadays, while the school calendar is a lot more convenient for booking, the demand for set dates means prices are at a premium outside of summer and all during summer bar perhaps the first few weeks of June.”
Finola Nyhan of Pobalscoil’s guidance department highlights the balancing act between education and holiday time.
"I'm conflicted on this as both a teacher but also a parent of two primary school pupils. As a teacher, we're fortunate that we don't have a culture of absenteeism due to holidays in our school, but I see the impact attendance issues can have and we always urge parents and guardians to be mindful of the school year.
Nyhan’s department colleague and fellow parent Kerri O'Donoghue advises families to choose that holiday window wisely.
"The first week or two of a new term can be such an important period for children to find their feet, orientate themselves with subjects and teachers, and even to ease into a structure with seating plans [and] group dynamics. There's a lot of pressure on parents to try to balance giving their children the best education while also affording them the opportunities to enjoy a trip away, but if you are considering a holiday that clashes with school term I’d be inclined to advise against that key time in particular.”
These holiday dilemmas are being felt at travel agents across the country.
“We're definitely seeing an increase in bookings for families and across the board for May and June this year versus the months of July and August,” Janet Quinlan, manager of the agent Barter’s Travelnet.
“That’s largely down to airfares being particularly high at the moment so households are often tempted to save…the difference could be as much as €1500 on a fourteen-night, self-catering holiday to Spain for two adults and two children".
For those still seeking a break Janet advises travellers to be as flexible as possible with their dates and their destinations.
“We're seeing fares to even traditionally more affordable destinations like the Spanish Costas or The Canaries have become more expensive,” she says.
“But there are still some deals out there for the consumer, for example on the likes of the charter flights, where there's one from Cork to Majorca every Tuesday, you might still be able to avail of a deal on a child seat. It's worth broadening your search net to destinations where you might be able to find a more affordable package like Turkey or Sardinia."
This week I reached out on my Instagram for opinions on this issue. These are some of the hot takes I received.
"I’m a post-primary teacher with a role of responsibility for attendance and liaising with parents. The lack of courtesy to let the school know annoys me: weekends are tolerable but it’s the two full weeks or in certain cases more that I have an issue with, and with the onset of online learning, some parents expect work to be sent online while they are away. Holidays should be included in the 22 days of TUSLA returns."
"I’m a secondary school teacher and we always see students going off a few days before or after midterms or Christmas etc. It’s ok so long as it’s not the Leaving Cert year. It’s very common now, to be honest. A lot of the school work is posted on the digital platform so they can catch up plus schools use ebooks so assignments can be completed abroad and online. Times have changed!"
"We're taking our children out in June and they’ll miss seven days of school. This is primarily as it won’t be as busy, expensive and hot. The general consensus now is they do nothing for the last month...or maybe that’s how it’s justified!"
"I’m deputy principal in a fairly big primary and I’m all for taking kids out during term time. Travelling to different countries and experiencing new cultures is all highly educational and realistically, it’s the only affordable way for lots of families. I’ve used parental leave and gone away during term time and will continue to do so. As a teacher I love hearing my pupils talk about visiting other countries: books and school will always be there but making memories is more important!"
A cheaper holiday may have a greater longer term price if your child will struggle to fit back into academic life, but with mindful planning and good communication with your school, it’s clear that families should still be able to enjoy a guilt-free getaway on everyone’s terms.