| Taking Kids out of School for Trips | |
Suppose it's September, and Back to School time. But the weather in Europe is great, the airfares low; and the Caribbean's on sale; and what a super time to go to Disney World...
If you're tempted to take your kids out of school for travel, you're not alone:
| According to an industry poll, 16 million parents "let children miss school to gain travel experience". |
Before the teachers panic: in most cases (43%) the amount of school missed was just one day-- and in another 29%, a mere two days were missed. Only 11% of traveling truants missed more than one week.
Points to consider
Any time you take your kids out of school, a lot of factors come into play.
see: Learning Vacations: Trips that Teach |
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The Big Picture
Many of us, in parenting, "sweat the small stuff" too much. Yes, it's indeed possible that a traveling child might miss a crucial unit on long division; but typically kids do catch up when they miss school due to, say, chicken pox.
Interestingly, according to the TIA travel poll:
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- "46% of parents likely to take their kids out of school had a similar travel opportunity when they were a child." -Also: "Parents who have studied for or attained a masters degree are more likely to let their children miss school to travel." |
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These figures seems to paint a picture of educated parents who believe that gains from travel experiences may justify some truancy.
Consider the teachers too
BUT: if you do decide to travel during school term, remember to consider your children's teachers, and the extra work that your child's re-entry to school will mean for them.
And definitely discuss the trip with teachers before you go. With an extended trip, perhaps your kids can make a class presentation, or do a project, based on their travels. Or perhaps the teacher will want them to take work along.
By and large, my kids' teachers have been open-minded about school-time travels, but we did have one situation where my son in Grade Five paid some heavy dues after a trip in Europe.
Bottom line: talk to your teachers; weigh your pluses and minuses; and then step back to see the Big Picture.
Am I glad we took that trip to Europe? You bet. And our kids are still reaping educational benefits, in school projects etc.
*TIA poll circa 1999.
