Encouraging future sailors? Not!

[CalicoJack]

We had enroled our son in RYA courses Levels 1 & 2, for the last week of the summer term, when very little work was being done at school. These couses only run during term time at the nearest training centre, but we did not envisage many problems. His friends after all are were going to miss school at the same time to do a football training course.

Imagine our surprise when we had a letter warning us that this would be recorded as an unauthorised absence, which could result in our prosecution for failing to ensure our son attended school. We pointed out about the fooball players and were told that that was different! They would authorise football, cricket, rugby, dance and music, but not sailing.

Brilliant! "I do not believe it!"

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

I'd right back a bloody stiff letter pointing out to them that sailing has a longer tradition in the UK than all the other sports, along with royal patronage. And perhaps suggest that under human rights laws they may well be taking an illegal stance.

In fact, no I wouldn't... i'd call in personally to ask why.

 

[savageseadog]

Never had any problems taking my son out of school for offshore races and reggattas. That was about 10-15 years ago though.

 

[mandlmaunder]

Sounds like the RYA still have a lot of work ahead convincing those that should know that you can now make money sailing the same way as "footballers - cricketers and other pro sports.
And anyway how dare they say taking a child out of school is bad , being as learning anything in school is now nigh impossible.

 

[colvic987]

Yes, but now we are in the world of pc, h + s and bueaucracy, and very little common sense..

 

[Salty]

Calico,

In some parts of the country (maybe yours), the local authorities fine parents who take their children out on 'unauthorised absence' to discourage term-time holidays. This has been successfully legally challenged by a family who demonstrated that taking their child ski-ing (IIRC) was more educational than the 'wind-down' activities their peers enjoyed in the last week of term. I would suggest a very strongly worded letter to the school and copied to the Director of Children's Services at your LA should get them off your back.

 

[Poignard]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd right back a bloody stiff letter pointing out to them that sailing has a longer tradition in the UK than all the other sports, along with royal patronage.

[/ QUOTE ]

Worst thing you could do. Tell them it's a state -sponsored sport in Russia and China.

 

[Richard10002]

Standard response these days. We keep bumping into people on planes who have flouted the schools' warnings. One guy said he was told he would be fined £1000.

I'd probably send the kids on the courses and, if the school take any action, get it ALL OVER THE PRESS.

It was never a problem in my days at school, didnt miss much, caught up quickly and, anyway, we used to do sweet FA during the last couple of weeks of the final term.

It's an absolute joke and, not having kids, I was amazed/gobsmacked etc. when I heard about this type of thing.

Could get them a doctors note saying they've got some kind of contageous disease which would need at least 2 weeks to become non contageous.

 

[bobgoode]

As a teacher of 27 years I have to state that I am continually amazed at the ability of my colleagues to make ludicrous decisions and p*ss of parents. Please don't get me started..

 

[Emjaytoo]

15 years ago, when my children were at primary school, we used to take our annual holidays in May/June (The Med is nice then - and cheap!). The school used to say "good luck - make them keep a diary of the places you visit"

Now-a-days it's "I'm the Kamp Kommandant - You'll do as I say.

It's a good job my children have grown up, 'cause if they were still at school, I'd be having some almighty rows over WHO SAYS WHEN I TAKE MY HOLIDAYS!

/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[EBunting]

That's terrible! As a one-time sailing instructor, I'm really sorry to hear this. Kids can get even more from sailing than the rest of us.

I guess you wouldn't be prepared to grass up the school for further investigation....would you?

Elaine, YW

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Don't blame the poor school! Blame the MP's who made the laws re attendance, Ofsted who name and shame schools who can't keep their attendance up and use it for draconian interference by putting the School in " special measures" so it can be turned into an "Academy", the press for failing to give sailing a proper profile so this sort of discrimination does not occur and as mentioned in another post, the RYA. Perhaps though you should have asked permission first and then made a fuss if it were not granted and then involved the RYA, Sport England, your MP et all. Just possible too that the letter was computer generated because permission had not been recorded as authorised! The whole thing is an absolute farce. I wonder how many parents who send their offspring to the Indian Sub-continent for 3 months for a "holiday" get such a letter! Very few I suspect.

 

[srp]

Now let's see - oh yes, sailing. Waste of time. What did learning about sailing ever do for us? Well, apart from teamwork, social skills, leadership, physics (as in righting moments, wind forces etc), meteorology, technology (pulley systems, advanced composite materials and so on), and maybe lots more??? Nah, don't teach you nuffink.

 

[StephenSails]

I think that is rotten! as football is sport for numptys

But - I think the way the holiday companys stack a massive premuim on during school holidays is probably the root cause of all this.

 

[Koeketiene]

Had a similar run in with the school of my eldest last year.

Went in to have a word (several in fact) with the Head.
I happened to remark on the number if inset days the school has; and how they're all in the summer period and adjoining week-ends and bank holidays.

Told her I was taking my daughter out of school of a couple of family inset days!

Not a peep out of them since then.
When we got her attendance sheet, those days were marked as 'authorised'.

 

[rickp]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't blame the poor school! Blame the MP's who made the laws re attendance, Ofsted who name and shame schools who can't keep their attendance up

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes - these would be the same schools that always hold registration for the last afternoon of each term, thereby satisfying all Ofsted requirements - and then send the kids straight home, avoiding all that unnecessary teaching crap.

God, they make my blood boil....

Rick

 

[KenMcCulloch]

If you look on the website of Sail Training International you will find a press release regarding research recently completed by my self and colleagues (the largest study of its kind ever undertaken) which found that participation in sail training voyages provided clear benefits for young people.
http://www.sailtraininginternational.org/page.asp?partid=632
I work in one of the leading university schools of education and I'm very happy to be cited to head teachers if you want evidence that sailing is at least as useful an educational experience as football, possibly even better

 

[Marmalade]

Most schools don't want unauthorised absences cluttering up their stats - makes them look bad. As long as you inform them chances are they'll mark it as authorised absence

 

[Whitelighter]

Now you have made me angry and hate this stupid, stupid country. How the hell have we got it so wrong?

 

[Lakesailor]

[ QUOTE ]
One guy said he was told he would be fined £1000.


[/ QUOTE ] This makes my blood boil. Petty oficials do not set the fines even if you are guilty. The court sets the fine and they also decide if you are guilty, given the facts.
What they should say is that you are liable, if found guilty, to a fine of up to £1000.