It's important to remember holiday time is for holidays, but term time is for school, writes parenting columnist Ian Munro.
An unauthorised absence from my grandchildren's school in the United Kingdom leads to a note to the county education authority and an automatic £200 ($NZ372) fine. If the head teacher hasn't authorised attendance at a funeral, wedding or other event, you can expect an invoice in the mail.
There are a variety of reasons why children fail to attend school.
They move towns or families and friends disappear off the radar, or their parents have a transient lifestyle and are often not in one place long enough to bother enrolling them in the local school.
Some youngsters are expected to be at home child-minding while adult caregivers are otherwise occupied.
Then there are those who have been stood down, suspended or expelled from their school, perhaps not for the first time, and again they eventually disappear out of the system as they or their parents become too much trouble to help.
I recall a past court case in which a mother had an explanation for her child's minimal attendance during June, July and August. The child didn't have a raincoat.
You might think, easily fixed if she had wanted to, but winter months are a time when parentally condoned non-attendance increases significantly and a large number of the youngsters involved don't fall into any of the above categories.
You see, it's the ski season and the weekday slopes have much less traffic than they do at the weekend.
Now these parents can justify to themselves the great value in doing this, just as that mother justified her midwinter actions.
However, no matter which way you look at it or how much is argued the educational or sporting value of the exercise, it's no different. It's parental convenience no more, no less.
It is much like the cheaper off-season overseas holidays, which also take many children away from school during term-time. Holiday time is for holidays, term time is for school. It's wilful non-attendance not only condoned by parents but also instigated by them.
And then there's the message. "Yes dear, school is important. Yes dear, homework is important. Yes dear, achieving good grades is important. Until it suits me otherwise.''
An interesting set of values there and one youngsters will be quick to pick up. Everything is important until it suits me for it not to be. Children will spot the hypocrisy even if they don't know the word for it.
Suddenly, not only are school and education devalued, but a selfish and self-centred life value is also being modelled.
School attendance is more than just an annoying requirement of the State, and we need to be proactive by encouraging an enjoyment of learning and an appreciation of the value and importance of education.
