Yes I know it's the much hated DM but even though she's taking unpaid leave and the school has a Deputy head, it's still double standards when parents get fined for taking children out during term-time. :rolleyes:

 

 

From Daily Mail online.

 

A headteacher has been given a month off during term time to get married by a school that warns parents they will be fined or if their children are absent.

 

Governors at Little Hill Primary, in Wigston, near Leicester, have granted Vina Pankhania four weeks unpaid leave because 'she has worked extremely hard over the past two years'.

 

Miss Pankhania, 32, has been allowed to take the break from Easter until May 23, but despite the month off she is getting married on a Saturday.

 

Her school has more than 13 weeks holiday this academic year.

 

Parents have turned on the headteacher because they would be fined or even prosecuted if they took their children on holiday during the school year.

 

Sonya Gilmour said: 'As a parent of two boys at Little Hill, I find this disgusting.

 

'How can governors approve leave just after Easter break when parents themselves can be fined for similar actions?

 

'Surely the summer time off she has is big enough to accommodate a wedding.'

 

Another parent said Miss Pankhania was either 'incredibly arrogant or naive' for choosing to take time off during term when the school would not let pupils do the same.

 

'Anyone employed in education gets ample holiday time to arrange weddings and holidays without needing time off during the term,' he said.

 

'The school refuses to authorise any pupils' holidays in term time.

 

A Leicestershire County Council spokesman said issues regarding staff leave were a matter for governors, as did the Department for Education.

 

A spokesman for the National Association of Head Teachers said: 'It is inappropriate for us to comment on individual cases but the governing body of any school would carefully consider the facts and possible impact on pupils before granting a school leader leave during term time.'

Edited April 11, 201411 yr by Common Sense

Hope the parents take their kids off on holiday when they want and refuse to pay any fines.

The difference is that children are compelled to go to school and don't have the right to extended time off without permission (which is the key bit - I can definitely think of cases where friends of mine were allowed time off for holiday if they could catch up the work. If they can't then it'd be bad for them to go). Workers are well within their right to take unpaid leave.

 

Now can we stop this nonsense of crafting isolated cases into a crusade against teachers?

Well at least it's not another article posted for the sake of a cheap innuendo, because any more of those is being deleted instantly.

I find it more alarming that exam time is the time she has chosen for this. Or that she's Head already at 32.

You do exams in Primary School?!? THE FUCK?

 

 

 

This 'article' compares apples and tarmac. It also fails to grasp the point of compulsory education, that staff can take unpaid leave whenever they want and the fact that head teachers run the school and don't teach kids directly.

You do exams in Primary School?!? THE FUCK?

This 'article' compares apples and tarmac. It also fails to grasp the point of compulsory education, that staff can take unpaid leave whenever they want and the fact that head teachers run the school and don't teach kids directly.

 

I respect your point, but a school struggles without the organ grinder to hold things together. It's okay for a few days without a head, but for a month! :o And arguably during the busiest time of year! I know there's a deputy, but that's no excuse. After all, they are not the head teacher. Many things need to be done by the head teacher themselves and it's incredibly hypocritical considering their policy on leave during term time.

Wait a minute.

 

Isn't the point here that she is taking AUTHORISED unpaid leave?

 

The parents only get into problems when they take their kids out for UNAUTHORISED absences so no it's not double standards.

 

I do think it is irresponsible of her to ask for the leave in the first place but even more so irresponsible for the governors to grant it.

 

I do think it is irresponsible of her to ask for the leave in the first place but even more so irresponsible for the governors to grant it.

 

Agreed.

 

The point is that even if parents ask for holiday leave to go abroad in term-time, it's not granted any more except in exceptional circumstances such as a fanily funeral or wedding. Then if they just take them anyway they get a £60 fine now.

You do exams in Primary School?!? THE FUCK?

This 'article' compares apples and tarmac. It also fails to grasp the point of compulsory education, that staff can take unpaid leave whenever they want and the fact that head teachers run the school and don't teach kids directly.

 

In England they have SATS tests that fall into this time bracket. It is odd that she needs a month just to get married.

Agreed.

 

The point is that even if parents ask for holiday leave to go abroad in term-time, it's not granted any more except in exceptional circumstances such as a fanily funeral or wedding. Then if they just take them anyway they get a £60 fine now.

 

Kids can have up to 10 days authorised holiday in a year. That's a two week holiday. I fail to see why any parent would need to exceed that.

Kids can have up to 10 days authorised holiday in a year. That's a two week holiday. I fail to see why any parent would need to exceed that.

That's not actually true anymore. Kids are only allowed leave n exceptional circumstances.

That's not actually true anymore. Kids are only allowed leave n exceptional circumstances.

 

 

Yes, not just for a holiday either but say for a wedding or funeral of a close relative. They certainly wouldn't be allowed a month off. I know she's getting married in the Caribbean but why isn't two weeks long enough? :rolleyes:

For god's sake Chris, a student does not have the same privileges as a worker. Get it in your head.

For god's sake Chris, a student does not have the same privileges as a worker. Get it in your head.

 

I am aware of that and others above have made similar remarks to me but you haven't jumped on them!

You're clearly NOT aware of it given you keep comparing the two and saying 'no student would ever be allowed this much time off'!

I don't know about England, but at my school kids can still have a two week holiday if they've filled a holiday form in and the holiday doesn't take their overall attendance for the year to below 90%. If it does, then they'll be refused.

I think it's different here. Kids can't leave school to go on holiday during the term otherwise they get fined.

I don't really understand why a worker needs to justify taking leave from their employment if it's been agreed by their employers. It is not at all comparable to a child having leave from school.

It is clearly irresponsible though for a number of reasons. There's no need for four weeks' holiday - if she wants such a long honeymoon she should marry over summer. Also her job role is about maintenaning the smooth operation of the school, and by expecting her deputy and the other teaching staff to assume that responsibility for a whole month she's putting pressure on them which could very easily distract from their duty to the children. Four consecutive weeks of holiday time during term is not a luxury that should be available to any teacher, much less the head. I think to say she was "naive" is frankly being kind. She deserves the anger she's receiving.