Letter of permission from Schools

[llcoolphil]

I sometimes wonder why a kid would want to go to Glastonbury - alright there are kids things to do, but it always strikes me a bit similar to taking a screaming baby to a wedding.

[Pipkins]

My 2p worth, as a teacher and long time attendee (23 yrs this year), and the parent of two young children:

1. Teachers generally hate pupils being out during term time. It makes it very difficult for yp to catch up work. Only some of the work can be caught up at home - a lot of the learning takes place inbetween the written work.

2. Schools are legally responsible for ensuring yp attend. They have to involve other authorites if yp don't. They can't just write it off as a holiday anymore (not that they ever liked doing that).

3. Yes, GB is a learning experience, but any good teacher will tell you that walking down a street is a learning experience. You don't just learn in school, but you have to realise that teachers work to the national Curriculum and have targets to meet in terms of levels for YOUR child. These are not targets that get the teacher promotion or better pay - everything is for the children.

4. Your child's abcence will be disruptive to the learning of the rest of the class. You may wish not to believe this but it's true.

5. GB is an excellent experience for all ages. My 5 yr old has been 5 times (first time aged 3 mths) and he loves it. My 2 year old has also been and will go again this year. There's plenty to for all to experience. Most people are delightful and the bad bits of GB from decades ago have mostly gone (I won't dredge up what I class as the 'bad bits', but let's just say that anyone who thinks GB is too commercial or has lost it's edge probably hasn't been attending for many years).

6. Where's Sonic Youth, Cat Stevens, CSN&Y and Simon and Garfunkel on the bill this year?

[denwyn]

you also suggested that it was bad parenting...

but hey ho

[denwyn]

Oh God I didn't want this to result in sweeping statements (Denwyn) and name calling (TB) I shoulda known better I guess lol

Everyone is allowed an opinion of course.

Denwyn. I hope you agree some of us on here have given pretty sound accounts as to why we want to take them. TBH I can't understand WHY you can't understand why etc. (IYSWIM). You did hit the nail on the head though when you said there's room for everyone. Couldn't agree more and to be fair, it would be shit if EVERYONE took their kids. It's just that after last year,I definitely want to do it again

[denwyn]

ok.. no more 'fighting'...

but I'm genuineley curious as to why you can't comprehend why people would want to take their kids to Glastonbury..? There are 2 whole areas that cater for kids, plus the Circus, Cabaret (that has lots of kid's type entertainment), the big wheel, all the amazing sculptures, etc., the whole experience of camping and sharing your space with everyone.. plus there's the music.. kids quite like music.

Our daughter's been going since she was 2. She used to think of Glastonbury as a kind of fairy-tale magical kingdom... there was story telling as the sun went down in the green kids area.....Now, as a teenager, she realises how lucky she is to have had the chance to see Arthur Lee performing Forever Changes not long before he died... Bowie, McCartney, Brian Wilson, Chemical Brothers, acts that many of her friends are green with envy that they haven't, and in some cases never will, get to see.

I'm sure she's got more out of Glastonbury than any theme park could ever provide.

[TalkShow Bob]

f**k em.

Our childrens primary and secondary school didn't mind. At the end of the day to enforce a fine it has to go to court, and a festival is a grwat life learning experience. FFS I used to take the kids off school for the day when it snowed so we could go sledging, and the school didn't mind, cos they are only kids once.

If the school has an issue ask them to pass it to the the LEA, and then ask how come nationally 1000's of kids can disappear to visit Asia during Eidd, or just for months on end (not a race thing, but use the festival to your advantage)/ Most headteachers are old hippies anyway

[glasto_mongrel_2008]

The only problem I would have with kids being there is if that little bastard from that old talk to frank advert was there.

"Excuse me, what's wrong with your face?"

[LRW]

My 2p worth, as a teacher and long time attendee (23 yrs this year), and the parent of two young children:

1. Teachers generally hate pupils being out during term time. It makes it very difficult for yp to catch up work. Only some of the work can be caught up at home - a lot of the learning takes place inbetween the written work.

2. Schools are legally responsible for ensuring yp attend. They have to involve other authorites if yp don't. They can't just write it off as a holiday anymore (not that they ever liked doing that).

3. Yes, GB is a learning experience, but any good teacher will tell you that walking down a street is a learning experience. You don't just learn in school, but you have to realise that teachers work to the national Curriculum and have targets to meet in terms of levels for YOUR child. These are not targets that get the teacher promotion or better pay - everything is for the children.

4. Your child's abcence will be disruptive to the learning of the rest of the class. You may wish not to believe this but it's true.

5. GB is an excellent experience for all ages. My 5 yr old has been 5 times (first time aged 3 mths) and he loves it. My 2 year old has also been and will go again this year. There's plenty to for all to experience. Most people are delightful and the bad bits of GB from decades ago have mostly gone (I won't dredge up what I class as the 'bad bits', but let's just say that anyone who thinks GB is too commercial or has lost it's edge probably hasn't been attending for many years).

6. Where's Sonic Youth, Cat Stevens, CSN&Y and Simon and Garfunkel on the bill this year?

[sifi]

6. Where's Sonic Youth, Cat Stevens, CSN&Y and Simon and Garfunkel on the bill this year?

[FunkyChunkyMonkey]

Some good points. Woudl be interested to know where and what age range you teach

My 2p worth, as a teacher and long time attendee (23 yrs this year), and the parent of two young children:

1. Teachers generally hate pupils being out during term time. It makes it very difficult for yp to catch up work. Only some of the work can be caught up at home - a lot of the learning takes place inbetween the written work.

OK I can't comment as a school teacher. I can understand teachers hating persistent absenteeism and sudden long term foray's abroad for religious festivals must be a pain to manage. All I can add is that among my teacher friends (which include year heads, dept. heads), they were all quite shocked and surprised given the petty reason's for refusal and my son's excellent attendance and sound academic progress. A friend who is a Governor at another school even offered to have a word - we declined. I did request schoolwork and wanted to know what would be missed. Kids follow a national curriculum these days - in my day we didn't have that but new kids almost always settled in and caught up (or down!!) in no time. I'm sorry but I don't buy into any argument that my child's academic progress would have suffered as a result of missing that particular week. Come GCSE and A Levels of course that would be different.

I have taught English abroad and only to adults. Some students often had to cancel at the last minute which was most frustrating esp. given the preparation I had put in. Those however who maybe had to cancel a week because they were on a business trip were less of a problem

2. Schools are legally responsible for ensuring yp attend. They have to involve other authorites if yp don't. They can't just write it off as a holiday anymore (not that they ever liked doing that).

I thought it was the parents? Not going to question what you say there mind. For the record, I 100% that it should not be written off as holiday. You mention "other authorities" and I guess one of those must be the local council. This is a particular bugbear of mine as GF is licenced by a local authority. Why do they not impose a minimum age limit? Maybe because they know there is a strong potential for MORE anti-social behaviour.

3. Yes, GB is a learning experience, but any good teacher will tell you that walking down a street is a learning experience. You don't just learn in school, but you have to realise that teachers work to the national Curriculum and have targets to meet in terms of levels for YOUR child. These are not targets that get the teacher promotion or better pay - everything is for the children.

Any good parent could also tell you that and my wife and I have done nothing BUT look for the learning opportunities our children can gain from even the most mundane everyday experiences. During school years, you may receive 2 or 3 visits each year from say, touring theatre or music groups with the aim of broadening the childrens cultural and artistic perspective no doubt. Great but 3 - 5 days on site will expose our children more of that than a lifetime of schooling.

Re: Targets. Again I agree entirely. My comments on targets were due to school attendance targets. Too many truants and sick kids during the school year. Sorry but my child will not miss out due to other children's attendence issues.

4. Your child's abcence will be disruptive to the learning of the rest of the class. You may wish not to believe this but it's true.

I think this may depend more on the kids being taught (social background etc.) and the person teaching them in a lot of cases but I conceed maybe I am not best qualified to comment. All I can ask is why were his teachers positive about it? Some even told him they were jealous. Maybe they should follow the example set by my daughter's nursery and turn it into a positive learning experience

5. GB is an excellent experience for all ages. My 5 yr old has been 5 times (first time aged 3 mths) and he loves it. My 2 year old has also been and will go again this year. There's plenty to for all to experience. Most people are delightful and the bad bits of GB from decades ago have mostly gone (I won't dredge up what I class as the 'bad bits', but let's just say that anyone who thinks GB is too commercial or has lost it's edge probably hasn't been attending for many years).

Agreed

6. Where's Sonic Youth, Cat Stevens, CSN&Y and Simon and Garfunkel on the bill this year?

Doubly agreed. We may at least get Neil Young there

Edited January 7, 2009 by FunkyChunkyMonkey

[FunkyChunkyMonkey]

I'm crap at editing aren't I?

[MJMilz14]

All I can add is that when I was the equivalent of Year 4 (2nd year juniors in old money), my teacher that year was a FIFA referee and actually refereed the FA cup final that year. Our education that year was constantly "disrupted" by him going off to referee European Cup/UEFA Cup/Internationals. He also made 3 extended trips abroad (Egypt, Former East Germany, USA) to referee in tournaments. He made up for this bu turning everything into a positive learning experience. We would learn about the countries he was going to. He brought us back presents. We were allowed by our parents to stay up and watch European games he was reffing on TV. Heck we were even on telly ourselves the day before cup final day!!!

My point is he was able to engage us all (even the thick kids and naughty kids) which kind of made up from the slightly staggered learning

[FunkyChunkyMonkey]

Not David Ellery surely