Ministry sounds warning as thousands skip school for family holidays

NZ Herald 29 August 2016
More than 23,000 school students are taken out of class for a family holiday each school term, new figures reveal.
Officials warn that while many parents believe holidays can be educational they can cause gaps in students’ learning that aren’t easily detected or filled.
Parents have been fined in the United Kingdom after a Government law change designed to stamp-out holidays during term time.
In New Zealand, the Ministry of Education’s Lisa Rodgers, deputy secretary early learning and student achievement, said absences from school should be avoided where at all possible.
“While holidays may provide valuable learning experiences, they can cause gaps in students’ understandings that are not easily detected.
“In the senior years, there is emerging evidence of substantial impact on students’ NCEA where school attendance is variable, even for cumulative one-day absences.”
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