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Yes, I think some travel is worth missing school for. I don't plan to travel exclusively during the school year and I don't plan to take him out for multiple weeks every year, but I will and have taken him out.
Not everyone can travel during breaks, for many reasons. My husband works in a hospital and does not always get his picks of vacation. Also, our school only closes for 1 day instead of a week around President's Day. We ski and take him out for a day or two around that and we plan at some point to go on a longer trip that we'll have to travel for. You can't simply do that in April when the school is closed. If the only time a trip is affordable is during the school year, then a family should absolutely take their kids out. I've taken my son out to see a Broadway matinee becuase the tickets were on sale. Europe and Broadway and things like that shouldn't just be for the rich. I've not taken him out for a full week but we will next year to go to Europe for a family event. Can't do that on a the days the school has decided to close either!
I think that a week/ week and half abroad is well worth its educational value and therefore I don't feel guilty taking him out of school in the spring or around the holidays to travel.
Do you think that educational traveling is worth more than sitting in a class room?
Yes.
I had requested and received excused absences for my sons for travel when they were in school. I thought if they could take them out of school to go to a Potato Chip Factory, it was okay for me to take them to Rome. I was never excessive about it. When an opportunity arouse I took them out.
When I was in college I had the opportunity to go to Lithuania with my family (it was then the U.S.S.R.)--I got an excused absence from the school for the two weeks and also received credit for a 300 level World History Class for my travels. The Professor believed that travel was an excellent Educator.
Travel during those times is often much more expensive and crowded, as well as sometimes inconvenient (such as a large family and traveling at Christmas isn't necessarily feasible)
I don't want to be validated in my decision, I just wanted to open a discussion about educational value of travel vs being in school for the same time. Obviously its easier in elementary than high school and I wouldn't schedule travel during testing or test prep or important school things.
Then the question isn't really "is travel more valuable than time spent in school" but rather "is my convenience and expense worth more than time spent in school".
Please educate my child for me except for the days that I want to take him on a vacation because I think that is more valuable than sitting in your classroom.
When I asked my son's high school teachers and Principal for an excused absence to take him to Rome, they were all for it. They knew him standing in the Forum, the Colosseum, Vatican City, St. Peter’s Basilica,the Vatican Museums, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, etc was more than what they could teach him out of a book. To boot--him figuring out the subway system!! Amazing!
I honestly thank GOD that my parents insisted on taking us out of school in elementary, middle school, and high school to travel and see the world.
I don't remember a single test I missed, tennis match I didn't attend, swim meet and I didn't show up for but I remember standing on the beaches of Normandy with my family, Thanksgiving spent in London, driving across the US to see the Grand Canyon, etc.
I remember everything I saw, I remember every single memory I have traveling with my family but could not tell you what I missed.
When I'm old and on my deathbed, I'll remember kayaking in Lake Tahoe with my sister as kids.
I get that and generally I tend to agree.
I did have a student recently tell me they felt differently. Our school has a capstone program, and the more rigorous course requires a summer commitment the year between junior and senior. One of our top students wanted that class but was planning on traveling to Europe for a month in the summer. Because of that he couldn't do the project he originally wanted, and at graduation he recently told me he deeply regretted that Europe trip over the capstone class and said he wished he had waited until after graduation to go. To be fair he went with two other students and they have expressed no regrets what so ever.
Only you know your child's ability to work independently and make up any missed work. This is a question that no two people are going to agree on because every child's needs are different.
The child is going to be 5 at the oldest. What "work" is the child going to miss at 5?
OP: Put me in the go, go, go, and fret not at all, camp.
As someone who has travelled to 30+ countries (mostly backpacking/couchsurfing) and who takes their family overseas at least once each year, I'd say "no", travel does not have intrinsic educational worth. It's a good experience, but I wouldn't substitute traveling for classroom learning. It's a supplement, not a substitute.
If you travel with your child while maintaining their studies (have a classmate or teacher email you the homework and which sections they are covering, carry a physical or--better yet--electronic version of the necessary textbooks) and cover the material with your child as best you can, then sure. However, since public schools lose money for every day your child is not attending, you can expect that they will try to make your life harder if you pursue your plan to take multiple weeks off from school each year.
Ignore that person. This thread isn't a relevant place to discuss that.
Yes, take your kid on vacation. We do it too.
Homeschooling sucks. Pretty good reason to dismiss it.
Clearly you missed reading and comprehension class.
Your opinion of homeschooling doesn't make it a true fact. It's an opinion . And not well thought out.
Most families who take extended holiday to venture also see to it that the children do have a take away from that excursion. Some artifacts. Or some knowledge to share. Not the gee we saw the hat from Harry Potter.
Our schools allow parents to have kids excused with the understanding that certain fields of studies are incorporated. Which is where my suggestions came into play. No where did I tell the OP to quit a career job. I said that the premise of homeschooling. ..which is to educate the kids with set guidelines can be done when traveling.
Clearly you missed reading and comprehension class.
Your opinion of homeschooling doesn't make it a true fact. It's an opinion . And not well thought out.
Most families who take extended holiday to venture also see to it that the children do have a take away from that excursion. Some artifacts. Or some knowledge to share. Not the gee we saw the hat from Harry Potter.
Our schools allow parents to have kids excused with the understanding that certain fields of studies are incorporated. Which is where my suggestions came into play. No where did I tell the OP to quit a career job. I said that the premise of homeschooling. ..which is to educate the kids with set guidelines can be done when traveling.
Not my experience. Here in Colorado, fave places to visit are Hawaii and Mexico. These are beach vacations, with maybe a little educational activity thrown in. A fave US destination is California-ditto, plus Disney.
Absolutely. Enjoying life and having fun and exciting experiences with your kids trumps being in a classroom 7 hours 5 days a week being bored with biased information and ridiculous test taking. Kids at that age only need the basic 123s and abcs which can be taught at home. Traveling will always provide more intellectual stimulation than any teacher could. Call school what it really is: a glorified daycare with socialization with kids being the only important aspect. If the school gives you a hard time tell them to pound sand and home school your kids. Older kids as well, with so much information at their fingertips don’t need school. Intellect is a matter of genetics that yes has to be stimulated and cultivated. Those with intellect and with access to the internet will seek out knowledge on their own according to their own interests. I trust that to teachers spewing propaganda and biased history. Kids should develop their own thought process not programmed with one like a dog.
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