Mary Irvine's Blog: Education is More than Schooling

Home » Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene » Mary Irvine’s Blog: Education is More than Schooling

Mary Irvine’s Blog: Education is More than Schooling

Before the wrath of Head Teachers, psychologists etc fall upon my head – not that that sort of thing would worry me, it never has – I will admit to a career as an educationalist, both in the classroom and as an administrator.

I recently read that another set of parents, this time in Lancashire, had been fined for removing their primary child from school during term-time to go on a family holiday. Apparently the same holiday wold have cost at least £3,000 more if taken in school holidays. On this occasion the fines were a fraction of that amount.

A family holiday is more than sitting on a beach somewhere enjoying the sunshine, maybe water sports not available at home. There is the much more, a trip to the travel agent, brochures to look at, suitable clothing, packing, the buzz of the travel, arrival in a different place, a different culture , dress, people, food, scenery – the list is endless and none of these can any school reproduce because it is family time! And it is should be more widely recognised as educational.

Education comprises much more than sitting behind a desk reading about ‘things’ or watching films /documentaries about other ‘things’. Education continues through life, whether it be ‘formal’ or experiential. Experience tops formal every time. There is no substitute for visiting/experiencing the real thing. And experiences do not have to involve going abroad. Many years ago, before fines were introduced, a mother of a primary school boy asked me for advice regarding him having a day off school. A local farmer was having his sheep hand-sheared by two Australian stock-men. The farmer had invited the boy to help by ‘painting’ each sheep after being sheared. The Head Mistress of the school in question had previously made clear her position on ‘days off’. She rarely said ‘yes’. My advice? Don’t ask! Let the boy have a wonderful, almost certainly an unrepeatable, once in a lifetime experience. No-one had the right to deny him. Face the virago afterwards. I later heard that the boy gave an enthusiastic talk to his class on this experience. Never heard what was the response of the H.M.!

Each case needs to be judged on its merits. When I worked in a middle school. C. 10 – 13 years, many of our pupils’ fathers were trawler men who would be home for short periods only. None of the staff ever made a fuss. Another section of society that surely requires special consideration is the Armed Forces. They have no control over time spent with their families and may well be absent during school holidays. Considering the dangerous employment who would object to children enjoying some family time.

My career has mostly been concerned with the disadvantaged – for whatever reason. My abiding concern and criticism has been we cannot set up a system and expect the majority of our children to fit in. A ‘one size fits all’ approach does not suit all pupils at any one time. We all develop at different times and stages. We all have different experiences and so we should. There is no such concept as ‘normal’, perhaps not even a ‘norm’ these days!

Time, energy and money should be concentrated on long term absences or when we have reason to believe children might be in difficult circumstances. A question of priorities!

We all, one hopes, want the best for our children. Are there any longitudinal studies that indicate pupils who gain the occasional out of school experiences/opportunities are in any way less successful in later life. I doubt it.

Mary Irvine, July, 2024