Taking the kids: Out of school to travel

Would you or have you taken your kids out of school to travel?

If you would or have, you aren’t alone, according to a new survey from Omio, the multi-modal booking platform that enables you to book flights, trains, buses, and ferries in one place.

Parents appear to prioritize family experiences over missed school days, especially if they can save money. Sixty-seven percent of parents of school age children report they have taken kids out of school for a family vacation and 24 percent say they would consider it.

“ What surprised us most wasn’t necessarily that some parents are taking their kids out of school to travel, but just how normal it has become. Nine in 10 parents have either done it or would consider it, which really shows how much the traditional behaviors around family travel are changing,” said Facundo Viguie Aleman, CMO, Omio.

Nearly half of parents report they would take kids out of school if they could save less than $1, 000. Parents also believe getaways can be opportunities for enrichment with 28 percent suggesting that travel can be as educational as classroom time.

“Parents are weighing the cost of a trip, the crowds, the weather, and their own schedules, but they’re also thinking about the value of the experience itself. For many families, having the flexibility to take a meaningful trip together can be worth missing a few days in the classroom” Aleman added.

Educators aren’t as enthusiastic, according to a survey from Education Week. Teachers and critics emphasize that absences break instructional momentum, increase educator workloads, and lead to unfinished make-up work.

“I’m old enough to remember when parents would only take their kids out of school for actual rare educational trips (i.e. Israel, Egypt, other historically important places), but by the end of my teaching career, even with a school calendar approved by March of the previous school year, students were being removed for a trip to Florida or to Grandma’s house. And when schoolwork was asked for and sent with, it was rarely completed,” one educator told Education Week.

“There is plenty of time when students aren’t engaged with school when families can take vacations. Use that time. It is so hard on teachers and students when students miss school unnecessarily,” said another teacher.

A third of those polled for the unscientific Education Week social media poll believe taking kids out of school “disrupts students’ education.”

At the same time, more than half of those surveyed suggested that travel offers irreplaceable global perspectives, cultural empathy, and hands-on historical or geographical learning that a standard classroom cannot match.

The key, of course, is to make sure you don’t cause extra work for already overworked teachers. Don’t ask for special assignments or for teachers to put together assignments in advance. These days, it should be relatively easy for kids to access and complete their schoolwork online. Try to avoid scheduling a trip when there are standardized tests, finals, or midterms.

Of course, sometimes you have no choice – a grandparent’s funeral, for example, a family wedding where the kids are part of the bridal party, the opportunity to take them along to Paris, London or New York when you have a business trip or a big out-of-town sports tournament.

With the cost of gas impacting road trips as well as airline fares, it’s understandable why parents are amenable to kids missing school if they can save significantly. And because so many adults can work remotely, traveling off season is much easier to organize – a ski trip in January rather than Christmas week or President’s Day weekend, a Caribbean getaway after Easter. London or Paris in the winter when it’s cheaper and far less crowded.

Many families now opt to take the entire week of Thanksgiving off for vacation when they don’t have as many family obligations as Christmas.

Educators, however, note that school funding is partly dependent on students’ attendance. Will your child’s absence be considered unexcused and are there consequences? According to Education Week, some school districts now make it easier for families by strategically scheduling periodic long weekends or scheduling staff development days near holidays when they expect more absences anyway.

Certainly, you need to set the ground rules. It’s easier when the kids are younger rather than in high school where absences can be harder to make up.

“I teach MS/HS and I have no problem with it,” another educator told Education Week. “BUT I tell my students: ‘I’m really glad you have this opportunity! But you understand that you are responsible for your learning during the time you are gone. You are prioritizing something else above being in school, and that’s fine, but it’s a choice. I’m here to help but cannot spend the same amount of time individually teaching you as I did your classmates.'”

Give the teachers plenty of notice and besides testing, make sure the kids won’t miss anything significant like a concert or play. Would the teacher be interested in having your child offer a presentation of what they have experienced? Could be something they have learned, how culture and food differ, what different sports kids play, a memorable museum experience. There are endless subjects. Suggest one that correlates with what the kids are studying.

Most importantly, before you plan a trip, talk to the kids about what they will miss at school. Make sure they understand they will have to spend time each day on schoolwork.

I don’t think that would be a deal breaker.