A secondary school in Basildon, UK, is offering parents the chance to take their children out of school for an “enrichment week” and essentially give them “opportunities that are more affordable” since they are out of the usual school holidays. Pupils will then have to complete a booklet outlining what they have learned during the week. The booklet would cover modern languages, history, geography, maths and English.
The move comes as data shows a rising number of pupils in England are being taken out of school to on on holiday. Parents who wish to take advantage of this enrichment week and take their children for holiday, have to complete the necessary leave of absence documents. Otherwise, a full list of enrichment activities will be provided in school during the week and children who have not applied for a leave of absence, are expected to attend.
The school administration hopes that the move will lessen the number of holiday requests throughout the year. Such requests are now no longer eligible outside of the standard school holidays and the enrichment week.
This is quite an innovative move on the part of the school – turning a less than ideal situation into an advantageous one. This is a fine example of out of the box thinking by the school. It not only allows parents to bring their children on holiday during the more affordable off-peak season, it also allows parents to bond with their children in a more constructive manner. Perhaps we in Singapore should also consider exploring this for ourselves. The tangible and intangible benefits it could bring are numerous.
If you want to find out more about this initiative, click the following link:
https://www.bbc.com/news/education-44613931