fassy

As I said, less a problem for the upper class kids like yours. Doesn't make it right though. Still, if everybody does it that way, how do you want to schedule exams or time coursework when potentially every week 1 to 3 kids are missing class? 1 week is ok? 2 weeks but not 4 weeks? One time a year? Two times or more often? Where draw the line? That's why they have the concept of public school vacations.

I guess you and your kids are a rare exception but if the regular guy takes his kids out of school in september for a two week trip to Spain just because it is cheaper than in July (or the weather more accommodating) that just defeats the purpose of school vacation, doesn't it?

RedChili

In many places in Scandinavia, the line is drawn at two weeks per year.

Most schools will simply not allow vacations when there are exams to be made, but any parent can find those dates on the school calendar, so most parents wouldn't even dream about applying for a vaction during those periods. This is simply not a problem.

The real problem in Scandinavia is that, due to the lack of sunshine, a lot of kids get the flu during the winter, and they will have to stay home from school for several days or perhaps even weeks. And the school can't plan any homework for them during this period.

Guess what? A planned sun vacation with plenty of D vitamins in the fall or winter, with planned homework, can sometimes reduce the risk of getting the flu, thus improving the schooling.

livious

This fits what we have experienced living in Sweden, although the kids school in Stockholm restricts it to 5 days (it was zero last year due to many parents abusing the system). While the teachers are usually not a problem, the principal usually is. We have usually agreed to have the kids do extra homework while gone, which is normally a written diary (in Swedish) and a ~30 slide Powerpoint presentation of where we visited (not just vacation photos, but also a description of the history/nature/culture). The teachers are usually quite happy with this, especially given the lack of presentation skills that are taught in school. Last year the kids managed a 90 minute presentation of Myanmar, which was probably more rewarding for them than the 3 days they missed before Christmas break.

As for being sick, the sun and relaxation definitely recharges the kids and I cannot recall them getting sick in the past years. Given that the schools do not do much the days before holidays (mainly Easter and Christmas), I will gladly sacrifice those days to have them healthy later in the year when the days are more meaningful. We will talk to the (new) teachers on Wednesday to discuss this years trip to the Phillipines.

UltraRant

I had a very, very good look at the picture again and it seems you're absolutely right. It's in minuscule characters but indeed in between the 200.000 points and the 2 business class tickets there's a line stating 'enough for' in a Scandinavian language.

Still, I'd be more than happy to just get 200.000 miles for joining a program like that. It usually takes me a bit more effort to get them.

UltraRant

Despite not being in school anymore, I think I'll take this up with my employer and see if I can get 2 weeks of home office in a tropical paradise. After moving to Norway I spent a few years on just getting about every possible common disease here that I hadn't had at home, which also left me more vulnerable to seasonal diseases like influenza, which isn't a fantastic experience at all. So, just to keep me nice and shiny, I see potential here.

FlyingMoose

This is the most important part. They will learn more in 1 week abroad with parents compared to what they learn in 1 month at school. Provided you don't spend that week on the beach, but even the being abroad experience and picking up on foreign language, culture, food and the smaller things such as a foreign currency system are a major eyeopener for kids in elementary school.

UltraRant

Completely agree. This is also why I, if I ever get kids, want them to go out traveling during or after school. It's a major school for getting truly independent and get proper life experience. It helped me a lot for getting really independent and for getting to really know myself.

nacho

Down here in Lund, our kids don't get much hiccup as long as the total days of absence doesn't exceed 10 days in total as written in the school law, and as long as they are only out for 2 days). If it's more than 2 days then we need the principal to sign the paper which is also not a problem.

The worst we had was in 2014 where we took a week to DC during the SEK 2000 SK sale, on top of all the absence days we planned. We got a email "reminder" for that. From then on we try to find a comparable school, get their calendar and book all the trip up to Easter 2016, so we could get a reasonable price for the exact dates we want.

One of my kid's classmate is heading back home for a 3 months vacation during term time, no problem whatsoever. I have also friends in another international school in Lund too - went away for 6 weeks during term, no problem either.

Not so sure it's fortunate or not, but the kids' school shuts down 2 days per year due to IB staff training and the school is so disorganised that they didn't know until very short notice. I made use of that and took a couple of more days off to go to Hong Kong - and the school couldn't really give us any hiccup since it's entirely their fault.

You might think our kids miss a lot in class - no! I really don't know what these people are learning and when we are travelling, we always bring extra Maths and during the insanely long summer holidays I give them lessons Monday to Friday. They said that it's easier to go to school than staying at home

UltraRant

Not sure when it got introduced, but it's indeed in the footnotes. I guess it's because it's a contract lounge and not a proper SAS lounge.

fassy

Interesting, so it seems to be a normal thing in Sweden, even put down in school law? Impressive. Would not work in a lot of other countries, e.g. in Germany the school years schedule is not even predictable enough for planing the exams (or any learning control tests) which happen every few week (4 to 6) and people would abuse it to the max.

About the re-charging in the sun in winter: Why not schedule public vacation for all then in the dark period?

Although I can see that it seems to work here in Sweden, my German thinking about school just prevents me from accepting it is a good way to do school and plan vacation.

livious

Taking the kids out of school in Lund was much easier than Stockholm, although are kids are a bit older now and last year was national testing. For whatever reason, the parents in Stockholm seem more inclined to take the kids for a 2 week charter trip during the school year...whereas i. Lund families were travelling in conjunction with the school holidays. As mentioned up-thread, I understand the schools cracking down on 2 week trips to Phuket.

We jumped on thoss 2000SEK fares last year as my wife and son were making status runs (SK and A3). I actually booked them to ORD over the weekend (Leaving Friday, back Monday morning) as my son could not miss school. His teacher was hesitant to let him miss Friday, but he was back at school on Monday informing her that he spent his weekend at the Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry). Needless to say she as okay with the trip.

Hopefully SAS does those 2000SEK fares again as I would love to take the kida to DC and bring them up to speed on US history. I imagine that a weekend there eould surpass what thw Swedish school system will teach them (as it is not an area they should teach extensively)

nacho

That's what I did in DC - it was a museum trip (not American so I was learning rather than explaning) + all the main attractions + the zoo! We were all so fascinated by it - a week there they learned so much compared to a week in school. It was during Cherry Blossom festival and I got the most used of Cat. 4 cert Marriott certs - all the nights were at $249 and up. The kids did the Junior Ranger program there and participate in all kinds of activities when they were there.

It was pretty hard on me (Mr. couldn't take holiday just like that) to take 3 kids to DC, but it was an awesome trip. I drove them to school right after we landed.

The kids' teachers don't even bothering asking us for report - not that they even think that far (I asked if they could join the presentation via video conference and they turned it down - I guess they were just upset that people can just fly off like that). We don't take our kids to just sun sand sea for 2 weeks, we go to places that are educational like NPs in the US, museums, library......

By the way, I don't think it's legal for a school that you can't miss any day off - if they do they will have to provide sufficient support that your kids can't catch up with the curriculum.

Maybe the curriculum in Stockholm is more intense - here in Lund, the kids are roughly 2 grades more advance than those in local school.

If the offer is available again, I'll do it regardless of what the school is going to say (now that we planned our holiday so that even if this happens we won't be more than the 10 days limit).

GUWonder

I've seen Scandinavian lawyers, accountants, bankers and private equity people told by their employer that they prefer the vacations bunched together -- primarily in summer -- because the offices are coming to a near standstill anyway and disruption in delivering is way less than.

And then there are other industries with firms/plants/outlets that more or less shut down for part of the summer and want the employees to take their vacations then too.

At least the former seem to mostly be part of the 4 million SK EB members.

UltraRant

In July all of Norway comes to a complete standstill anyway. I've had a few times when I was the only one in the office. There's usually hundreds of people around here.

I once had an employer who mandatory made all of us take vacation on some specific days around Christmas and New Year's and just charged half of the actual time off, as the employer saved quite a bit on security, heating and other peripheral costs.

fassy

Same is true for Sweden. I was the only guy around working July to mid August.

Also had that practice implemented a lot in Germany, for those who absolutely do not want to take off (e.g. saving vacation days for that 6 month round the world trip in two years) they mandated home office.

I still miss the sabbatical regulation in my contract here. Had that in Germany, working 6 years at 6/7 of the pay, have the 7th year off with same pay. Was great!

They also had other options like 3 years, 5 years or 10 years. Most people did 7 years as it also was the best option for tax reasons (cut away those last few €uros pushing you in the top bracket )