It is becoming more and more common for Swedish families to take what some call a “Thaimout”, that is, escape the cold and travel to Thailand or another holiday destination for a few weeks in the winter.
But now more and more municipalities have started to put their foot down and deny the children time off from school. In several cases fines have been imposed on parents who defied the municipality and went anyway.
– It is about the students’ right to education. More than half of all days in a year are not school days, so it’s good to plan your time off when you don’t actually have school, says Fredrik Nordvall, head of the child and education administration Solna city.
Can show the children a nuanced world
Several families counter that the children can receive their education from a school in the country they have traveled to, and that they thus comply with compulsory schooling.
– Then there must be special reasons, and it takes a lot for it to be fulfilled, says Fredrik Nordvall.
Per J Andersson, editor of the travel magazine Vagabond, believes, however, that you can learn a lot from traveling abroad during the winter months.
– It can teach the children that the world is much more multifaceted than what you understand if you only live in one place, he says.