I remember when I was younger, people with international family often would take 3-4 week trips to visit. That was because it was so expensive and painful to go, and there were so many people to visit when you went, and infrastructure there wasn't great at "popping over" for day visits to each of these places. Plus, it was often a once in two-four year visit to see an entire side (or all) of your family. So these kids would just pop out of school for this extended period. Longest I remember was almost 2 months. Usually the parents worked out a deal with the school and brought a bunch of work to be done on the trip, with an exam or makeups when they returned. I was one of these kids, and it sucked. But it was possible with the right support structure. I think when people abscond with no thought to the continued education, that's a huge problem.