Anyone been fined yet for taking kids out of school?

an9i77

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

children with above 90% attendance parents are being refused holiday leave for their children, I agree if it were below 80% not to permit it but higher than 90% c'mon.


I think it is a step too far with these fines though, next the local authorities will issue fines for not having the correct school equipment per item.

I don't agree with this. I had poor attendance at school through no fault of my own - I had a serious, chronic illness (type 1 diabetes). So are you saying only those with high attendance should be allowed to go on holiday in term time, which discriminates against sick children?

GobbledyGook

I don't think there should be any automatic or set rules. A child with 100% attendance who is really struggling and whose parents want to take them out at the start of term (and therefore miss the foundation blocks of new subjects) is going to suffer more than a high-flyer with 75% attendance whose natural aptitude makes it easy for them to catch up missing two weeks at the end of the year (in a school who do wind down)

I don't think the rules will actually chance anything. The difference in cost will still make it worth paying the fine for a lot of parents.

What will be interesting, and will cause outrage I suspect, will be if schools start enforce the fact that they can remove children from their rolls if the unauthorised absence is longer than 10 days. That will make some parents really have to think twice about the holidays they take.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

an9i77 wrote: »

I don't agree with this. I had poor attendance at school through no fault of my own - I had a serious, chronic illness (type 1 diabetes). So are you saying only those with high attendance should be allowed to go on holiday in term time, which discriminates against sick children?

I have severe brittle asthma/adhd i spent more time in hospital than I did in school through my primary and half of my secondary so I know where your coming from and my point was that schools have discretion and EVEN children with 90%+ attendance are being refused just because the head doesn't agree with holidays in school times, below 80% is a justifiable reason to not give permission, but it should be a parents decision to take their child on holiday whether in school time or holiday what ever fits the monetary means they have to afford it.


what right does the school have to take away my parental decisions?


I think you mis understood the post and point I was making.

liney

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

What right does the school have to take away my parental decisions?

It is your parental decision to send them to school, and therefore follow the rules which come with this decision, that prevents you from taking term time holidays.

Children do not have to attend school. You made that decision.

barbarawright

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

I have severe brittle asthma/adhd i spent more time in hospital than I did in school through my primary and half of my secondary so I know where your coming from and my point was that schools have discretion and EVEN children with 90%+ attendance are being refused just because the head doesn't agree with holidays in school times, below 80% is a justifiable reason to not give permission, but it should be a parents decision to take their child on holiday whether in school time or holiday what ever fits the monetary means they have to afford it.


what right does the school have to take away my parental decisions?


I think you mis understood the post and point I was making.

90% attendance isn't that admirable surely? Anyone who took 10% of workdays off sick at my workplace would find themselves seeing the occupational health service

Buzzybee90

barbarawright wrote: »

90% attendance isn't that admirable surely? Anyone who took 10% of workdays off sick at my workplace would find themselves seeing the occupational health service

90% is definelty not good! I had one day off in my five years of secondary school - and that was in year 7!

atrixblue.-MFR-.

I didn't say its was admirable, nor did I say it good attendance, what I am saying is that children with over 90% attendance are being refused term time holidays now that could be anywhere between 90-100% attendance. no reason to read into my posts. im not going into debate about attendance what im saying is that discretions of head masters can hamper applications to have term holidays based on his her own moral opinion of holdiays in term time.


there are families that save for a few years to go on a special holiday treat and maybe their child has 100% attendance records upto that point is it fair for them to be refused and fined based on a moral some heads take on term time holidays. the availability of a holiday in school holiday terms are usually few and far between and if there is one the financial affordability comes into question.


will the courts apply leniency towards those situations in a fine appeal? will remain to be seen.

sedment

jscott05 wrote: »

My daughter is currently in Oz for nearly five weeks spoke with school and they are fine with it. I live in scotland

Im Scotland too, and Im taking my two out of school for two and a half weeks shortly for a family holiday and its just going to be down as "unauthorised absence". I asked about what the fine would be and got told that they dont enforce fines at their school.

UKParliament

maman wrote: »

As a result of a huge response to an on-line petition, this issue is being discussed in parliament on, I believe, Monday 24th February. It might be worth those that feel strongly writing to their MPs.

Hi maman!

The debate in the Commons on Monday relates to this e-petition: Stop Holiday companies charging extra in school holidays

It will take place on Monday between 4.30-7.30pm and will be available to watch on Parliament TV, we will be posting up more info on Monday - probably in the Overseas Travel section as that is where this e-petition has been discussed!

Thank you - you've kept us on our toes!

Best wishes
DOT

duchy

an9i77 wrote: »

I don't agree with this. I had poor attendance at school through no fault of my own - I had a serious, chronic illness (type 1 diabetes). So are you saying only those with high attendance should be allowed to go on holiday in term time, which discriminates against sick children?

If a child has already missed swathes of education through sickness....why would any half decent parent want to further compromise their education by yet more absence ? In those circumstances I think it's more than reasonable to take holiday in one of the many school holidays.

Depriving a child of a decent chance in life by deliberately keeping them out of school and affecting their progress when they are already disadvantaged -to me- seems far more harmful than depriving them of a term time break. It's not discrimination -it's common sense (and I have a son with a disability so I'm not speaking theoretically).