School fine withdrawn!

Gaz126_2

Spendless, I will have to be careful as it was officially withdrawn on the phone, but have no email confirmation, but can say concerns of their own code of conduct! I will expand, but have several other points they are responding too! So will keep you posted.
carmina piranha yes some valid points. Not my own situation, but what happens where there is no contact, the presumption cannot be that everybody is getting along swimmingly after separating! So you find yourself either paying a fine or defending yourself in court, not a nice place to be when you have done nothing wrong! And bewildering to think people think you should!

Guest101

Gaz126 wrote: »

Spendless, I will have to be careful as it was officially withdrawn on the phone, but have no email confirmation, but can say concerns of their own code of conduct! I will expand, but have several other points they are responding too! So will keep you posted.
carmina piranha yes some valid points. Not my own situation, but what happens where there is no contact, the presumption cannot be that everybody is getting along swimmingly after separating! So you find yourself either paying a fine or defending yourself in court, not a nice place to be when you have done nothing wrong! And bewildering to think people think you should!

That's what happens when you're suspected of commuting an offence

Guest101

carmina_piranha wrote: »

Sorry that's what I mean - that it should make no difference if he objects or not, the other parent should be able to go ahead. It would be different if it was a child with poor attendance for whatever reason - intervention would be needed there and the other parent should be involved - but a week's holiday for a child with otherwise good attendance shouldn't be enough to cause an issue between the two parents.

From the way I read some of the posts in this thread it sounded like some think that other parent should have the power to prevent the holiday in the first place, and I don't think that's good for the children, another reason for disharmony.

Oh, no I disagree with you.

It's not upto one parent to decide the educational needs of a child. So the school should not consent unless both parents do. Schools just don't consent anyway.

But absolutely both parents have an equal say in the education of their child. And as the recommendation is that children go to school at set times of the year, that should be adhered to. I do think parents jointly should have more say though.

carmina_piranha

This is a child having 5 days off school though, not armed robbery. Some would say that the parent with care didn't commit an offence, let alone OP.

EDIT this was in reply to your post about committing an offence

carmina_piranha

Guest101 wrote: »

Oh, no I disagree with you.

It's not upto one parent to decide the educational needs of a child. So the school should not consent unless both parents do. Schools just don't consent anyway.

But absolutely both parents have an equal say in the education of their child. And as the recommendation is that children go to school at set times of the year, that should be adhered to. I do think parents jointly should have more say though.

I think that like many posters here I am thinking of specific families and situations, which affect my opinion. Personally I'd say that yes, the child should go to school - and as I'm not separated I would have to take my husband's opinion into account anyhow

Thinking of a friend though, and how adversarial her ex is, he'd jump on any excuse for an argument with her and he loves all the trouble, regardless of how it upsets the child. He has a health condition, and I hate to think of how much grief her ex would cause if he were asked for his input - he'd make the child go to school no matter what purely to argue with my friend.

Gaz126_2

There seems to be only one way I can see to resolve this and that is to change the law! If this cannot be done, amend the application form or give the Council discretion to use their common sense! Currently everyone is following the law, the school and the Council! Hence their blunt refusal to withdraw! Going to court now is not resolving anything other than the individual case. The bigger picture here is there must be loads of people in similar positions or worse.
I will pursue this with the council, still waiting replies on several points.

Guest101

carmina_piranha wrote: »

I think that like many posters here I am thinking of specific families and situations, which affect my opinion. Personally I'd say that yes, the child should go to school - and as I'm not separated I would have to take my husband's opinion into account anyhow

Thinking of a friend though, and how adversarial her ex is, he'd jump on any excuse for an argument with her and he loves all the trouble, regardless of how it upsets the child. He has a health condition, and I hate to think of how much grief her ex would cause if he were asked for his input - he'd make the child go to school no matter what purely to argue with my friend.

All situations are different. I'm not disputing that there are exceptional circumstances. Some might also say she chose to have a child with him, so he has a say in it. Just because you agree with your friend doesn't necessarily make it the right move.

It would in my opinion be quite morally wrong for example, if god forbid, you and your husband split up and you stopped taking his opinion into account, in regards your children. I assume you think he's a good father?

Yes there are cases of genuinely vindictive ex's both male and female. But usually they aren't both part of the same couple. So whilst your friend may well have such and ex. The OP it seems also does. Should he not have a say in his child's education simply because, for whatever reason, him and his partner/wife have seperated?

Guest101

Gaz126 wrote: »

There seems to be only one way I can see to resolve this and that is to change the law! If this cannot be done, amend the application form or give the Council discretion to use their common sense! Currently everyone is following the law, the school and the Council! Hence their blunt refusal to withdraw! Going to court now is not resolving anything other than the individual case. The bigger picture here is there must be loads of people in similar positions or worse.
I will pursue this with the council, still waiting replies on several points.

On this point you are correct. But schools make their own forms and councils their own decisions. There may well be other councils who see this as common sense and do only issue FPN to the one parent.

Gaz126_2

Agreed, the head teachers have had a lot of their say removed, although still comes to discretion. The Council I believe also, although for their part the code of conduct does give some leeway. Which is why in this blatant case of not removing the child from school or having a say, not making the application (old ground I know) could not understand their complete refusal. Only on the grounds of a technicality was it withdrawn.

I should add I have had the last7 years of holidays without needing to remove in term time. But also understand others may not be so lucky as to choose!

Jagraf

If a parent was speeding at the time the child was in their car, its only that parent that should have the fine. Same with education. The parent responsible at the time should get the fine.

If the reprimand was harsher maybe this problem wouldn't be here in the first place.

We shouldn't remove children from the opportunity of education.

Why do parents even feel they can choose whether their children are educated or not? It's a human right.