Fines for 'unauthorised absence' from school

zagfles

takman wrote: »

How is it unfair and how are they being charged over the odds?? If the holiday companies reduced their prices by any significant amount they would go out of business.

When this subject came up before i worked out how much Center Parcs could afford to reduce their prices by and made ZERO profit. The result was £50 a week, which i'm sure you agree would make minimal difference.

If Center Parcs aren't making big profits with the amount they charge they're doing something seriously wrong

We went to CP a couple of times, then we discovered Duinrell in Holland which is like CP on acid, it is so much better and about half the price. Better indoor water complex with really good slides, plus theme park with excellent rides on site, and evening entertainment, all included.

badmemory

I always thought that being a parent included teaching my child the little things like personal responsibility & knowing right from wrong. For example, I don't bunk off work & you don't bunk off school, if I get caught I lose my job & we are both sunk. I pay for all my supermarket shopping at the checkout, you don't stick something in your pocket & walk out without paying. This would obviously include not bunking off school because I fancy an expensive holiday that I can't afford when it is really expensive.

Naf

badmemory wrote: »

I always thought that being a parent included teaching my child the little things like personal responsibility & knowing right from wrong. For example, I don't bunk off work & you don't bunk off school, if I get caught I lose my job & we are both sunk. I pay for all my supermarket shopping at the checkout, you don't stick something in your pocket & walk out without paying. This would obviously include not bunking off school because I fancy an expensive holiday that I can't afford when it is really expensive.

Yeah, screw the poor right? Why should they be allowed nice things. They should just stop being so poor!

Gloomendoom

Spendless wrote: »

Oh and these fixed penalty notices, reading an article earlier about FOI requests towards them. They cost more to administer than they collect in fines. Any surplus money from any LA has to go to DofE, they have never received a penny.

I don't think that making money from the fines is the intention. They are are intended a deterrent.

From what I read here and elsewhere, to be effective, the fines would need to be increased significantly.

mattpaint

Fireflyaway wrote: »

It doesn't apply to me. My child is at an independent school so we holiday outside of the usual school holidays. For people it does apply to I still maintain its unfair. My holiday would cost an extra £1500 had we booked to travel 2 weeks later. Its unfair on hard working families who are being charged over the odds.

You're not being charged over the odds - you're being charged what it costs.

mattpaint

Naf wrote: »

Yeah, screw the poor right? Why should they be allowed nice things. They should just stop being so poor!

Are you arguing that expensive holidays are a right that everyone should have? It certainly seems that way.

mattpaint

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

School isn't employment though.

Personally I think that's a good thing, it shouldn't be. You're in work an awful long time once you finish education, but you only get one childhood!

What do you think childhood is exactly? Good grief!

badmemory

Naf wrote: »

Yeah, screw the poor right? Why should they be allowed nice things. They should just stop being so poor!

That would apply to me to, we only had one holiday because I couldn't afford to pay those prices.

Indout96

jimbo747 wrote: »

If parents can't afford to take holidays without taking them out of school, then maybe they should have thought of that before having them. Not exactly a secret is it?

What a wonderful attitude you have.


This does not affect me as my children are now grown up but at the time they were in school my sanctioned holidays were last 2 weeks of June and Last 2 weeks of September. that was my shift pattern (it moved back 1 day each year and 2 on leap years as it was a rolling year) The rota was forced upon us by the company.


It was not a question of cost.

alwaysskint96

Added to that the "holiday fines" only came into force in SEpt 2013 i believe. So anyone who has a child of school age now would not have had this when they were born- so not really any point in saying that you shouldnt have them-