Taking kids out of school without being fined?

[jeffie]

Michael Gove is an ass!

[rexclark]

Burn down the school.

[Klyde]

Cant you just treat the fine like the cost of the kids ticket?

Some letter talking about how great Glastonbury will be for the kids education will be laughed at in the teachers lounge and either pinned to the wall or binned.

Man up and pay up.

[dimus]

Gove needs his pob head putting on a spike.

[Bonedaddy]

I cant imagine that lying to the school is good for you or a good example to set for your children.

Either pay up or take holidays in holiday time

[jeffie]

Gove needs his pob head putting on a spike.

[slamdunkdafunk]

Cant you just treat the fine like the cost of the kids ticket?

Some letter talking about how great Glastonbury will be for the kids education will be laughed at in the teachers lounge and either pinned to the wall or binned.

Man up and pay up.

[jeffie]

Couldn't agree more! Your children go to school, the school has rules, no matter how much or little you respect them, abide by them or pay the financial consequences. I completely agree that Glastonbury as an experience will be far more fulfilling for young children than the 2-3 days of classroom education, but i don't agree with lying or manipulating to avoid their rules.

[slamdunkdafunk]

Any body who sees this as the government caring for the standard of a child's education, and not a scheme to increase income to local councils etc (as i believe it is the council that imposes the fine) is delusional.

[Cheesey]

We'll be facing this exact situation next year as my son starts school in September. We're going to play it straight and suck up the fine.

There's no way my son will be able to keep quiet about Glasto on the Monday/Tuesday morning when he gets into school, and he shouldn't have to.

[slamdunkdafunk]

Thing is, it's not like you could take them to another school with different rules? And it is a ridiculous rule. My kids school headteacher is still pretty reasonable, as long as it isn't at an important time, or they already have bad attendance, she's ok with it.

[rainbow girl]

That's exactly what the law says - you are ONLY guilty if you fail to secure the regular attendance of the child - section 444. I think many people pay the penalty notices without realising this - if you believe you have secured the REGULAR attendance, you are entitled to challenge it.

[russycarps]

Couldn't agree more! Your children go to school, the school has rules, no matter how much or little you respect them, abide by them or pay the financial consequences. I completely agree that Glastonbury as an experience will be far more fulfilling for young children than the 2-3 days of classroom education, but i don't agree with lying or manipulating to avoid their rules.

[jeffie]

This is the big thing, if someone is regularly off school, I get it.

If a child has an attendance in excess of say, 95%, i don't see the problem with taking a couple of days once a year.

[Gnomicide]

It's a nuts situation. The people it's supposed to disuade pay no attention and pay no fines. My wife has a friend whose job it is to phone parents when their kids don't turn up to scholl. The list of excuses including the likes of "Oh, he was up late last night so we let him sleep in" is unbelievable, yet nothing is done because they just say they can't afford the fine.

Anyone with kids will know that the younger ones do nothing of any great importance in late June anyway. What will they remember most when they've grown up? Making a smiley face from a paper plate or that trip to Glastonbury?

As mentioned already, it's punishing everyone for the sins of the few.

I don't know why I get so wound up about it though, there's no way I'm taking my kids

[rischbrit]

It takes the piss really..... You can't take kids out of school on term time as it affects their education. But it's ok for teachers to go on strike???? Surely that is going to affect the kids' education!!!! Double standards

[jeffie]

It's a nuts situation. The people it's supposed to disuade pay no attention and pay no fines. My wife has a friend whose job it is to phone parents when their kids don't turn up to scholl. The list of excuses including the likes of "Oh, he was up late last night so we let him sleep in" is unbelievable, yet nothing is done because they just say they can't afford the fine.

Anyone with kids will know that the younger ones do nothing of any great importance in late June anyway. What will they remember most when they've grown up? Making a smiley face from a paper plate or that trip to Glastonbury?

As mentioned already, it's punishing everyone for the sins of the few.

I don't know why I get so wound up about it though, there's no way I'm taking my kids

Edited May 2, 2014 by jeffie

[rainbow girl]

here's a plan - get your children to busk the sum of £60 to pay for the penalty, while you're at the festival? ;-)

[Klyde]

You say this, but who is anyone to enforce punitive measures for the way in which you choose to bring up your child. I, as any parent, should be entitled to make informed decisions regarding the upbringing and development of their child to what THEY feel is best for that child.

Of course, as long as the above doesn't impact on the child's welfare.

[fur_q]

It takes the piss really..... You can't take kids out of school on term time as it affects their education. But it's ok for teachers to go on strike???? Surely that is going to affect the kids' education!!!! Double standards

Edited May 2, 2014 by fur_q

[Cheesey]

It takes the piss really..... You can't take kids out of school on term time as it affects their education. But it's ok for teachers to go on strike???? Surely that is going to affect the kids' education!!!! Double standards

[russycarps]

Its true Glastonbury would be better for your kids than a couple of days in school, that's a fact. However not all kids go to Glastonbury.

Some don't go to school because their parents cant be arsed about their schooling.

A blanket policy to discourage parents taking their kids out of school is essential.

If you can afford Glastonbury, you can afford a fine.

Frankly, its one of these nice problems.

Trying to scheme your way around it isn't on.

When I was a kid (30 years ago) I would be pulled most summers before the break. We used to have a school play at the end of the year and if you were not going to be in it, you had to sit and watch everyone else rehearse for weeks. Usually about 3 or 4 kids in the same boat.

Id imagine Glastonbury was pretty different 30 years ago too. Things change.

[Homer]

If I tried to take some kids out of school, I'd expect to be more than fined.

[jeffie]

what absolute shite.

I know people who go to glastonbury and who couldnt afford a £240 fine out of the blue.

Blanket policies are lazy policies. Each instance of absence should be judged on a case by case basis.

Stop bending over and taking it up the arse

[Klyde]

Case by case?

Teachers already strike EVERY SINGLE YEAR because they think they are underpaid and over worked.