Surely they should just get her to pay the fine?

Regardless, it still isn't worth anyone's while taking it to court when she could just pay the fine, plus extra and be done with it.

Agreed.

I wouldn't take mine out for 15 days and am completely on board with regular attendance being best practice but I really can't join in with the hyperbole about one holiday for a family wedding when you're 6 being decisive to your educational outcomes.

We all know that the children with poor educational outcomes are not the ones taken out of school for a week or 2 once every few years for a holiday in the sun. They are the children with complex and chaotic lives, who miss every Monday because their parents can't/won't get up, are frequently late because of lack of private transport, who don't have the right kit for pe or art etc, and who spend a lot of time in school hungry or tired because of issues at home. It is completely wrong to conflate the issues, and ends up looking like point scoring rather than a real desire to change outcomes for those who need it the most.

This is absolutely nuts. I am in Ireland and there is no issue with taking time off for going on holidays. Don't need school's permission at all. And there is no such thing as fines for your child missing school. Crazy.

Yes and they thought they'd got away with having to pay hers. I just find it very difficult to believe they didn't know they would both get a fine it's hardly a well kept secret.

Except they paid her husband's fine immediately.

I find it hard to believe she didn't know she also had to pay a fine. I suspect her innocent oh I didn't know I would be fined and of course I'll pay the £60 it was originally is only her response now it's been taken further by the council.

@Yesnosorryplease agreed about perspective. attendance mania has now reached a point where the government will enforce it whatever it costs and whoever it harms. They just have to be right on this rather than just, fair, reasonable, any other descriptor you might use.

Yanbu. It is not good use of taxpayer's money to take her to court if she's willing to pay the fine.

I think them talking about the documented evidence about detriment to the child from missing school is a bit silly unless they're also taking into account the detrimental to the children if a parent with a criminal record or in prison for something so small.

We've lost our sense of perspective on this.

3 months in prison

Seems a bit strong! That's the maximum plus a fine and doubt she'll actually get it but still, must be quite scary. She does seem a bit silly, but I still feel sorry for her.

She added: 'Me and Hayden did have a discussion about taking them out of school and agreed that it would be beneficial for Mason to take him out of school to have experiences abroad.
'Tickets for the holiday were non-refundable and had already been booked

Do she has a discussion about school after buying the tickets? Clearly a bit of a pointless discussion!

I don't have children so know nothing about these fines - googled and instantly got the info the fine is per parent. If the mum was making the decision that the holiday was more educational than school, so the fines were worth it, you'd think she'd have taken 5 seconds to google and find out what the fines actually were.

YANBU. Absolutely ridiculous of the council. They should let her pay the fine. The research about school attendance is so skewed anyway by people who let their kids truant on a regular basis. A holiday abroad aged 6 is not going to significantly impact educational outcomes.