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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to be angry about attendance charge from school

562 replies

HidingInTheBathroom · 07/02/2014 15:36

I am very upset at the minute. Received my fine today for taking my children out of school four days before they break up for Christmas.

Me and my husband have received a £60 fine for each child for each parent.

We are being charged more for being a couple. Which I think is wrong. The last week of school they only watch films and went to a pantomime. Oh and had a school disco. The holiday was far more educational than watching films and family time is hard to come by with work.

When I have requested a meeting with the head teacher I have just got a mouthful of abusive from the receptionist.

OP posts:
Ohhelpohnoitsa · 07/02/2014 22:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Scholes34 · 07/02/2014 22:30

Has the OP taken unauthorised leave from this post?

Re polling stations - the school does have a choice. It can say no, but bear in mind it will also receive a payment from the LEA for use of its premises. If a closure day is used for polling day it's a good way of earning some additional funding.

DownstairsMixUp · 07/02/2014 22:32

Oh god these threads are depressing. OP you were only unreasonable because you knew these fines existed. You weren't unreasonable for taking them out though. No one ever provides evidence for a few days off a year making everyone leave school with a whole sucession of U's in their GCSE's. It was very very common in my school (I left before 2003) that kids took holiday in term time, usually a week or a fortnight, my year's pass rate was 97% achieved 5 A-C pass grades. This has been going on for years and years and there are tons and tons of state schools that do very well in pass rates.

Also it still sometimes works out cheaper to pay the fine than go in the holidays. OP I would just pay it and next time if it's just for a few days a sickness will do. Just because it's the "law" doesn't make it fair but it does mean we have to follow the "rules" If I won the lottery I would be out of the state education fast, just because of these ridiculous rules!

rainraingoAWAYNEVERCOMEBACK · 07/02/2014 22:34

Yes its stupid, they are punishing the wrong people.

That of course, as ever is, the poor.

The poor always take the brunt of these things never the well off.

rainraingoAWAYNEVERCOMEBACK · 07/02/2014 22:35

The gap will just get bigger,lots of wealthy children going aborad and we are back to a situation of poor DC off to skeggy and butlins Sad

JugglingFromHereToThere · 07/02/2014 22:37

Sure they might be missing something Sally, but they might be gaining more of something else !

clam · 07/02/2014 22:42

"they are punishing the wrong people."

"That of course, as ever is, the poor."

How do you work that out? Are they means-testing the fines then, and only levying them on people under a certain income bracket?
Thought not.

kilmuir · 07/02/2014 22:42

Oh that old chestnut, the educational holiday!

JugglingFromHereToThere · 07/02/2014 22:45

Yes, that old chestnut kilmuir, learning from experience Hmm

tiggytape · 07/02/2014 22:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SoonToBeSix · 07/02/2014 22:47

Op your dc must have had another random day off because they don't fine for four days only five. That will be why the three day Disney family didn't get fined.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 07/02/2014 23:30

"being poor isn't really defined as being able to take a week's holiday in May but not in August" tiggy

Living in poverty was defined recently by the Joseph Rowntree trust as having less than 220 a week disposable income (as that is 60 or 70% of the median amount, I forget exactly which)

That could well be enough for a simple holiday in May but not in August ?

BalloonSlayer · 07/02/2014 23:35

"Oh that old chestnut, the educational holiday!"

actually totally agree with you kilmuir as I think that claim is bollocks and would never make it but we applied a few years ago (before current rule obv.) to take DCs away on a holiday - needed about 5 days off school. DS1's teacher suggested we went for longer !! Shock When we got back she said he had become so much more mature it was incredible! We didn't do anything special, honest, just a long stay abroad with extended family.

Still would never break current laws though...

amimagic · 07/02/2014 23:42

We have never ever had a holiday that hasn't been educational.

Oh that old chestnut, ignorance

Maryz · 07/02/2014 23:56

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

prh47bridge · 08/02/2014 00:01

The schools must be utterly shit if a week off leaves a child so far behind that they can never, ever, ever, ever catch up

In that case all schools are apparently shit, even the outstanding ones.

There is extensive research to show that taking time off school has a direct effect on the child's education. Even a week's holiday leaves a child behind and frequently they never catch up. And from the teacher's point of view, every time a child has a week off for a holiday it disrupts the class. In a class of 30 or so, if they all take a week off during term every year that means most weeks are disrupted.

Maryz · 08/02/2014 00:16

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revealall · 08/02/2014 00:18

There is NO law that says that says you will be £60 if you take your child on holiday.

There is a law that says you MAY be fined in have an unauthorised absence.

A weeks holiday to go to a wedding in Australia, a Friday afternoon off to go on weekend break or a child that bunks off school for a day are all unauthorised.

At the moment all in some schools or none in other schools may or some may not get a £60 fine.

And that's "rules are rules"is it?

Frogbyanothername · 08/02/2014 00:24

When did it become necessary for every child to attend every day of every term of every year to be educated?

When you signed the form agreeing that you wished to 'opt in' to state provided education service.
It's not compulsory.

wetaugust · 08/02/2014 00:24

There's also debate as to whther you can actually be fined at all. It's like those fixed penalty parking fines that some people refuse to pay because they claim that under Magna Carta? you cannot be penalised without being found guilty by a jury. (something like that)

Maryz · 08/02/2014 00:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

differentnameforthis · 08/02/2014 03:58

Come & live in Australia, where the education authority don't feel the need to charge parents who take their children out of school.

Attendance in out school is pretty good & there are no fines here for holidays & the such.

echt · 08/02/2014 05:31

However Tony Abbott is fully behind fines for Aboriginal parents who fail to send their children to school.

Misspixietrix · 08/02/2014 06:09

Do one with the projection bollocks. It is AIBU. Some will think OP is Some will think OP isn't. No need for a run down of this Months Psychology Magazine! Chocolate wasn't being passive aggressive unlike some on here! If you are going to take your children out in term time expect you may just land yourself with a fine. It really is that fucking simple when the world and his bloody dog have known about the rules for a very long time now!

Misspixietrix · 08/02/2014 06:25

BoffinMum sorry to hear one of your DCs has been so poorly I hope they are on the mend now. The School really should have had something in place. My Dd has been off seriously ill before and the School has always given Me work for her to do when ive asked.