AIBU to be angry about attendance charge from school

[HidingInTheBathroom]

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.

I've worked in schools with traveller children who don't turn up. With children who go to Asia for 3 months.

But somehow, that's ok.

Why is that OK?

The law differentiates between unavoidable absence (e.g. sickness) and avoidable absence. Both have similar negative effects on the child's education but the unavoidable absence is, as it says, unavoidable. It is outside the parent's control.

You are clutching at straws Holly!

Yes, Holly,teacher gives a good example. If your child missed the factors lesson, next time round, your child may require will require more explanation of the idea, at the expense of others in the class. Your decision affects the teacher and the other children too.
The government realise people will be away for illness and there will be times when there are exceptional circu,stances, but they will be....exceptional! They want to reduce the number of absences and reduce the number of situations that Teacher describes. Having a day out unless it is is exceptional, is in itelf now seen as 'taking the piss' in your terminology.

I've worked in schools with traveller children who don't turn up. With children who go to Asia for 3 months

Traveller children are often registered at more than one school. This is covered by the regulations. They can still be fined if they fail to attend any school.

A child who goes to Asia for 3 months should be removed from the register and, if there are any other applicants, the place should be offered to them.

It seems to be ignored. Not an issue.
Are parents still taking their children to Asia? Are they being fined?

I don't think. That is ok.

But the traveller children in our school takes themselves off role as 'home educated' and the last child who has recently left our school for 4 months as been taken off role and fully expects to go back on role again afterwards.

If taking a day off is illegal because you lose a day of learning, why isn't taking a morning off for the dentists?

That could be arranged after school.

And Holly, that Factor lesson can be missed for an emergency dental appointment, where a child has toothache and needs immediate treatment. However they should not miss that lesson for a routine appointment which could happen after school or in the holidays. That doesn't mean the def of exceptional.

To clarify, it's the parents who take the children off role!!

As a teacher you make a choice that will be the case when you go into the career. You're also well paid enough for it not to be a massive issue.

If you're on £12k a year and your family live overseas it's a big issue.

I get very frustrated with teachers who say 'Oh well I can't take a day off'. Yes, and you're paid enough for it not to be a massive deal for you.

If 100% school attendance is so vital for our children, I'm surprised home education hasn't been banned as school is the only place our children can be educated and every second is vital.

Holly, I cross posted with you. We agree! We both think the routine appointment is not exceptional, because it could occur at another time than the school day.
A child who misses the Factor lesson for their dental appointment (non emergency) is educationally losing out unnecessarily and affecting others too.

But home ed is an alternative method of education. Not a holiday

" It was in term time and a work day and miles away. "

So if you could have had annual leave and it was closer, would you have gone?

Home Educating is seen as fine. Of course then, you can choose to do it when it suits you. No one else is affected by your decisions and you are more flexible than a school.
Holly,Mohave you considered it as an option, so you can have that flexibility?

God no, I like having DC at school so I can actually work.

But I teach DS a hell of a lot - especially maths. So he learns at home.
So yes - I am one of those parents who gets really annoyed because we put a lot of effort into DS's school, have always taken holidays in holiday time, supported him with his school work and only wanted a day off to attend an important family event.

That pissed me off - and I know they "were only following orders". (I think I have just done Godwin's law)

I think people will lie alot more. I still think it is up to the parents even though I have always taken holidays in holiday time.

This year though my ds does his GCSE's and I won't be working after the end of June so we will go in early July legitimately.

Yeah, my dentist doesn't do appointments after school hours and you pretty muchtake what you can get RE booking in advance. Not much that can be done there.

It appears they will lie more- but as I said earlier schools will recognise this and check! A family of 3 children at the same school going sick on the same day in June doesn't require Sherlock Holmes!

If we, as a school, have good reason to think parents have lied, we mark the absence as unauthorised even if a parent has 'called the child in sick'. It usually is remnarkably obvious, mainly because children are far too honest for their parents' good!

('Are you better?' 'Oh, I wasn't ill, we went to grandma's is entirely typical...)

There was a thread recently about a parent where the child had been marked unauthorised despite being sick. School accused her of lying but did not seem to want to discuss it.

To accuse a parent of lying without proof - or making them have to prove their innocence does not help relations.

Can you prove a child was not sick?