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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think education is a privilege and removing a child from that without damn good reason is shocking?

260 replies

MBT1987 · 07/02/2014 16:55

So, in the latest episode of "Why am I being fined for breaking the law?" AKA "Yet Another Unauthorised Absence", we've had:

"I'm going to tell my kids to lie"
"I'd vote Labour if they abolished compulsory education" (Fun fact - the Education Act 2006 was passed under Labour)
"My children with both parents are disadvantaged as opposed to single-parent families!"
"What are they really going to do if I break the law and don't accept the fine?" (Hint - prosecute)
"My school are lovely, so they won't mind" (Then ask in advance?)

I could go on.

There are some absolute howlers coming from this place, and it's sickening. Parents are encouraging kids to play truant and lie about it.

I don't care if I become Social Pariah of the Week as a result of this. I'll just have to be lonely on my little patch of moral high ground. Anyone is welcome to join me.

OP posts:
Doobydoo · 07/02/2014 17:29

THE STATE DO NOT OWN OUR CHILDREN....Re education and/or for Cannon fodder...

Doobydoo · 07/02/2014 17:30

Education should be broad...generally it is not

KatnipEvergreen · 07/02/2014 17:31

I don't agree with taking children out of school unless there are exceptional reasons. I also don't agree with fining people for doing so.

MeepMeepVrooooom · 07/02/2014 17:32

The fining system isn't in place in Scotland yet Fanny however it is frowned on and gets marked as unauthorised.

Honeysweet · 07/02/2014 17:35

Juggling. Mutual respect. Good answer.
Mutual respect works both ways.
School to parent. Parent to school.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 07/02/2014 17:35

Agreeing with Doobydoo to me these new rules are both unnecessary and a step too far Angry

Honeysweet · 07/02/2014 17:36

What I can never fathom is that parents are allowed to Home Educate with next to no state intervention.
That is a whole load of school absences to my way of thinking.
Hundreds of weeks of them, not just 1 or 2.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 07/02/2014 17:37

Yes, I agree with that honey
It's all mutual
(I can't tell whether you agree with me or not from your post?)

WaitMonkey · 07/02/2014 17:39

I whole heartedly agree with Saucy.

Honeysweet · 07/02/2014 17:39

Yes I am agreeing with you Grin

MammaTJ · 07/02/2014 17:39

I am taking my DC out of school god one day soon! I have not yet filled in the form but have had an informal chat with the HT!

He had said it will be fine as their big sister getting married is a special enough circumstance and should not happen often!

I agree that taking them out if school just because you fancy a family day is not on.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 07/02/2014 17:40

Oh, that's Ok then Smile

tilliebob · 07/02/2014 17:41

As a teacher and a parent, I've found in my own experience that those who go on about their entitlement to take off on holiday in term time are generally also the first to mouth off when the schools are closed due to bad weather/no water etc. Can't have it both ways I'm afraid.

UriGeller · 07/02/2014 17:43

Its a stupid rule, hopefully it'll go out of fashion before too long like the lunchbox police thing. Schools are acting like utter bastards.

pixiepotter · 07/02/2014 17:45

I am going to deregister my chilkd for 2 weeks then reregister them when we come back.Simples!

pixiepotter · 07/02/2014 17:46

Can't have it both ways I'm afraid

well the school seem to!!

MeepMeepVrooooom · 07/02/2014 17:47

Pixie I do hope you are joking.

BuzzardBird · 07/02/2014 17:47

The only thing that does bother me is the fact that a poster found it acceptable to tell her children to lie about a day off. I'm not completely against a couple of days over the course of a year (though haven't done it...yet) but I would never teach my DD to lie about it. I would ask permission, which obviously would be denied, and then take the days off.

Our school does not fine but are clear that they are not allowed to authorise.

PiperRose · 07/02/2014 17:52

Honeysweet parents who home educate their child/ren at home are required to register them as such with the local council. They can also be subject to Ofsted inspections.

Nataleejah · 07/02/2014 17:52

It is not a privilege.
And how intrusive and punitive the schools have become -- it is more like forced duty.

meditrina · 07/02/2014 17:57

I think is is often not realised that fines for unauthorised non-attendance were introduced by Labour.

And that there has never been a right to take DC out of school.

But yes, education is both a privilege and a right. In UK, children must receive an education. But you can do this is ways other than by sending them to a state controlled school if the conditions attached to them (attendance etc) are anathema to you.

LEMmingaround · 07/02/2014 17:58

I totally value my DD's education - you are right, its a privilege. But if i choose to take her out of school for a few days to have a break - that doesn't mean i do not value her education, i means i have common sense! I have the sense to not take my DD out of school during vital parts of the school year, i have the sense to assess whether or not she has attended enough that a few days absence would or would make a difference to that school year.

What qualifies me to make that decision - oh, yes, im her mother!! I hae her best interests at heart.

My DD's school would agree with me - if they were allowed. Because people take the piss - other families suffer and because holiday companies take the piss - poorer families suffer.

So please don't start inflammatory threads - i am sure you are not perfect either. Have reported this - hopefully MNHQ will see it for wht it is and delete it.

sonlypuppyfat · 07/02/2014 17:59

What pisses me off is that they are my children not the states. And how all of a sudden they can make up a law fining us. And its not just foreign holidays that we want some of us can't even afford a Haven holiday .

cory · 07/02/2014 18:01

My parents took me out of school so I could visit a school in a foreign country, learn to speak the language fluently and acquire a set of exam results from that other country as well as getting top marks from my own school at home. Silly them, not to have realised that education is a privilege!

My friend took her ds out to home school him when she realised the local state schools could offer no provision for his learning disability and that he was consequently learning nothing, as well as being unable to socialise with the other children due to lack of support. He is now a well educated young man with a social circle which is far better than could have been expected. Silly her!

Twattyzombiebollocks · 07/02/2014 18:01

Can I just point out that education also happens outside school? I did take my kids out of school the last 3 days of term this year. On their holiday they learned some structural engineering (building sandcastles) they learned about tidal forces and gravity and why the Mediterranean Sea doesn't have tides like we do here in England, they learned a small amount of Italian, some history of Venice and how Venetian glass is made, how aeroplanes manage to get off the ground, they also learned how to go on holiday with extended family without arguing ie negotiation and compromise. They learned to read bus timetables and my son learned how to dive. I doubt very much that they would have learned any of the above at school, and much of this knowledge they will use in their adult lives.
I firmly believe that education is vitally important, but I also beeline that the gov doesn't give a rats ass about whether kids are in school or not, but they have spotted a canny way to get parents to stump up extra cash for the school/lea coffers

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