To think this mother is right. Holiday in term time.

[derxa]

Normally I think children should not be taken out of school for holidays but this mother may have a point.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3559089/Mother-four-fined-60-truancy-taking-youngest-daughter-term-time-holiday-Government-free-meant-children-s-Easter-breaks-different-times.html

Good sad face as well

Tenereeef and Ibeefa aren't so dissimilar

I believe she could possibly have cut the duration of the holiday, but I think she has a leg to stand on with her argument. It's not like she plucked the holiday date from thin air. She was trying to negotiate it around the Easter holidays but this was impossible. She probably thought 'fek it, where's ma sunhat' after realising this was impossible. She's right, the blame is not with the schools, it's the whole privilege of setting dates for holidays. The summer holidays aren't always ideal for travelling abroad, costs aside.

Sad faces are hilarious - it's only £60
Hopefully she'll be quids in now with the article.

I hate excessive term time restrictions and fines.
I think it does children and families good to go on holiday and allowing up to 2 weeks a year as it used to be was much more sensible.
The balance between parents and authorities is all wrong now, not just on this issue.
My DC learn just as much on holiday as they did in any 2 weeks at primary school - they get much more 1:1 attention and see many interesting things.
I wouldn't take them out now they're at secondary and preparing for exams - only for the odd day to take part in Youth events or visit Uni Open days (fortunately school has said yes to these)
I'm only trying to facilitate good experiences for my DC, in partnership with their schools.
Ridic. that so much discretion on this has been taken away from headteachers and a blanket ban brought in by politicians because they think it will make them look like they're doing something to improve education. Long story short, they aren't.

And I've worked as a teacher and TA in schools too - still think it's a partnership!

oh one of these threads!

Her family, her choice. But I am in the minority.

The school felt that because the eldest child had a tan, it was a holiday and not an emergency trip, even though they could prove they were there only to see his mum because it looked like she would not recover.

My children are mixed, so look like perpetually tanned europeans. I'd be a jerk and call racism.

I can't believe the tolerance in this country for government intrusion into family life.

I thought it was £60 for each day - she seems to have missed several days and only been fined £60; which she probably has got now for selling her story to the Mail.

I think she was in the right and the fee shouldn't apply.

IMO all schools within the same County should stick to the same holidays (with variances between different Counties being a good idea).

You'd still get the odd case where two families had dc in schools in different Counties but I would imagine that would be fairly rare.

Going away for a week abroad for easter is alot, she could have gone over summer and settled for a more seasonal weekend camping trip maybe.

It's a crazy situation with the schools, but if it was me I would have just paid up and had done with it. She is risking a lot more by not paying it.

There are people on here saying schools didn't mind if children were taken out before the fines were introduced and happily gave permission. That is not true at all. They could give permission for up to 10 days but most teachers were very unhappy about it. A lot of work is covered in 10 days and involves a huge amount of catching up. The children often hated being taken out as well. One mother actually came in to ask if we could move sports day as her very sporty son was very distressed at missing it whilst he was on holiday.

I've never taken my kids out of school during term-time, and have swallowed the costs of holidaying in high season, as I do see the schools pov- it must be disruptive to the class.

However, for the first time ever I am planning to take my kids out of school for 1 week later in the year. They all have pretty much perfect attendance (unlike most of their friends) and are coping well at school. This year DH has had to be away a LOT, and we can only get a holiday later on in the year. As DH is armed forces, I believe we are allowed a dispensation from being fined, but I still haven't taken the decision lightly. I took the kids away myself at Easter- hard work!!

Again I'll be in the minority, but stuff the school"rules" they can choose to waste whole weeks on school trips etc. I have no choice on my leave its allocated by rota and it's not in school holidays. So I have to plan term time holidays but have never been fined (Private School). My kids have a 100% attendance other than our holiday. There are lots of reasons children are out of school - unless it's habitual or without my permission it's no business of the school IMO.

None of the schools business. IMO

If she can afford to take herself and 4 kids to ibiza then I am pretty sure she can afford a £60 fine. She knew it was going to happen so IDK why this is even news. Oh wait, Daily Fail.

Yes, you'd think that. But she might have been saving and saving up for this holiday, with all the discounts and cheap rates she could get, and not factored in the extra £60 for the fine. So it might not be as easy as you think.

People do forget that some people still have to scrape and save to go on holiday, I think.

Rules are rules, what rubbish good job suffragettes didn't think the same

Are you freaking kidding?

Are you comparing this woman's very misplaced and selfish sense of entitlement to the Suffragette movement?

Dear lord this place is going to Hell.

The suggested equivalence between women seeing that it was unfair and wrong that they didn't have the vote, and the apparent moral right to take your children out of school to go to Tenerife for Easter (or wherever it was) is astounding!

Don't agree with the fines, think schools should have some say in it and a bit of commonsense applied. Don't agree with the women who knew about the fines then moaning about it.

I used to volunteer in my sons school and last year the last two weeks before term were just free and easy because they had needed to get all kids work done and upto scratch for an inspection which fell 3 weeks before term end. I don't think Ds has ever watched so many Disney dvds in his entire life as he did in those last two weeks perfect time for a holiday!

Personally I think school holidays should be different in every region that way the holiday companies wouldn't be able to do a peakprice - or save up all the inset days and have one random week per school ?

I think she has a point. Whether she went abroad or not is irrelevant. Why shouldn't a family expect to spend some time together during the holidays, wherever they were wanting to spend it even if just days out from home.

Family holidays are important, I think she has a point.

But there is no rule that says you have to have family holidays at Easter time. In fact the vast majority of people don't. They will certainly be able to go away together in the summer.

And I can't think the kids are heartbroken about not spending a few extra days over Easter with each other, after all they can do that every weekend.

But only if she also accepts that if her children's teacher has children in the same situation then it would be OK for her to swan off to Ibiza as well

I disagree personally. As an adult I make the choice to work in a profession which places restrictions on when I can go on holiday. The other is a child, and for more people school is not an option - most have to use the state school education system. Home schooling, independent schooling and other systems are not actually easily open to all, many factors stand in their way especially financial ones.

Its irrelevant whether they went abroad or in the UK, if they stayed in a tent or in a 5* all inclusive hotel.

The bottom line is, it really doesn't make that much difference, if at all, to the vast majority of children (or their teachers) in my experience to miss 1-2 weeks of school.

Just don't expect the teachers to set and mark work.
Don't expect to get lots of catch up time.
Don't whinge about it, on/in the national media.
Do expect to help your own child catch up afterwards.
And these days, do expect to pay a fine - you will still save money on most holidays even with the fine included.

Blu Wed 27-Apr-16 08:28:53
No school should impose yellow shirts as school uniform. Most unflattering on pale / sallow complexions.

Maybe a holiday abroad in the sun should be compulsory for all the children in those schools then - a nice tanned complexion would go far better with the yellow shirt ;)

The suggested equivalence between women seeing that it was unfair and wrong that they didn't have the vote, and the apparent moral right to take your children out of school to go to Tenerife for Easter (or wherever it was) is astounding!

Do you think that the point the PP was trying to make is that it's not always a good thing to go 'Oh well, they are the rules we better stick by them'?

Shouldn't you fight for what you believe in whether it is for a vote or a holiday with your family without being fined? The law is not always right.

And in this case the law is not even fairly applied! The law applies to ALL children enrolled in school (state or independent) and yet it is only families at state schools who get fined.

We were told that the school could fine £60 for each session, so thats £120/day so I think she got off very lightly.

Let's be honest she should just pay the fine and shut up. All the other bollocks about moral rights is rubbish.

Schools don't decide the fines and don't have wiggle room, if attendance falls below a certain level then it triggers oftsted, and can mean a needs to improve.

Fine take your holidays in term time but stop complaining.