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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

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

444 replies

derxa · 26/04/2016 12:14

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

OP posts:

chilipepper20 · 27/04/2016 20:58

if attendance falls below a certain level then it triggers oftsted, and can mean a needs to improve.

so, it's not really about the children, it's about box ticking. Lovely.

And, as a parent, I should care because...?

lurked101 · 27/04/2016 21:29

Well you don't have to. But it's not the school or the LEA it's the law, so don't blame them.

We never were able to do this mainly as I'be been a teacher for quite a while. As long as your kid catches up on their own I don't care either. I'm not going to do one to one teaching in my own time because you chose to do this.

Don't pull sad faces at the mail for 60 quid oh and don't complain about exam results if you take your dcs away just prior to the final external exams.

chilipepper20 · 27/04/2016 21:50

I'm not going to do one to one teaching in my own time because you chose to do this.

I wouldn't expect it. If you take your child out of school, it is your responsibility to make sure the child stays caught up.

lurked101 · 27/04/2016 21:52

If only that were the case.. about 5 years ago I had a father ask for after school or Saturday morning catch up as they were behind..

chilipepper20 · 27/04/2016 21:53

not all parents are idiots.

thisagain · 27/04/2016 21:55

Really good sad face. I think I would really struggle to recreate that level of sadness, so points just for that. However, I think if she wanted to take her daughter out of school, she should have just paid the fine.

Erin64 · 27/04/2016 22:21

I would just accept the £60 fine as part of the cost of the holiday. Of course, I'd be tempted to pay in pennies.

Adnerb95 · 27/04/2016 22:22

Agree with the comments about a holiday not being a "right" and as an ex-teacher, I do understand the concerns about children missing time during term. However, it used to irritate the hell out of me that my kids regularly had 100 % attendance when most of their classmates would take at least 10/12 schooldays in the school year as sickies and yet this wasn't taken into account when considering whether my DCs could have 5 schooldays off for a family holiday.

SpiritedLondon · 27/04/2016 22:32

In a blatant switch of subject it is completely ridiculous the increase in holiday prices during the school holidays. My attempt to travel to Portugal in a half-term were scuppered by fares of £550 each. I may choose to remove my child from school while she's still small if it makes a family holiday affordable but I would take the fine on the chin and pay it. The irony is that the different term times for private schools means that the parents with the most resources often have access to cheaper fares that other parents can't access.

thisagain · 27/04/2016 22:49

To be honest, I'm surprised the fine is so low if being used as a deterrent. Parents can save £1000s by taking holidays in term time, so why does a smallish fine stop them? Assuming 2 children and 2 parents, that's £240 which could easily be saved on a holiday. Not that I'm commenting on what is right or wrong but I just don't see how it is much of s deterrent.

thisagain · 27/04/2016 22:52

I do however think that it would be unfair to allow children who have 100% attendance, time off for a holiday but not those who had the misfortune to be ill. My son has 100% attendance so far this year but is reception and must be one of the few who have been lucky so far.

Catsize · 27/04/2016 22:57

They had no choice??? Eh???

Lucky it is only £60. Think of what it would have cost in the school holidays, pocket the difference and get over yourself Lady of Sad Face.

An interesting feature of the article (perhaps the only one) was that her partner is called Rickie Lake. What ever happened to Ricky Lake and her perfect hair??

chilipepper20 · 27/04/2016 23:17

In a blatant switch of subject it is completely ridiculous the increase in holiday prices during the school holidays.

that's supply and demand. blame the government and their draconian rules.

The irony is that the different term times for private schools means that the parents with the most resources often have access to cheaper fares that other parents can't access.

making the state system that much less desirable. but is anyone surprised.

mw63 · 28/04/2016 05:18

But only if she 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

This did happen in my son's school Not only did the head of year swan off to Greece in term time, she was waved off by other teachers in the reception area in front of parents
I have been the recipient of a holiday fine (LEA dropped) and surely if she had put in the correct paperwork she would have known before the holiday about the forthcoming fine.
I suspect she did not put in the correct paperwork

Leslieknope45 · 28/04/2016 06:20

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.

It's not the school's fault that there are fines for term time holidays. It's not a 'school rule', it's a government decision. No need to get pissy with the school (and I would love to take a school trip in school time but I'm only allowed to take them in my own holiday time)

Jubaloo442 · 28/04/2016 06:44

The faces!

Adnerb95 · 28/04/2016 07:38

Chilipepper - supply and demand not down to Government regulations! I think you will find this principle applied even before there WAS a Government.

lurked101 · 28/04/2016 07:58

True.. the market only sells at the price people are willing to pay.

Spandexpants007 · 28/04/2016 10:27

The mother was within her rights to take them away for an Easter break. It's not her fault that the school holidays aren't at the same time. Just bad luck

SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace · 28/04/2016 11:06

yes - the kind of bad luck which means you can't all go away for Easter that year! What a shame, the dates don't work for us - hey ho, good job you're all off together in the summer....

TiggerPiggerPoohBumWee · 28/04/2016 11:26

the kind of bad luck which means you can't all go away for Easter that year

Of course she could. You can tell by the fact she did go.

Is it just in education that you have all willingly abdicated all rights as parents?

TiggerPiggerPoohBumWee · 28/04/2016 11:26

the kind of bad luck which means you can't all go away for Easter that year

Of course she could. You can tell by the fact she did go.

Is it just in education that you have all willingly abdicated all rights as parents?

SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace · 28/04/2016 11:48

Well yes, she could, and did, and now she needs to pay the fine she knew would be due, and get over it!

I mean that for most people, quite often in life, a clash of dates often means you can't do the thing you'd quite like to do. It happens.

Not being able to take a family of 6 on an Easter break abroad is hardly 'abdicating all rights as a parent', is it? You don't seriously actually think that, right?

TiggerPiggerPoohBumWee · 28/04/2016 12:22

Well yes, she could, and did, and now she needs to pay the fine she knew would be due, and get over it!

Or fight it, if she thinks fining parents is ridiculous, or morally wrong, or anything else. That's her choice.

Not being able to take a family of 6 on an Easter break abroad is hardly 'abdicating all rights as a parent', is it? You don't seriously actually think that, right?

You have misunderstood. Read again.

SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace · 28/04/2016 12:39

Well, I've had a look again, and it certainly reads as though you've made a connection between unable to go on holiday during term time without paying a fine (well publicised in advance), and 'abdicating all rights as a parent'. I'm sorry if I'm misunderstanding, but I'm not really seeing any other layers of nuance there.

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