£1,000 fines per parent per child to be trialled in Lancashire

[mummymeister]

Aibu to think that this will disproportionately hit poorer families, those not in private schools (where fines don't apply) and those people with jobs where you cant just take time off in school holidays.

Not sure how many people have seen this news item but it was pretty inevitable that the fines would go up massively to deter days off in term. The trial is for £1,000 fines per parent per child - so £4,000 for a family of 4 making it less attractive to take the odd day at the start/beginning of a holiday.

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/parents-to-be-fined-%c2%a31000-for-taking-children-on-holiday-during-term-time/ar-BBSuKFY?ocid=ientp

Maybe its not a right but it shouldn't be made more difficult.

Fwiw i wouldn't have a problem with my childs teacher having a week off in term time either.

What are they going to do if the parents can't pay these fines, because if They're wanking at the thrill of them going to jail for none paymebt (Full and sincere apologies for my foul use of words). ThAts not likely to happen.
The prisons are bursting at the seams. Even the odd dirty sweaty paedo avoids jail, occasionally.

Here in Scotland, as a PP has said, it is very understanding of families' individual circumstances and people are not fined.

No, in Scotland parents are not fined as there is no mechanism to do so. This doesn’t mean schools are happy and accommodating to this.

Unauthorised absence is a massive issue in every area. Our school of 600 pupils had 409 days of unauthorised absence in December - when kids were only there 2/3 of the month. This figure is around the same every month, then rises even higher in June. Don’t pretend Scotland is some kind of utopia which gives a “There there” to people pulling their kids from school for holidays. If Schools could fine, they would.

Flamingo that's the point. Holidays don't really affect pupils if they are a week once per year. Repeated random non attendance has far more impact.

The fines for holidays have come from central government. School attendance is monitored. This is an easy way to make it look better.

The over use and reliance on data to measure "success" in schools is really what has led us to this point. However that's a far wider debate.

Chilli - not sure thats the case. A holiday park in the summer holidays is really expensive.

I don't see why kids absolutely have to have expensive holidays abroad.

Yep, if you're talking static caravans, they mostly seem to cost pretty much the same as basic holiday cottages these days. Touring caravans can work out much cheaper over time, but they still aren't cheap to buy, kit out and maintain - plus you need to have somewhere to store it and a car capable of towing it.

Unless you're talking basic camping, which a lot of people really don't find pleasant or relaxing (and difficult with very small children or if anybody has a disability), it's often cheaper to go abroad than stay in Britain.

We have holidays in the UK and aren't at all interested in Ibiza kinds of holidays, but wouldn't see fit to judge or criticise those who do like them.

weetabix So what’s the answer? Parents shouldn’t take their kids because the teacher can’t?

No, not because teachers can't but I can't follow the reasoning.

Posters are arguing that children and parents suffer and miss out if they can't afford to take their children away.

If you agree with this then surely that means that all children and parents suffer if they can't go on holiday.

So is it therefore fair that you allow some children to go but say to others (those whose parents can't afford it no matter when, teachers etc) oh well, too bad?

Some people can afford holidays, some can't - that's just life isn't it?

You take a job as a teacher so you know when your holidays are. It’s one of the pros/cons of the job
You have a child and decide to use a school to educate him so you know when their holidays are.

@Weetabixandshreddies at least teachers know when their holidays are and that they can have them. They may be limited but to be honest I think I'd prefer the security of knowing and not having to cancel due to short staffed or urgent client requests!

just Yes, I did. And my kids get to enjoy holidays with my husband and I.

Well one answer would be for employers to be more flexible. Very few employers can truly justify never letting staff take holidays in school holiday - it can be inconvenient if you work in hospitality say, but it's not totally impossible in many cases.

at least teachers know when their holidays are and that they can have them. They may be limited but to be honest I think I'd prefer the security of knowing and not having to cancel due to short staffed or urgent client requests!

Well yes there is that. By if your holiday might be cancelled at short notice does that only apply during school holidays?

I'm finding these attempts to justify a bit strange.

If you value a holiday above your child being at school why doesn't everyone just admit that? Why try and justify it?

Lots of people don't get to go on holiday for any number of reasons - the world doesn't end.

Flexibility is great but impossible for most employers in certain lines of work to give employees with kids holidays off.

Mine can’t.

Barbarian What about if you are a nanny for example? No way will you get school holidays off. My past employer had it in our contracts that we could not take leave during school holidays or bank holidays.

Nicknacky pleased to hear your children haven't got exams. You'd be surprised at the number of people who are stupid enough to book holidays in the middle of gcses. I've been told by parents "oh it's ok they can just sit it when they get back"🤬

weetabix Yes my DP thinks that and thinks if I still worked for the same employer, we would just never go on holiday.

Good. The £60 fine isn't a deterrent. We are very lucky to have a free at point of use education service and parents need to see it as non optional. A holiday is a luxury, one that can be taken in the thirteen weeks children don't have to be in school.

Nothing to do with income, if you can afford a holiday you aren't poor. It's hardly an essential by any stretch of the imagination.

derymc You are joking 😳?!

Some of these posts are hilarious. So entitled!! As though school is just something that should be attended as and when is convenient to you and if you think it's worth your / your kids while or not!!
It's a sense of entitlement which is so detrimental to kids these days. My DH interviews loads of young people who seriously have the attitude 'what can you do for me' and then can't understand why they're not getting job offers. You go to school when it's school time and that is that. Doing anything else just shows your kids a really bad example.

So you would have no objections, then, if your DH were never ever able to go on holidays with you (and your kids, if you have them)? If he has the same attitude as your post seems to suggest, he probably wouldn't want to do anything but be at work anyway - doing anything else would be a waste of time, I presume.

Yes, a lot of young people (and many not so young people) do have that entitled attitude, but I'm amazed you have all the knowledge and the data to be able to categorically link it scientifically with those who were taken out of school for a week's holiday 10 years before they were ready to enter the workplace.

How is it showing your kids a bad example by wanting to spend quality family time with them? Work is an important part of life, but it isn't the only thing that matters. They're children, for goodness' sake - and they won't stay children forever.

Sorry, bold fail there.

@Weetabixandshreddies maybe it's not the schools/governments fault at all but more our culture?

Myself, DH and all our friends are all in "good" jobs, well paid, professional but it comes at a price and you can no longer get away from work with technology at you everywhere. Negotiating annual leave to co-incide when each other aren't busy is beyond ridiculous. If you're in something cyclical say like accounting or on a board or running events, it can rule out lots of dates before you've even started. My issue is that the people setting these rules (MP's) get 6 weeks holiday in the summer - they have no understanding of what it is like outside their little world.

Yes in an ideal world our companies would respect us as parents and help with work-life balance but for most people it isn't like that.

I once took parental leave unpaid just to be sure I got time when the kids were off as at that point there wasn't any alternative childcare. It wasn't ideal and I'd do it again but that was the length I had to go to as I wouldn't have got holiday at that point.

mary why would you sign a contract like that if you had children? Would you have signed one that specified no holidays? Or no time off if your child got ill?

I realise I have part contradicted myself there - I do blame the government but it is cultural too!

A holiday is a luxury, one that can be taken in the thirteen weeks children don't have to be in school.

Assuming that they aren't among the many who have one or both parents who simply cannot get annual leave during school holiday time - or at least not at any time of the year when a holiday would be at all pleasant?

Yes, a holiday isn't 'essential', but do you really think that going without one between the age of 4 (assuming you don't have older siblings) and adulthood is a normal, positive state of affairs? I'm glad you weren't my parent.

barbarian No holidays. I signed it because I needed the money.
For the same reason I have an interview tomorrow for a job that is underpaid. Not everyone can walk into an ideal job, some of us have to make compromises so we can pay the bills.

I was also taken out every year as a child as my dad was in the police and also didn’t have annual leave during holidays.