£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

Barbarian mum - do you run your own business? do you realise how difficult it is to let more than one person off at any time if you are small employer?

what about my business and many others in a similar situation like tourism, hospitality, attractions etc who are at their absolute busiest in school holidays? are you going to make them all give time off to parents in school holidays?

awwlookatmybabyspider - well that gave me a laugh! pricing themselves out of the market? err no. Holiday companies will put up their prices more particularly those who target families to cover for the losses that they have during the rest of the year when families cant come. and who will be able to pay the increased prices? why the middle class families. So they will be alright jack.

its a supply and demand thing. if the demand is artificially restricted then the price will go up and up wont it. So you either get hammered by a massive fine or hammered by high prices for a holiday - and I am not talking about florida. I am talking about UK holidays where prices will without a doubt go up several hundred pounds in school holidays.

I don't hold out any hope of a sensible resolution. it takes time, effort and intelligence to come up with a UK wide staggering of holidays to make it easier to go away, easier for child care etc. It takes a couple of letters and next to no effort to just ban and fine. You can bet that if the rules applied to private schools where most MP's send their kids this wouldn't be happening.

As for

oops rogue two words at the end there!

I work for a smallish employer in a team of 6 Yes its difficult when more than one of us wants time off and impossible if more than 2 do. We have to negotiate with each other about who goes when. We also have busy times of year and the rule is not more than a week off at these times (as well as the previous rule about not overlapping leaves). It's not easy and one generally doesnt get all of what you want but everybody gets something.

Our employer could just say "no holidays bw x and y" but they'd have difficulty retaining staff which wouldnt be good for the business.

Lots of aspects of business are a compromise bw what employees want and the business needs. Thats fine. Its why we have things like H&S, the minimum wage and maternity pay. And paid holidays cone to that.

With regard to previous posters saying they are fined after one day- are you sure as this was posted in my Lancashire paper and the statement says fine are set by government and schools and councils are obliged to follow?

Absolutely sure. The headteacher has discretion and sends the request to local goverment who then fine. In no uncertain terms told once they issue the fine you cant appeal to local gov. The school habe pointed out they dont gain financially from it, but they seem very keen to raise attendance.

It wasnt always like this. New policy.