Would you expect a school to authorise an absence to attend a parent's graduation?

[CottageBearskin]

Just that really.

Child is 13, so non GCSE year
Parent is getting their doctorate

It's everything to do with the way the school is inspected, scrutinised and reported on how many absences they have and what they're doing to address it and very little to do with your child.
Take them
Congratulations

My children's school allowed absence for the dc to attend my graduation. They saw it as encouraging their education.

Of course schools don't prosecute. They don't fine either, that's the local authority. However absence from school is a massive issue - as it has always been, but 30 years ago there were far more opportunities for someone who didn't get through GCSEs, and teachers weren't stretched at thin.
Over 22% of school students in the UK are 'persistently absent' (IE the number of they've missed over 10% of morning and afternoon sessions in the year). That's massive. Teachers do not have the resources or mind reading powers to go through every non-medical exemption and decide which ones are true and if so which are worthy. Even if they did, it could also be very divisive and alienate the families of children most needing support ("ooh so it's ok for the posh ones to take their daughter to a ceremony that she told my child was really boring anyway, but it's not ok for me to keep my daughter off for a 3-day wedding ceremony/ when I'm ill and need help with the younger ones/when she's anxious about school and I can't get her to leave her room?")

In this case I think the parents are totally reasonable to take the child if they want - clearly they're a family that values education overall, and it's an important moment for them and presumably she's doing ok and not otherwise often absent, but unreasonable to expect the school to authorise it.

A few random days off during the school year is nothing like prolonged absence so I have no idea why people are mentioning jail over 1 day off for a graduation. Fine at worst, then move on.

No one was really “mentioning jail”.

My two daughters - then aged 11 and 14 - were both given authorised absence to attend my masters graduation and were in different schools at the time (primary and secondary). Both schools congratulated me and wished us a lovely day. Graduation was at Southbank Centre then we all went out for lunch It was a pretty special day all round!

It is at the HT's discretion but there is an Authorised Absence Code that can be used, and unless your DC has been absent persistently, they would have no reason to refuse.

So the headteacher asks you to pay a fine, you reply telling her/him - ever so politely - not to be so silly. What then?

Yes, it’s a very important family occasion.

You don't get a fine for one day

No appeal?

So you tell the school your child won't be attending for (reason), you are notified of a fine, you respond - politely as ever - pointing out the silliness of the matter. And then? Taken to court? Where the magistrate (or jury) takes it seriously and doesn't tell the school and/or local authority to stop being so silly?

Are things really that bonkers? (Again, a serious question. I suppose I have to stop expecting anything in this country to happen in a reasonable way.)

Yes, it’s good for them to see what is out there, and should be aspirational albeit a bit boring! If school says no just take them anyway.

No. Its no more or less important than any other reason to be absent. And they don't need to be there.

So if you don't pay it, whether you've told them its daft or not, you can expect a court summons. Magistrates court I think. As far as I know they usually can't overturn it either so you end up with a bigger fine of up to £2,500, a community order or up to 3 months imprisonment.

It really is that bonkers.

I wouldn't expect a school to authorise absence for this, and as another poster has said, they are very limited in what types of absence can be authorised. Of course the graduation ceremony is really important to the parents but I doubt that a 13 year old would be very interested in attending, other than getting a day off school.

It's not her success though and you can celebrate with her later

Wouldn’t give a toss if the school authorised it or not, take them anyway.

It’s special days like this that your kid will remember, not much of the stuff they learn at school.

Yes.

Graduation ceremonies are so incredibly dull. I went to my first, naively, and skipped the other 3.
If you've made your kids make sacrifices for your studies it seems horribly cruel to make them sit through a really tediously boring parade of people going up on stage shaking hands, as opposed to just doing something actually fun and nice to celebrate.

I think this is one of those times, when it's better to ask for forgiveness, rather than permission.

Congratulations

Oh. OK. That's a relief, anyway!

So, indeed, 'authorised' or not is really of concern to the parents or child. The, "A will not be in school next so-and-so because (reason)," required for politeness' sake, will do.

... But if the child is absent too often (more than five times, I think someone said?), matters may escalate; fines and ultimately prosecution on non-payment thereof will get mentioned. Is that about it?

Perhaps not too unreasonable. I think of the times (there were a few) when one of my children was off school for extended periods; thinking back, I suppose I was pleased when the school got in touch to check on them.

No-one ever threatened us with a fine, back in the day. Are we better off as a society now school absences are quasi-judicial in this way? I wonder. Part of social engineering, I suppose: good or bad? Hmm.

Yes I would and my dcs schools ( one was at primary, one secondary at the time) authorised the absence.

Yes I would. My DCs aged 14 & 12 at the time were authorised to come to mine. That was 11 years ago though and I think schools were more laid back then. It will do them more good than harm to attend.

Expected, no. Hope, yes.

I’ve seen school authorise it in the past.

This is a very good way to frame it to the school, OP.

Congratulations, Moorlander!

Both the schools my DC attended were pretty brutal about not authorising anything. We’ve had funerals and external music exams go down as unauthorised absences. However there’s never been a hint of fining or reprimand. It’s very much “go, do your thing, hope all is ok”, but still an unauthorised mark on the register. I hope you all enjoy a well-deserved celebration!