Surely they should just get her to pay the fine?

[FrustatedAgain]

This woman didn't pay her term time holiday fine, she says they only received one penalty notice. Surely if she is willing to pay the fine the council should just let her. Surely taking her to court is going to cost the council time and money?
Mother, 33, facing court after taking her son, six, on 'holiday of a lifetime' to Cyprus during term time insists it was 'educational in a way that school can't offer' | Daily Mail Online

YANBU. Absolutely ridiculous of the council. They should let her pay the fine. The research about school attendance is so skewed anyway by people who let their kids truant on a regular basis. A holiday abroad aged 6 is not going to significantly impact educational outcomes.

I don't have children so know nothing about these fines - googled and instantly got the info the fine is per parent. If the mum was making the decision that the holiday was more educational than school, so the fines were worth it, you'd think she'd have taken 5 seconds to google and find out what the fines actually were.

She added: 'Me and Hayden did have a discussion about taking them out of school and agreed that it would be beneficial for Mason to take him out of school to have experiences abroad.
'Tickets for the holiday were non-refundable and had already been booked

Do she has a discussion about school after buying the tickets? Clearly a bit of a pointless discussion!

3 months in prison

Seems a bit strong! That's the maximum plus a fine and doubt she'll actually get it but still, must be quite scary. She does seem a bit silly, but I still feel sorry for her.

Yanbu. It is not good use of taxpayer's money to take her to court if she's willing to pay the fine.

I think them talking about the documented evidence about detriment to the child from missing school is a bit silly unless they're also taking into account the detrimental to the children if a parent with a criminal record or in prison for something so small.

We've lost our sense of perspective on this.

@Yesnosorryplease agreed about perspective. attendance mania has now reached a point where the government will enforce it whatever it costs and whoever it harms. They just have to be right on this rather than just, fair, reasonable, any other descriptor you might use.

I find it hard to believe she didn't know she also had to pay a fine. I suspect her innocent oh I didn't know I would be fined and of course I'll pay the £60 it was originally is only her response now it's been taken further by the council.

Except they paid her husband's fine immediately.

Yes and they thought they'd got away with having to pay hers. I just find it very difficult to believe they didn't know they would both get a fine it's hardly a well kept secret.

This is absolutely nuts. I am in Ireland and there is no issue with taking time off for going on holidays. Don't need school's permission at all. And there is no such thing as fines for your child missing school. Crazy.

Agreed.

I wouldn't take mine out for 15 days and am completely on board with regular attendance being best practice but I really can't join in with the hyperbole about one holiday for a family wedding when you're 6 being decisive to your educational outcomes.

We all know that the children with poor educational outcomes are not the ones taken out of school for a week or 2 once every few years for a holiday in the sun. They are the children with complex and chaotic lives, who miss every Monday because their parents can't/won't get up, are frequently late because of lack of private transport, who don't have the right kit for pe or art etc, and who spend a lot of time in school hungry or tired because of issues at home. It is completely wrong to conflate the issues, and ends up looking like point scoring rather than a real desire to change outcomes for those who need it the most.

Regardless, it still isn't worth anyone's while taking it to court when she could just pay the fine, plus extra and be done with it.

She's not going to jail and she won't be fined £2,500. She's been daft and thought she could get away with it. Perhaps the fine really didn't arrive, or they thought it was for one parent only.

Most people abide by the rules, a few don't and they get to pay fines.

She will have been given plenty of opportunity to pay the fine before it got to the court stage.

Not read the thread but there's clearly a dad in those pictures too. I HATE the way it's always on the mum's as if the dads don't know/don't care/weren't involved in any way at all. He agreed too!

He paid his fine though. She didn't (but not really her fault since she did try)

The bit that gets me is that HCC said they only have a legal duty to prove they sent the fine. Not for it to turn up.

They are basically saying it may not have turned up, admitting the one that did was paid and they now have to prosecute as a result.

But it HCC. They aren't known for common sense attitudes so I'm leaning towards believing the mum in this case.

I think it's been screwed by her defending her reason to take him rather than the actual point that she didn't pay the fine because it never arrived.

She is not being taken to court for the fine. She is being taken to court for not paying the fine, then ignoring the numerous letters she will have received about it.

It's like any other fine or debt - if you ignore it there is a process that eventually ends up in a court hearing. There is a point beyond which you cannot get out of it by simply paying the original fine.

So many English schools seem to be a bit batshit on this issue. When I take my kids out of school (Scotland) all that get said is 'have a lovely time'.

This is such a good point, what they are putting this family through now is more of a detriment to the child. The stress must be impacting them all.

@Yesnosorryplease We have had a dreadful year so far and are going away just before the summer break to celebrate one of my parents birthday. It is a one off for a few days, I don't normally take term time holidays. DS is currently in hospital and his brother has been ill too so in July they will probably fine me for non attendance but sometimes time with family matters more.

HCC are notorious for court action for attendance. The judge will likely go low end

Absolutely @DrCoconut

I'm a rule follower and all that jazz, but COVID lockdowns, strikes and bereavement have all led me to a point where I care a bit less about school absence and a bit more about time with loved ones etc.

Implementing the rules to this degree just makes them look petty and does nothing to tackle the real causes of low achievement resulting from persistent absence.

For those saying she would have multiple reminders - not even the council is arguing that. They say they sent one letter and can prove it was issued but no proof of receipt or further attempts at communication. I'd be embarrassed to be them tbh.

Since when has a fortnight in Cyprus been considered "a holiday of a lifetime"? 😂

I think attending the family wedding was the unmissable bit.