To think the penalties for term time absence is ridiculous..

[JKbowling]

I got this in my email inbox today, sent to all parents and guardians.

"Failure to safeguard a child's education" appearing on your DBS, really?

As for term time holidays. If a family can't afford to pay for their one measly UK break per year to be had during the 6 weeks holidays (because the prices are hiked right up and become unaffordable) how does school suppose said family is going to pay the fine?

It's not just holidays though? It's for any kid off school?

"And lots of kids hated lockdown and they’re still suffering the side effects from it"

And lots of people are dead and some people are still suffering long term effects from COVID spreading from schools.

Worth it to keep kids in school

They need to be in school and catching up / building up resilience closing the gap not swanning off on holiday during term time to save a few quid.....

If people think it's worth taking kids away for quality time pay to do it in the 13 weeks holiday they get.

It’s. It’ll affect those that don’t want to go to school because of bullying , mental health and anxiety etc. and school and government will not do much to support them and to make a safe space for them.

I would be more angry about being fined for that than an optional holiday

This rubbish covid didn't spread from schools. In fact arguably children and young teenagers suffered more to keep the older generations safe. Pubs restaurants remained open whilst schools closed

As a Chair of School Governors and parent, I am so fed up with dealing with so called unauthorised absences and the associated escalations and complaints. The amount of senior staff time wasted on this policy far outweighs the benefits. Of course, I understand the importance of attendance, but I also have a lot of sympathy for parents who see teachers out on strike, school disruption from
C19 and the way that children’s education was thrown to the wolves by the government, cheerlead by the Labour Party who supported the unions and school closures.
this is just a continuation of the nanny state. My opinion will be unpopular, but I have to deal with the angry parents and I have a lot of sympathy for their case. How is it OK for teachers to tell parents they are on strike and school is closed and the schools to not see this as disruptive, but a few days at the end of term is apparently catastrophic.

"This rubbish covid didn't spread from schools"

Even bojo said it was identified as a major source in the inquiry.

The government admitted they were too cautious in the first lockdown and tried to keep schools open after the first lockdown....

They've continued to prioritise kids being in school but some parents believe their futures can be irrevocably harmed again to save a few hundred quid apparently....govt up the fines as a result...makes sense to me

Totally ridiculous I agree. We booked a holiday last year according to school holidays list then they issues a new.list changing the October holiday by a week meaning my son would miss a week. I pointed out I'd already paid for holiday before they changed the list and disputed the fine. They also sent one to my husband. I rang them up and pointed out that everything they were covering in the current lessons that week would be covered din my trip and therefore it was an educational trip and I was providing an education. I also pointed out my husband has mental capacity form that states he can't make such decisions as he doesn't understand the implications. School passed it higher with invention of taking it to court. The council rang me apologising and confirmed they wouldn't be doing that as long as I could show it was.educational and they also couldn't legally charge my husband and if they did take it to court he'd likely.lose as I had both holiday lists that conflicted and the date they were published. . They dropped the charges a d I submitted pictures of his trip and he did a collage of what he learnt and wrote a little.bit for a project at school. I will still take him out as long as he's not missing vital learning or major exams or milestones. I will fight it every time.

Sorry the same bojo that was found to be a liar? And the same government in general that made a complete hash of an already bad situation.

You really need to lose sensationalism majority of kids aren't irrevocably damaged by a week out of school a year

Also very selfish taking a child out of school for holidays with no thought for the pupils who do attend. My kids were frequently bored and frustrated sitting through lessons they had already had because the teacher was bringing those who had been on holiday up to date with the lessons - they weren't meant to but always this seemed to happen.

Well I’ve been gobsmacked this week as I put in a “request” (I wasn’t requesting it, I was telling them) for a week off in October for a family holiday and it has been authorised!!

I truly wasn’t expecting it to be and was fully prepared to pay the fine.

We went away in October 2 years ago and weren’t fined then either.

Even bojo said it was identified as a major source in the inquiry.

I’d rather trust experts instead of bojo.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/240433/qa-does-covid-19-spread-schools/

https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/new_research_finds_no_evidence_that_schools_are_playing_a_significant_role_in_driving_spread_of_the_covid-19_virus_in_the_community1/

I continue saying that we can’t compare the lack education and isolation for months during lockdown for children to going on holidays for a week or two with the parents during school term. The long term side effects aren’t the same.

Can you ask your HT to talk to my HT? :) thanks! And enjoy the holiday!

I wish I could.
Thanks, sure we will 😊

First day back in school on Tuesday, a primary with 470 on roll. 58 children absent due to holiday. This was the first day back after 6 weeks, why don’t these parents think the first day back is important?

MY GDs school never seems to fine…then girls have time off every year for holidays…..they had 6 weeks off at Christmas ( well , 4 plus the school hols) to go on a long haul ….and 3 days off to go to Glastonbury-in June …..I’ve never known anyone at that school get a fine…..it’s dependant on the head to refer you onto the council ….otherwise it’s just goes down as unauthorised absence

Hear hear!

You really need to lose sensationalism majority of kids aren't irrevocably damaged by a week out of school a year

And yet when schools in London wanted to close during the alpha wave they were taken to court to keep them open for a day...

Entirely consistent to then fine parents who take kids away for a week.

People sensationalised the long term effects of lockdown when it suited them and now want to minimise their impacts of their own selfishness...

Either every day matters or it doesn't.

Well they do….but not as important as paying 150 quid less per person for a flight home ( that was the difference in price last year for my DD….hence the kids were a day late back in class)

As a Chair of School Governors and parent, I am so fed up with dealing with so called unauthorised absences and the associated escalations and complaints. The amount of senior staff time wasted on this policy far outweighs the benefits.

Exactly @Meltdown247. Unfortunately, too many people see this only through the prism of whether they approve of term time holidays. Which isn't at all the same question.

That doesn’t make sense, so you’re saying they’ll be able to afford a holiday outside of school holidays, but not pay the fine.
people can’t have it both ways, you want free education for your children, then abide by the rules, it’s not fair for schools to be marked down in their ofsted inspection because you want a cheap holiday!

Because it's not them missing it, only their kids.

Do you have 5k spare to pay a fine ?

The parents who flout the law by taking their kids out for holidays, birthdays (WTAF??!!) or other non-essential reasons are the same ones who will complain if the teachers are not doing enough to ensure their kid gets a decent grade. I wonder whether they even stop to think what would happen if they flounced out of work unauthorised? I bet they would sack a member of staff who took a holiday after the request had been turned down by management... Bloody entitled parents, breeding bloody entitled kids, are the bane of everyone's life. No regard for rules, teaching their offspring by example that you can do what you like (particularly if you can afford it), and the establishment can fuck off.

I wonder whether they actually ask the kids what they want? Missing the first day of school - especially for primary school kids - can be really distressing. A lot of friendships are made, for example, on the first day. Turning up a day late can be unsettling and isolating for a younger child. If you don't like the rules, home-school your kids, then you can go on holiday whenever you like....

Less unpopular than you might think. There are quite a few of us who have noticed and are willing to state the reality that school closures, whether one agreed with them at the time or not, have affected the social contract on school attendance. Rebranding regular school attendance as something that's nice to have but ultimately ranks below other priorities has had a lasting impact. Some doors aren't easily closed again once we open them. But addressing this is a lot harder than blindly adhering to an already failing fines system or the DofE tweeting out nonsense, so here we are.