Do you agree with school absence fines?

[Dreamyseptember]

I honestly don’t have a strong opinion either way. I work term time so I can only go away in the school holidays anyway, plus I’ve never been keen on mine missing school.

However, I can totally understand why for many people they want to go on holiday during term time. A family holiday can be a magical experience, visiting somewhere new, spending proper time together, experiencing new things, getting away from the daily grind. And for many this would be unaffordable in the school holidays. The other thing is that parents can’t always get the time off work.

I do think it’s important for children to attend school, I know they missing large chunks at school can mean them falling behind, miss out on learning as well as time with friends.

But tbh, I know people whose children missing large chunks school frequently anyway. Any sniffle, tired day, weather too hot or too cold and the parents are ringing them on sick. There are other children who attend 100% of the time and is one week away for a family holiday, possibly at a time of year when learning is wrapping up anyway, going to really make that much difference.

When I was at school in the 80s/90s it was quite normal for children to disappear for 2 weeks for a holiday abroad and no one batted an eyelid.

I’m sure that there are lots of arguments either way but do you think it’s right and fair that parents are fined for taking their children on holiday during term time?

Yabu - the fines are correct
Yanbu - it should be the parents decision

This is the system I want - give me the most important work and I’ll make sure it’s done.

It’s not the 80s/90s. Back then school was very easygoing, and honestly some kids didn’t learn a lot. As for well-being - there was plenty of deprivation, kids neglected, etc.

Overseas Holidays are not necessary for well-being!

Parents don’t respect teachers or teaching as they used to. With the amount of entitlement amongst parents, and the high levels of harassment that parents subject teachers to, it’s easier to have a simple, enforced vacation rule so no one can complain it’s not fair, or they “have a right”, or whatever.

And parents will be straight up to the school to complain their kids aren’t getting the best results in SATs.

The more room for ambiguity in the rules, the harder it is for HT to run the school effectively.

Term time holidays are massively disruptive. Unless you’ve been in class and seen the impact you really shouldn’t be debating it.
I ran a Spanish club, a child who had regularly been taken out of school to an all inclusive year on year out could only come up with the Spanish word ‘hamburguesa’ !
Everyone on about different cultures and family time! Honestly, just jog on. We all know you haven’t left the resort, haven’t eaten anything ‘foreign’ and the family time was everyone looking at their own mobile!
If you choose to opt for tax payer funded education then choose one of the thirteen weeks to take your holiday, just like school staff do.

Former school gov here. The data is interesting. The fines have monetised the decision. Formerly, there was a pressure that said 'school is important, if your child can attend, they should attend, it matters'. We have now put a monetary value on that an many parents do the maths and realise that the savings at CentreParcs outweigh the fine, and the child is missing school.

If the state wants to insist on a maximum price for holidays during school breaks, stand by for plenty of closures in the travel trade and higher prices all year round.

I’d scrap fines for authorised or explained absences. I’d fine for unexplained absences as I think that is when children are actually in danger of being denied an education.

I had a kid go on an extended holiday to visit family in another part of the world for his mother to have surgery there, which I understand wanting to do in your first language. He was threatened with losing his school place because of how it fell date wise. I think that was perfectly legitimate. His parents also took work for him to do.

Compare that with a kid who is late every Monday and misses 2-3 days every fortnight. Far more disruption is happening to that child’s education and quite frankly I’m concerned about their safety.

Fining parents for term-time holidays doesn't do anything to address the roots of underachievement, such as poverty, SEN (without appropriate support) and a culture of low aspirations in some communities.

Nope.

I live in Scotland and we don’t have fines. It’s up to parents to make these decision for their families.

The state only intervenes for poor attendance / truancy

That is as it should be.

Often there is only a week given in the curriculum for an area of learning so how do you propose that your child catches it all up?
You can argue till you’re blue in the face but I’ve seen the impact of holidays on children’s education on top of days off for illness etc and you’ll never convince me otherwise!!
You’re well within your rights to want to take your child out of school for a holiday and I’m well within my rights to disagree because it harms a child’s education.

Most children cope just fine for a week or two. Don't be dramatic.

Most children cope just fine for a week or two. Don't be dramatic.

I’m not being dramatic!! I work in schools so see it first hand!!
We’ll just have to agee to disagree as you’ll never convince me that a holiday is more important than a child’s education!

whether people agree with it or not the fines aren’t enough to deter people from taking kids out - if they want this to work the fines need to be more substantial
it is also a “postcode lottery” with some schools authorising “exceptional circumstances” and others fining - even if circumstances are exceptional eg travelling abroad for a family wedding
they all need to be singing off the same hymn sheet

Nobody wants you to understand it. Most just want society not to be foolish about missing a week or two of school. For most children it has no real impact what so ever.

Surely the state doesn’t intervene for poor attendance at all? I’m in Scotland - kids in primary - and the amount of parents that can’t be arsed to get their kids to school is staggering. Middle class area and atleast 2/3 kids won’t turn up, 4/5 are 15-30 mins late most days. They really need to clamp down on attendance badly here.

That’s fine you keep on believing it has no impact. As I said we’ll agree to disagree

I live in a fine free country. Schools are obsessive over attendance. Classes have competitions, win parties, prizes etc.

Fines would do nothing. The cost saving from eye watering surge pricing in holidays, and avoiding crowds, is worth it for most families. I don't see it a lot, but admit we've done it a few times - not now DS is in high school (much to his disgust!!)

The big issue is people who don't value general attendance. DD's friend misses a day a fortnight for child custody arrangements. Another's DM decided to take her 2 DC out for 3 weeks to visit a grandparent, when holiday time would have been just as easy.

It's hard to take attendance seriously, though, when schools waste so much learning time. Fridays from about 11am is craft & games for year 5 Dd10 as some kids go to interschool sports fixtures & apparently that's ok because the school says so. I'm taking DD out last Friday of this term to leave early on holiday. Why send her to do nothing?

Fair enough.

I have one child in primary and one in secondary. Neither of their schools will fine you if their attendance is at over 95%. We went away for a week last year and no fine.

⏰ THE FINAL COUNTDOWN — ONE MONTH TO GO!

There is just ONE MONTH LEFT until this petition closes — and we need to keep talking about why fines and prosecutions are NOT the answer to school absence.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱.

A prosecution won’t remove the stress, overwhelm or barriers a child is experiencing. And it certainly won’t magically ensure that their needs are understood, supported and met.

And here’s the thing: not everything is about HOLIDAYS or the COST of a holiday!!

Families need flexibility because life doesn’t fit neatly into a school holiday calendar.

It’s about:
💙 A child’s or a parents additional needs
💙 Family weddings and important events
💙 Family dynamics and circumstances
💙 Spending precious time with loved ones when that opportunity is actually available
💙 Parents who simply cannot take time off during school holidays

Fines do not address any of these things.

❌️𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆.
❌️𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀.
❌️𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.
❌️𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.
❌️𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

‼️𝗣𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁.‼️

We need a system that listens, understands individual circumstances and puts children’s wellbeing and needs at the heart of the conversation.

📢 ONE MONTH LEFT.

Please sign the petition. Share it. Talk about it. Help us make sure this issue cannot be ignored.

Because children are not attendance percentages. They are human beings with individual needs, circumstances and lives.

#finalcountdown #SchoolAttendance #fightschoolfines

Companies just need to be banned from putting the prices so high up, it's extortionate; they're the problem.

It’s supply and demand, they charge what people will pay unfortunately

I think if attendance is otherwise very good, child is not in year 10 or 11, the absence is no more than one week in a school year and parents will ensure missed work is caught up on, then it should be authorised

On the whole, yes.

A holiday isn’t a human right. It’s nice, but you’re not entitled to it. Your job can dictate when you take your leave and it’s a good precedent to set, that you need to consider other responsibilities before going away.

The parents who kick off do my head in. Save for two years instead of one and go in the holidays.

How? it's a private business - like a hotel can charge whatever they like and so can airlines

where does it stop - shops have fixed prices for food items so theres no competetion

thats a ridiculous suggestion to ban holiday companies charging high prices lolz

They can. And do.

If attendance drops below a certain level and or there is persistent lateness then school can refer the child to the Children’s Reporter to consider a Children’s Panel. The panel can the put compulsory measures in place and there are legal consequences for failure to comply.

All compagnies or just travel buisness? Supply and demand isn't only about travelling.