Term time holidays - minister orders schools to continue to fine parents

[KateMumsnet]

Hello all

More news on the fraught question of term-time holidays.

You might remember that a recent high court ruling overturned a fine imposed on a parent who'd taken their child out of school for a family holiday. Today, however, schools minister Nick Gibb has ordered headteachers to continue to fine families whose children are absent without permission during term time.

Do let us know what you think - and if you're completely confuzzled and bewildered, we've got more information on what's what over here.

I don't know where you are from chilipepper, but where I am from most parents are working 8am to 5pm. Before I took on a school job those were my hours, and often later. Most children go to breakfast and after school clubs - how is that any different?

There is a girl over the road who goes to one of the schools I mentioned. As I understand the 5pm finish means that she does her 'homework' at school rather than at home. Sometimes she has her evening meal there with the borders as well if her mum is working late. I don't know her especially well, but she certainly seems a lovely, well adjusted, pleasant enough child.

I would love to be able to send DD there - and she'd be off like a shot

I don't know where you are from chilipepper

from america, but live in the UK. I have two kids. Both extremely bright.
They can't concentrate for 9 hours, so most of that time is wasted.

and, if children are doing homework at school, they aren't doing more work than a state school that does her homework at home.

so, again, why don't the rules apply to independent schools?

"so, again, why don't the rules apply to independent schools?"

Have you missed the posts above explaining that they do?

I've read on here in a thread on the very same topic that there is no mechanism to fine independent schools.

me too.

The mechanism is the same, if a school reports unacceptable levels of unauthorised absences to a body which can issue the penalty notices, the parents can be fined. This was introduced in the 2003 Anti-social Behaviour Act which does not specify it applies to state schools only.

The (1944?) duty on parents to provide a suitable education by regular attendance at school or otherwise also applies to all parents .

The mechanisms exist. Fines (indeed even prosecutions) can be used on any parent with a child enrolled in school who does not then attend it.

Authorising attendance is at a head teacher's discretion in both sectors.

In independent schools, you may well find that parents are just asked to remove their DC if attendance is awry, rather than going down the route of enforcement notices. That option isn't available to state schools.

Also, the economics of it are different - if you're paying a few hundred pounds a week for your DC to be in school then you'd probably want them to be there. If you can afford to pay for that yourself, then you may also be less fussed about securing discounted holidays during the off-peak.

And good attendance is a regular condition of bursaries, and scholarships so parents whose DC have those awards wouldn't dream of it.

The head teacher has discretion to grant leave of absence for any purpose in exceptional circumstances.

Exactly. Yes the guidance was tightened up in 2013 but they can authorise absence and the stupid cases you've heard of where someone has needed to go to a funeral etc or an overseas wedding are wholly in the head's gift.

There are people who simply can't get annual leave during the holidays though given there are 13 weeks holiday a year I'd query the notion that all 13 of those weeks are off limits. For everyone else, you've got 13 weeks to choose from.

As for the court, I think there is an argument that the High Court got it wrong. If you read the sub-section on its own, you can read "regularly" as they read it. But if you read it in the context of the section as a whole, it seems to be that regularly does mean every day.

Regularly does not mean every day.

For everyone else, you've got 13 weeks to choose from.

the government should also make sure we and our kids get our 5 a day. FWOs should roam grocery stores and once you reach your meat quota for the month, well there's 11 more months to plan for.

chili