So it is a £50 fixed penalty for taking your child out of school?

[LadyMuck]

Here

That's not going to put people off, is it? And it is probably costing the council more to collect it than they receive.

Wonder if they plaster the penalty notice onto the front of the child?!

lol at massive sticker on child's forehead scenario.

i took dd out for two weeks last year.

i am a devon resident, and had to get permission, altho it's not a 'right' iyswim.

Lol still cheaper than paying for a full price holiday.
Honestly people will stop having children if this goes on much longer, they really aren't your own are they ?

You know that's silly, don't you sorrento?!

Which bit ?

Is it £50 per child I wonder?

There are not many holidays where it wouldn't be at least £50 cheaper to go in June rather than August surely?

Surely this scheme would work much better in shopping centres etc. EWOs could wander around slapping "out of school tickets" on children smooching around shops. He-ers could have little badges to show exemption.

The "they really aren't your own" bit!

It could be time of the month, I am a little hormonal but honestly that's how it's starting to feel.
They must start school at a certain age ready or not, there's something wrong with you if you don't use your nursery place from 3 onwards, you can't have a holiday with them when it suits, they must stay at school til they are 18, a database with all their school/health/address has been set up, (to be left on a laptop on a train no doubt). They are finger printed to use the library.
It's getting silly.
A family holiday last year when my DD was being bullied saved all our sanity and no it couldn't wait until the school holidays, end of. Thank goodness our head sees the benefit of two weeks of family time.

I assume that the penalty could be discounted on compassionate grounds?

Dd's friends are on holiday this week because their mum is terminally ill. For them, waiting for halfterm to be with their mum may not be an option; noone can guarantee that they will still have a mum by that time. Surely they shouldn't be fined?

In my opinion, a case like Sorrento's where a child was worn out by bullying would also need special consideration.

I have often thought that a holiday would have helped dd to recover faster the year before last, but seeing that she had a headteacher who even bullied us when she was ill in hospital, I never had the nerve.

I think the examples you have given Cory are all very good ones and I really don't think anyone would refuse permission for children to take time off under those circumstances. Also in herbieteas case then I don't really think anyone could object. DDs best friend's Dad was in the Navy and she used to take a day off (with the permission of the school) when her Dad's ship was arriving home.

But surely it is for this reason that parents are able to apply for up to 10 term time days off per year. It's really not for little Jonny to be able to go to Tenerife when it's cheaper...

actually it's not a fixed penalty of £50..

It is a fixed penalty of £50 per person in your household. And most people don't realize that.

So if you're a family of 4 it will be a £200 fine family of 6 £300 etc. And of course if you have a child in primary and one in secondary that would double.

The 10 days rule was abolished at the junior school years ago; they sent a letter round to the parents. And the secondary school has also let it be known that this right has now been cancelled, thought they are more compassionate in a real emergency (as witness the case of the dying mum). The same family when the children were at the junior school were allowed compassionate leave because their mum was very ill then, but when the attendance record was sent out they found it had been put down as unauthorised leave anyway.

So I am absolutely sure that since dd was still at this school at the time, we would have got into trouble if I had tried taking heron holiday, despite the fact that I could easily have got a doctor's letter.

Ds's friend whose parents took an extra 3 days (added onto the Xmas holidays) in New Zealand to investigate it with a view to emigration had the Education Welfare sent home by the Head and were told that EWO would be keeping an eye on them from now now. I think it made them even keener to emigrate.

We go on holiday whenever we like for as long as we like! This was one (of many) reasons for us deciding to home-ed. We hated the idea of having to get permission to live our own lives as we wanted. Now, if we feel like taking off for a break, we just do it .

This seems very unfair on the children of rich people. They won't get the benefit of being forced to stay in school since their parents will just say "oh pay the man. We have to get to the airport"

Our head has recently become very strict on term time absences. Last year my DD missed 6 weeks of school to spend time in spain with Dying grandfather and he was happy to approve. this year, he's told one parent who applied for a day off that while he cannot authorise it, he's quite happy for her to have it. he's told her that he will look at general attendance etc, and it is up to him to report the absence to local authority which in her case he will not be doing. Head as said it's really down to the schools with terrible attendance records ruining it for schools like ours where common sense and balance has always ruled.
I am angered that home schooling is allowed because it is the parents right to decide the best education for your child, but once they sign on to the school system all parental control is removed. Bit like an 11 year jail sentence to me. I know what's best for my child, particularly when they are still young.

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lol, onager!
We aren't rich (if I'm who you were referring to). The most expensive hol we've had so far is a folk festival in Wiltshire! We go camping a lot and stay with friends/rellies etc; We went to Butlins last year (hellish experience, never again). We are on one income and I sometimes get the odd evening job when we get really stuck for paying bills etc;
We just feel more free to live our lives now we aren't restricted by having to do the school thing. Infact you'll find most Home-edders are skint

Wasn't refering to anyone in particular.

It's just that a lot of things are fixed penalty now and it seems like a licence to do what you want if you can afford it.

Imagine a fixed penalty for punching someone. You'd look in your wallet/purse and think "hmm well I have enough and she/he does deserve it"

Ah, iswym.
True, I suppose it's a bit like people who park wherever they like as they can easily afford to pay the parking ticket! I don't know anyone rich enough myself, although I suppose there must be.

Why are you angered that home education is allowed ?
I only wish I had the guts to do it myself I'd love to spend 6 months in Australia counting the bronzed surfers as Maths and reading Byron as literacy !

with the price of holidays going up and so many redundancies, it is a bit late if the gov't was hoping for a cash cow....

Well I'm pricing holidays at the moment and I don't know what the current legislation is in Scotland but if I want to take my dts on their first holiday in years then it will probably need to be during term time.

One example: cost going during term time - £778. During school holidays (October) - £1294.

It is okay for the well off as they can afford the fine and the holiday but this is basically meaning any child in a poorer family can forget about going on holiday.