Two Tier Rules..

[Howandwhy]

A friend told me that private schools do not fine families who take their children on holiday during term time.

We pay for state school via taxation, so why wouldn't the same concerns apply around children missing out on their education in a private school?

I'm curious as to why these children are being treated differently when the government say the fines are to protect children's education?

Also these rules were really set up for persistent absenteeism. Does anyone know if families where the child has been off for months or where the child hardly comes to school gets the same fine or are they charged each week?

I’d have thought it’s pretty obvious that as private schools aren’t part of the state school system the rules for state schools don’t apply. Private schools don’t have OFSTED inspections either.

If you opt into the state school system you play by its rules. If you opt into the private school system you play by those rules. If you choose to opt into neither and home educate you can make your own rules.

I’d definitely recommend going to private school to save a few hundred on fines 😂

I worked in a private school and the absences were ridiculous. Despite having longer holidays, parents would still pull their kids out the last week of term to get cheap flights. One time the week before Xmas I had 1/3 of the class missing. No point covering anything new with the remaining kids because it would have to be covered again when the holiday ones returned. Also felt so sorry for the music teacher who’d worked hard with an orchestra all term only to find her entire violin section was on holiday during the Carol concert. Have to say as a teacher it was a real pain having so many out all the time. (This was a y6 class post 11+ exams so probably particularly bad - but there were also sporadic absences lower down the school too.)

I'm one of those parents who took my child out 6 school days early before the Christmas midterm for a trip to the opposite side of the world.

Firstly, living in a 'free country' this rule is anti-democratic, and targetted at parents less invested in their children's education.

Secondary, no one is more invested in my child's education than me, so to have this rule imposed is simply insulting.

As another poster stated, different rules for different schools. Just like the 11+ process. Personally, I think it's ridiculous, but I chose to be part of the system, thus played by their rules.