£120 fine for holiday absence

[Firstxmastrip]

Originally Posted by nadya

Its shocking,I would homeschool but their needs mean that this isnt possible,the pandemic showed us that.Also if this new bill comes into being,homeschooling with ehcp would mean me registering as a school😯

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They will make you register, wonder if they will offer any ‘school’ funding. Bet not.

[Bootrip2]

I wonder how long it will take before it becomes law?

[nadya]

Originally Posted by Bootrip2

I wonder how long it will take before it becomes law?

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I read they are apparently aiming for september 2023 .

[nadya]

Originally Posted by Firstxmastrip

They will make you register, wonder if they will offer any ‘school’ funding. Bet not.

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😄 definately not!

[Bootrip2]

Originally Posted by nadya

I read they are apparently aiming for september 2023 .

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Best get all our holidays out of our system next school year then!

[vampiress88]

Power and money. Always seems to come down to that.

[caj]

Originally Posted by vampiress88

Power and money. Always seems to come down to that.

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I also thought that ... power, sex or money!

[DisneySarah]

I find it all rather rich considering my daughter is nearly 8 and hasn’t yet had a full year at school without disruption or it being closed to her for months on end.

I am saying this as a former teacher; I know it is disruptive if a child misses time at school and the rule should be applied across the board for the safety of children. However, as a parent, I will decide if and when to take my child out of school for a short amount of time. I carefully weigh up the pros and cons of her missing school. I will pay the fine in the future but it won’t deter me.

For us it isn’t about just cost, but to do with the fact that my DH can simply not always take time off during the school holidays.

[Tinkerbell]

Originally Posted by DisneySarah

I find it all rather rich considering my daughter is nearly 8 and hasn’t yet had a full year at school without disruption or it being closed to her for months on end.

I am saying this as a former teacher; I know it is disruptive if a child misses time at school and the rule should be applied across the board for the safety of children. However, as a parent, I will decide if and when to take my child out of school for a short amount of time. I carefully weigh up the pros and cons of her missing school. I will pay the fine in the future but it won’t deter me.

For us it isn’t about just cost, but to do with the fact that my DH can simply not always take time off during the school holidays.

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Exactly this...of course political leaders can take time off during school holidays and can afford too...another example of being completely out of touch

[duchy]

I remember been fascinated at Wakes weeks when I worked in travel as we didn’t have them in the south east but some of the more northern branches did.
The biggest disadvantage of them seemed to be the likelihood you’d end up on the same holiday as your colleagues and neighbours
Pre fines my son’s school added a week onto Whitsun as so many parents took Whitsun and then the following week that classes were half empty and we broke up a week later in July.
Worked well for years until two parents complained they didn’t like it as they had kids at other schools too and the LEA made the school go back in line. Those parents were not popular.

Originally Posted by Smilesonfaces

I don’t really think it is the families who take their children out of school on odd occasions that are the issue. They are just an easy target who will pay the fines.

There are families who take their children out for several weeks at a time and hopefully this will be clamped down on.

I agree, that with the holiday companies it is supply and demand and there is little can be done to force companies to charge less. I do think schools could be more helpful with the setting of holidays. Our primary school had 2 weeks at May and October and a shorter summer. It was great for organising holidays. High school just had 1 week for each and added all the inset days to Christmas. Sometimes that one day before or after would have made all the difference to prices and availability of holidays for parents and staff. A local school here gives all the inset days in mid June giving staff and pupils the opportunity for a cheaper week.

When I was at school ( long time ago) we had Wakes weeks. All the local towns had their own two weeks and a shorter summer. It spread the holidays right from the end of May to mid September.

I think the easy answer is to fine parents. Lots of other possibilities should also be looked at too.

Sickness does also need to be looked at. Husband and I always worked and had no family to help. Son and daughter knew they could only stay off if they genuinely couldn’t go to school and this was extremely rare. My friend, stay at home mum, her children were always off with the slightest sniffle. The schools will be aware of genuine illness and the ones who are off all the time for odd days here and there. Sickness has to be taken into account in some way otherwise parents will just ring in sick for them.

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