British parents face PRISON for taking kids out of school for one-week family vacation

I have good friends in Cumbria looking to visit my family here in the state this year. We talked about this last month...

It's basically to keep the kids in school, so the parents aren't galloping off on holiday whenever they want and yanking the kids along with them.

It surmounts to a 30 GBP fee per child per day of school lost. So, if my friends wanted to come visit for a week during non peak season (anything other than summertime) to save on airfair, they would have to pay a grand total of 600 GBP.

As ridiculous as it sounds....and no, I don't agree with it..and think it's stupid, as I know the average UK citizen cannot just wily nilly afford to pay 600 pounds for two children to simply go on holiday....let alone just decide to "take off" for a week....Other than the fact that I do know that it might be tempting for parents in the UK to take a three day weekend here and there with their kids...as you can fly to other countries without about the same cost and time investment as it would be for us in the US to fly to a different state....so maybe that's what's causing the UK gov't to go batcrap and charge the 30 GBP a day fee.

But honestly, the wealthy are simply going to pay it and laugh. And that's the sad part. For my friends, this will be the first time they've been able to come to the states in what, seven years ? So it's not like they do this every year or every other year, they cannot afford it. Just as much as I can't take my kids to EURO Disney....

I advised my friend to weigh the cost of the 600 GBP penalty fee vs the higher flight costs during summer, go with the cheaper one

zeroBelief

I advised my friend to weigh the cost of the 600 GBP penalty fee vs the higher flight costs during summer, go with the cheaper one

OR... they could simply approach the school in advance and explain their circumstances. Maybe if the children have good school records (grades and attendance), and this is a one-time deal, the school would approve the absence during school term.

I can certainly understand the schools not wanting parents to take their kids out just whenever they felt like it. I would also agree with others here that if the kids were excellent students, and weren't having any existing problems in school - that a one-time week's absence isn't going to hurt anything in the long run. But, talk to the school BEFORE you go, and work it out with the school ahead of time.

society simply cannot get these things right, family time is extremely important yet families get less and less time together.
Parents often work different shifts (due to having children to care for). How can that be healthy for the relationship of the parents? No wonder divorce is so high. Often a parent works somewhere in which the busiest period is during holidays so they cannot get time off so kids often cannot go away somewhere due to the work commitments of their parents. Why should children miss out on life experiences like holidays due to the working life of their parents?

Plenty of ideas could work, for example you could allow EVERY child ONE holiday during a school year (a free week off school). It's not difficult to accommodate. How much are they really going to miss in one week!!!

Holiday companies know families can only go away during school holidays so push prices up as much as 5 times the normal rate!!!

I have a family member who works in a school so cannot go skiing any time other than Christmas, half term or Easter.

Price to go skiing week before holidays roughly £550 (Package including flights & transfers) yet the following week its nearly £2,000!!! because the schools are closed and they know it, ripped off due to supply and demand.

It's the same with work, I strongly believe a typical working week should be 4 days on 3 days off not the typical 5 & 2.
If you are working full time you should be allowed/able to do your hrs in 4 days if you prefer.

You can still put the same hours in but over 1 less day.

Example, I used to work in a factory many years ago which was a 37hrs a week job. we did 8hrs Monday to Thursday and 5hrs on Friday.
I would have much preferred to have done those 5hrs over the 4 days and had 3 days off. It would have only been an extra hour and 15 minutes each day and I'd have got 3 days off. When I did the work was not critical to the factory processes. As long as they hrs were done it did not matter when.
It makes for a much better balance between working life and home life. Even kids could do similar with school.

We need to change the balance of work and family/home life.

People are struggling to cope with the everyday demands of life and something needs to change.

Well looks like Im in big trouble then.
Last year I took my kids back home to their native country on Jun 24 and
returned on 17 Sept so missed 1 month end of term and nearly 2 weeks
beginning.

Its difficult for dual national families that have their families, assets and
business spread across 6000 miles.

And when there are deaths and weddings in the family this makes it particularly
difficult.

Guess they will be contacting me soon about a fine.

If they do Im leaving the country again with the kids because this new rule
is f..king ridiculous and only accounts for people who live in shoe boxes.

What say you ATSer's?

Idiots!!

reply to post by RP2SticksOfDynamite


Two words: home school

Second line

kaylaluv

zeroBelief

I advised my friend to weigh the cost of the 600 GBP penalty fee vs the higher flight costs during summer, go with the cheaper one

OR... they could simply approach the school in advance and explain their circumstances. Maybe if the children have good school records (grades and attendance), and this is a one-time deal, the school would approve the absence during school term.

I can certainly understand the schools not wanting parents to take their kids out just whenever they felt like it. I would also agree with others here that if the kids were excellent students, and weren't having any existing problems in school - that a one-time week's absence isn't going to hurt anything in the long run. But, talk to the school BEFORE you go, and work it out with the school ahead of time.

While I can see that flying here in the States....

I'll email my friends in Cumbria...no, I'll call them...and suggest that to them...and see how many seconds pass before they bust out laughing

reply to post by zeroBelief


Indeed - they won't allow it. The recent changes to the rules means it really has to be an "exceptional circumstance", such as a Wedding/funeral etc.

As for the topic, typical Daily Mail over-reaction. They never faced jail and in the end got fined by the Magistrates.

I also don't buy for one moment that, as the Father claims, he could not get any time off during the school holidays for over 5 years! The reason being is that with suitable notice equal to the time being requested off, an employer must honour the request unless they have good operational reasons for refusing that leave and they must make a reasonable effort to find cover while you're away. There is no way on this planet that he could not have got some time off in the holidays at all over a 5 year period.

I suspect he just fancied a cheaper holiday.

Anyway, they have (or are) also changing the rules with regards to School Term times, allowing schools to set their own instead of the entire nation going off at the same time. This should help alleviate the problem faced by parents with regard to getting time off and not paying in blood for it.

School is critically important. Study time cannot be replaced and it's simply a requirement of life to learn what is covered.

Having said that for the "responsible" side of me? I'll take my own kid out whenever I feel our priorities override theirs. Period. School is critical, yes.... Family life and LIVING is MORE important and comes first. It rarely conflicts and it's my job as a parent to insure that is absoutely minimal....but when it conflicts? The School loses. Every Time. They always will, too.

Time with a text book CAN be made up in other ways. Time lost with loved ones and special life experiences which are lost ... are gone forever. Priorities....we NEED to sort priorities, IMO. They are so far out of whack, priority isn't even considered anymore, it seems.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Quite - me and the missus, after going to the Natural History + Science Museums on a Saturday with the kids, decided that next time we're going on a weekday when it is quieter as we spent 2 1/2 hours of the day just queuing (they had a Big Dino exhibit on) and I know us Brits love a good queue, but it did test my patience.

We'll just call in sick for the kids if needed. We rationalised that it is an educational visit anyway, so no harm done - not like we're going to a theme park (now there's an idea..............)

My son is starting his second year at primary school at the end of this month. We've just received a letter stating that students must not have more than 5 days per year off (unless we provide a letter from a doctor), and should we exceed this, we can expect to be thoroughly investigated. They even state the Government run "Family Services", will be notified as well.

I've just booked a two week vacation with my family during his second term. It's MY son, not theirs. Besides, I personally believe he will learn more from a road trip around part of our country than what he would sitting in school, being trained to be a civilian drone.

This is crackers. This would have had done no harm to the childrens education. Total bollocks. This is in the same boat as when they made the rule where children couldn't have a best friend. They are just making too many rules these days. It's all about total control. In the future, people will have to have apps on their phones to inform them that they are breaking the laws in whatever state/country/city they are residing in at the moment. Is the whole world is going mad as a bag of ferrets?

TamtammyMacx
This is crackers. This would have had done no harm to the childrens education. Total bollocks.

Actually, they had two teenage daughters and missing a week in Secondary school with exams around the corner can have a huge difference, because you may cover off a whole topic in a week.

TamtammyMacx
This is in the same boat as when they made the rule where children couldn't have a best friend. They are just making too many rules these days.

There is no such "rule". There was, many years back now, some talk from some ultra-lefty types that children should be encouraged not to have a "best" friend, but that is a long way from being a "rule". I have 3 kids and not once have they been discouraged from having a "best" friend, in fact both of my kids schools actively try to keep them with their friends when they move up years/classes.

TamtammyMacx
It's all about total control. In the future, people will have to have apps on their phones to inform them that they are breaking the laws in whatever state/country/city they are residing in at the moment. Is the whole world is going mad as a bag of ferrets?

No, it isn't.

reply to post by TRiPWiRE


Oh dear, then I expect you too may well be the subject of a similiar thread in a few months time.

And I really feel for you if your kids schools are so bad they are bringing your kid up to be a "civilian drone", whatever one of those is. They must be awful schools.

reply to post by UFO1414


I had a week out of school once for a vacation, and the only grief I got was not reminding a teacher that I was going to be gone!

Humans I s2g

I just read about the fines on bbc news.

Just crazy. Not really much point to go into any more detail!

Stupid.

1) Prison should be used only for violent offenders or those that pose a risk to soclity.

2) Taking kids out school for a week really? Never hurt me. In fact I learned more going abroad and traveling than the little mindless drones that never went anywhere. 1 Week wont hurt anyone.

And then there is the flip side to this coin, The travel agencies!!! Travel agencies double, triple even quadruple family holiday prices in the school holiday season. Its absolutely shocking. A lot of families take kids out of school in term time for a week as a family holiday can be the difference of £1500 instead of a £4000 holiday taken in the official school holidays. Ive never taken my kids out of school but can understand why they would in order to have a family holiday at a reasonable price instead of being robbed by the travel agencies

thesaint
And then there is the flip side to this coin, The travel agencies!!! Travel agencies double, triple even quadruple family holiday prices in the school holiday season. Its absolutely shocking. A lot of families take kids out of school in term time for a week as a family holiday can be the difference of £1500 instead of a £4000 holiday taken in the official school holidays. Ive never taken my kids out of school but can understand why they would in order to have a family holiday at a reasonable price instead of being robbed by the travel agencies

Well at least the parents have the extra money to pay the fine

joking!