“The cost of going on holiday out of school time is double, if not more”

UNFAIR POLICY ON FINES FOR PARENTS

I have just read your article on fining parents for absence from schools.

I feel and I know that other parents feel the same that it is not a fair policy.

I would like to know who makes the decision as to whether a child can be granted authorised leave?

Is it the school or is the county council?

I do not feel that each case is taken individually, I do know that some people may not follow the rules but there are a lot of parents including myself where my child's attendance is 100 per cent each and every term. when trying to make a request in regards to taking my child out of school this year for multiple special occasions I feel I just got shut down straight away.

Why does the school think it's ok to make a decision what is important, bearing in mind that the school my daughter attends last year thought it was okay to shut the whole school for a funeral for a teacher they lost, albeit I believe this to be a sad occasion the teacher was not immediate family to any member of staff, the school has a duty to parents and children but take the matter into there own hands and as a working parent had to make extra special arrangements on top of all the teacher training days. Yet the school does not get fined?

I strongly feel, how can we be fined as parents when on occasions family trips are probably more educational. Also the fact that although it will never change the prices of holidays more than double in the school holiday,

Even as working parents most people cannot afford to go in these times so booking a holiday out of school holiday and getting fined will always be a lesser cost.

It does not surprise me that the amount of fines have risen as I believe parents will continue to do what they need to do for there family within reason and the amount they are able to spend.

C Smith

By Email

OUTRAGED AT FINES FOR SCHOOL ABSENCE

After reading your article on parents being fined for school absences, I feel compelled to write to you.

I think fining parents is just yet another way of taking money from the public. It's an outrage.

The cost of going on holiday out of school time is double, if not more, than if you went in school time.

This is a disgrace and the reason why parents take children out of school and pay the fines. Where is this money raised going and what is it being used for?

What infuriates me the most though is teacher training days, irrelevant school outings and days of watching films as it's end of term, yet if I take my child out of school I'm sternly informed I am ruining

their education.

It is an absolute joke the way this government is run and the education authority wants to stop being so hypercritical.

Gareth Tysoe

By Email

PUPILS NOT HARMED BY A FEW DAYS OFF

It seems to me that fining parents for taking their children out of school during term time is just about making money.

It doesn't stop schools closing at the drop of a hat for 'bad weather' and Baker Days etc. Children could always be given daily homework or asked to give a daily account of their holiday.

But, no,the authorities would rather hound hard-pressed young families to take holiday at the most expensive time of year.

If they are ill or have an accident, they seem not to have a problem catching up so why not holiday.

As long as attendances are good normally, I cannot see how a few days off once or even twice a year will result in a child missing out.

Ken Scanlan

By Email

INFURIATED AT SCHOOL FINES

This matter infuriates my family.

Fines in my opinion should be applicable to parents of children who are persistently off school.

Fines should not be applicable to families whose children regularly attend school, regularly have 100 per cent attendance each term, and children who are never off sick, yet will miss two days at the end of a term and two days at the beginning of a term for a family holiday.

My family fall into the last statement. They always attend, and are very rarely off sick yet as a family we are penalised for simply going on a family holiday. It is our choice when we go on holiday, no authority or school should be able to dictate to people when they can and cannot go on holiday. Family time is important.

We plan to take our children away again this year for a two-week holiday. They will they will miss a week, this is the last week of school. One child would've just finished his SATs tests, therefore the last week for him will be a 'fun' week if he was at school, my the other child is missing a residential trip unfortunately. However said child didn't want to attend anyway, did not want to be away from family.

It's a well-known fact that recommendations for fines come from the headteacher of the school, then the county council issue a fine to both parents. The county council certainly do not sit and look at each and every individual child to determine whether they need a fine or not, it comes from the school.

We will as a family always pay the fine we would not fight it, nor risk being prosecuted as we are good people, but it does feel extremely unfair, and we do feel dictated to.

L Clark

By Email