Hi all me my hubby and 3 children will be in florida in september for 3 weeks and ive been told by the local council that im going to be fined £300 for taking kids out of school, I know this sounds irresponsible but i dont care, and cant wait to be in sunny florida
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by steelo
Hi all me my hubby and 3 children will be in florida in september for 3 weeks and ive been told by the local council that im going to be fined £300 for taking kids out of school, I know this sounds irresponsible but i dont care, and cant wait to be in sunny florida
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This is always a difficult balance and I have to admit we have missed the odd week tagged onto a half term. Personally, I think that whilst education is a fundamental part of childhood, it is not everything and some good quality family time is just as important. Sounds like you are going to anyway, but have fun.
On the 'education' front...
When our girls were younger, we took them on holiday to Florida during term time - it's the only way we could afford to go there in those days! Successfully argued that the trip was educational. Certainly, a visit to Epcot, going around the lands collecting stamps & autographs in their 'passports' gave them a unique insight into other cultures & was a great talking-point when they returned to school....
They realized that maths has its uses when they tried to convert prices from $ to £ - previously a 'booring' subject !
Fines are just another tax imho, last year we took all our holidays during school breaks. the school on the other hand kept my children out of the class room for 10 days, 5 inset days and a week in paris. the trip to paris may well be argued that it was educational, but did they really learn anything about paris they couldnt have leart in the classroom?? this year we will probably pay the local authority tax and still save money by taking them out of school. i very much doubt that my children will suffer from it either.
Dave
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by FraserLynn
This is always a difficult balance and I have to admit we have missed the odd week tagged onto a half term. Personally, I think that whilst education is a fundamental part of childhood, it is not everything and some good quality family time is just as important. Sounds like you are going to anyway, but have fun.Originally posted by steelo
Hi all me my hubby and 3 children will be in florida in september for 3 weeks and ive been told by the local council that im going to be fined £300 for taking kids out of school, I know this sounds irresponsible but i dont care, and cant wait to be in sunny florida
Absolutely agree with you. It is really important. A friend of mine works in the department at a secondary school that deals with this. From my understanding they have all sorts of things they have to do before you can actually be fined and by the time it gets to that the children are back in school. However things may have changed as it is some time since we had the conversation about it. When I took my children out of school last year (authorised) in September I had a letter in half term as their attendance percentages were down. If we had waited til Christmas it would have been better for their percentages but more detremenatal to their education as there were exams in January. The trouble with the LEA is they hit on the easy targets but leave the parents/children that really need to be dealt with[msnmad]
So true
When our youngest was at our local grammar school his headmaster was fine with parents taking children out of school and was of the opinion education was not confined to a classroom and most subjects could be studied whilst on holiday. It did not harm his education as he has just graduated with a 1st in MChem from a red brick university.
My brother in law is a teacher and it amuses me when I find out his school has had a training day during term time which resulted in the teachers going to Cite Europe for some 'group bonding'.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by steelo
Hi all me my hubby and 3 children will be in florida in september for 3 weeks and ive been told by the local council that im going to be fined £300 for taking kids out of school, I know this sounds irresponsible but i dont care, and cant wait to be in sunny florida
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Refuse to pay it and have your day in court
Ask the council how much they fine parents who dont send there kids to school or let them run riot in the school and watch their faces.
It's a joke the way councils are obsessed with things like this, but then again it is easier to pick on an easy target rather than a tough one I suppose.
Councils not worth the paper they are given to use in the littlest room!!!!
we r going to florida for 3 weeks in oct taking my daughter out of school for 2 weeks as the 1/2 term falls in we had to get permission for the time of and was granted as my husband works in agriculture soo can not take school hols in summer and any way it would b to hot and wet then so this is the best time to go anyway the fines are bad for people but the savings outway the fine
when taking out from school
where does the money from the fine go ? why is it that some schools fine and others dont ? is it an offence to take the children on holiday during term time ? when did the schools take up ownership of our children that we have to ask their permission to take them ? as you can tell i get slightly annoyed about this procedure. its very difficult and costly to me if i take my leave during the school holidays.
Dave
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