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The school system has changed. It was ok for decades to have holidays in term time, but in an effort to clamp down on truancy, the schools have found a way to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. As I posted earlier in this thread, some councils punish everything like Suffolk with over 600 cases...

He hasn't instigated any of the court proceedings. That has come from the Isle of Wight. A lot of parents cannot get time off during the school holidays, so you end up with no family holidays at all. The kids then get farmed out to relatives to be looked after during school holidays.

I could only dream about 40 days holiday when I was working. I worked my way up from 22 days to 28 days, which included 8 days bank holidays.

But if you live in Wales, the authorities allow 10 days off for holidays. This is my problem with this ruling. It doesn't apply to private schools, or those in Wales. In Scotland, you cannot take the time off, but if you do, then there isn't a fine. Either the education in this country is...

I missed two whole terms aged 8 when I had glandular fever, but still passed my 11+ to go to grammar school.

That doesn't surprise me. My children went to school in the Kirklees area, and there were problems with SOME parents.

I think parents should be allowed to have common sense. By all means go after the persistent truants, but to prosecute parents for taking a child to their grandfather's funeral is ludicrous. There are compromises, but some schools aren't doing that.

But only in England. Scottish and Welsh children's education doesn't seem to matter. Btw I've just heard on the news that Suffolk fined over 600 parents. Richmond didn't fine one. It's a postcode lottery, not concern for children.

To be fair, it looks as though the school didn't consider it at all. He gave plenty of notice with his request, but it was ignored until the last possible moment, when I imagine somebody just said 'Tell him no'.

Incidentally, the law only applies in England. The school attendance rules set out in the Education Act are applicable to English state schools. Private / independent schools are free to set their own attendance rules In Wales headteachers may authorise absences in certain circumstances...

For all the holier than thou teachers, and those saying children shouldn't have days off. These were all for family funerals, not holidays. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10759580/Parents-reprimanded-for-taking-children-out-of-school-for-family-funeral.html...

That would be good if that's all there was to it. Parents have been fined because they've had a close relative die, had to make funeral arrangements, & take their children out of school for a few days. It's the inflexibility which is so wrong.

Are you 100% sure of that? I knew many office workers who would finish off a job leaving, or get in early, without any overtime. Don't judge someone til you've walked a mile in their shoes.

It was. Mr Platt was fined £60, but didn't pay it, so it was doubled to £120. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-39504338

It's a sledghammer to crack a nut. There were/are levels of truancy which are unacceptable, so to combat it, nobody is allowed time off any more. All parents and children have to suffer because of the few. Holidays are not necessarily going to Disneyland or being rich, but can be as simple as...

Mr Platt's original fine was £60, which the Isle of Wight doubled to £120, when he refused to pay.

Nonsense. Kids could go on holiday in term time when I was growing up, as long as the school was informed. It still works out cheaper to pay £60 fine and save £200 on a holiday.