Parents fined $1,600 for taking child out of school to attend wedding
School attendance may help contribute toward a student’s overall success, but should parents be charged if their child misses a class?
A couple from Lincolnshire, U.K., are facing a fine of up to £1,000 (about $1,600 CAD) for taking their 10-year-old son out of school so he could attend two family weddings in Scotland (both held within the same week).
Ross and Samantha Woodland say that their son Ewan was out of school for a total of eight days last year to attend the family functions, which reportedly took place about 700 miles away from the school. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Ross states that they filed the relevant paperwork for leave of absence, but the school didn’t see it as an exceptional circumstance.
“They say absence will only be authorized if it is rare, significant, unavoidable and short,” Ross said in the interview. “I expect weddings to come under that context as there is no way we can decide when our relatives hold their weddings.”
The Woodlands were fined £120 (about $195 CAD). The family refused to pay and subsequently received a penalty notice followed by a “letter of intention” to prosecute.
“We waited,” Ross admits. They finally received a summons to appear in court and now face paying up to $1,600 CAD.
An online petition has been set up in defense of the Woodlands, calling for the fine to be revoked and the summons against them dropped.
“We are disputing this as (we) don’t believe parents should be punished like this,” mom Samantha said in a statement.
The Woodlands state that Ross served in the Royal Air Force for 15 years, and even received a Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service. During that time the family apparently missed countless extended family gatherings due to his service commitments.
“Since our children have been of school age they have never before had any time off apart from when…they were ill,” Samantha stated. “Never so much as been late!”
In the U.K., the Department for Education states that a school can only authorize absences in special circumstances, such as a death or observing a religious holiday. The regulations were implemented because officials believed regularly missing school could harm a student’s chances of getting a good education. About 64,000 fines were implemented between September 2013 and August 2014.
The Woodlands aren’t the only parents refusing to pay up. One father refused to pay the penalty fine for taking his 6-year-old daughter (who remained above the 90 per cent attendance rate) on an “unauthorized” seven-day holiday to Disney World in April 2015.
Jon Platts was issued a £60 penalty, which eventually doubled to £120 after he refused to pay.
He took the Isle of Wight’s education authority to court in the spring of 2016; the High Court ruled in his favour and the judges suggested that a child’s overall attendance record would have to be taken into consideration.
As for the Woodlands, they say their child is a star pupil.
“I understand completely action is required for parents who keep their children off regularly, or can’t be bothered to take them to school truancy…but my son’s attendance is 94 per cent,” Samantha states.
A spokesman for Tollbar Multi Academy Trust, of which Reynolds Academy (the child’s school in question) is a member of, has reportedly aligned its policy with Department of Education recommendations.
“Parents or carers do not have the right to withdraw a student from the Academy to go on holiday or for any other reason during term-time.”
“As is clearly stated in our academy policy and listed on our websites, The Education Welfare Service must be informed of unauthorized absences and will take appropriate action, which could include a Penalty Notice or prosecution.”
“Tollbar Multi Academy Trust believes that there is a strong link between student absence and the results that they achieve.”
The Woodlands are to appear in court Friday.
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