mike_field
Vital Football Legend
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/jon-platt-dad-who-fought-legal-battle-over-childs-term-time-trip-convicted-over-unauthorised-trip-a3572186.html
Utterly pathetic decision.
Utterly pathetic decision.
Jon Platt Convicted Over Kid's Holiday
- Thread starter mike_field
- Start date
col8
Vital Football Legend
I understand the need to ensure kids go to school because there are those parents who would just look out the window see a grey sky and say you do have to go today because they cant be arsed to take them out.....
I get that but .. Figures disclosed to the Press Association under Freedom of Information laws have shown, as of May 10, the Department for Education had spent close to £140,000 pursuing the legal action.
£140,000 of the tax payers money.... don't they do sums anymore, it would have been cheaper for the tax payer to pay for the fucking holiday...
I get that but .. Figures disclosed to the Press Association under Freedom of Information laws have shown, as of May 10, the Department for Education had spent close to £140,000 pursuing the legal action.
£140,000 of the tax payers money.... don't they do sums anymore, it would have been cheaper for the tax payer to pay for the fucking holiday...
mike_field
Vital Football Legend
And even with the holiday factored in, his kid had a plus 90% attendance record anyway.
Not like he was a dad whose kid was at school 50% of the time and then went out on a jolly to Disney World.
But then again we do appear to be raising robots thesedays and there's not time for fun or life experience is there.
Shame they didn't spend 140k on the education system itself!
Not like he was a dad whose kid was at school 50% of the time and then went out on a jolly to Disney World.
But then again we do appear to be raising robots thesedays and there's not time for fun or life experience is there.
Shame they didn't spend 140k on the education system itself!
mike_field
Vital Football Legend
Yeah, interesting from the kid's perspective. Might have loved school beforehand but after this I'd have deliberately become irritating to all teachers (wrongly) but the head in particular given what I was like.
Great forward thinking there as you say.
Just pleased they went fine route rather than jail time but well done education system once again...be proud of yourselves.
Great forward thinking there as you say.
Just pleased they went fine route rather than jail time but well done education system once again...be proud of yourselves.
JuanPabloAngel
Alert Team
It's utterly pathetic. This kind of thing makes my blood boil, and I am dangerously close to withdrawing my youngest (he's in Year 3, aged 8) and home schooling him.
For the sake of argument, I want to take the kids away in mid-July, a week before the schools break up for summer. Flights, hotels, package deals, etc., are all way cheaper than in the official holiday period, maybe a week to 10 days later.
What do the kids do in the last few weeks of the summer term? Fuck all. They are asked to bring in DVDs, games, iPads, cricket stuff, whatever. The teaching staff are on the home straight, the curriculum (such as it is) is pretty much done and dusted. The children learn NOTHING in the last two weeks or so of the summer term.
If I decide to take them out of school and go away, I could get fined £60 per child, per week. Despite their attendance being over 95% for the rest of the school year. And by the way, if it looks like falling below 95%, all kinds of shit is prepared by the school ready to be thrown in the general direction of the fan.
So for the past few years, we have decided to play ball, and take the kids away in the holidays, at great extra expense. I honestly thought the government and the education authorities would realise what a farce their current policies amount to and review the situation. Obviously not.
Next holiday, I will pay the fine(s) - we generally only go for a week at a time, so the £120 will still be way cheaper than the extra it would cost for out-of-term-time holidays. Even a fortnight would be better in truth.
Just pathetic, and an accurate reflection of the pathetic and weasly politician who introduced the rule. Fuck you very much Mr Gove. You complete and utter twat. :5:
For the sake of argument, I want to take the kids away in mid-July, a week before the schools break up for summer. Flights, hotels, package deals, etc., are all way cheaper than in the official holiday period, maybe a week to 10 days later.
What do the kids do in the last few weeks of the summer term? Fuck all. They are asked to bring in DVDs, games, iPads, cricket stuff, whatever. The teaching staff are on the home straight, the curriculum (such as it is) is pretty much done and dusted. The children learn NOTHING in the last two weeks or so of the summer term.
If I decide to take them out of school and go away, I could get fined £60 per child, per week. Despite their attendance being over 95% for the rest of the school year. And by the way, if it looks like falling below 95%, all kinds of shit is prepared by the school ready to be thrown in the general direction of the fan.
So for the past few years, we have decided to play ball, and take the kids away in the holidays, at great extra expense. I honestly thought the government and the education authorities would realise what a farce their current policies amount to and review the situation. Obviously not.
Next holiday, I will pay the fine(s) - we generally only go for a week at a time, so the £120 will still be way cheaper than the extra it would cost for out-of-term-time holidays. Even a fortnight would be better in truth.
Just pathetic, and an accurate reflection of the pathetic and weasly politician who introduced the rule. Fuck you very much Mr Gove. You complete and utter twat. :5:
BringbakMON
Vital Football Hero
don't know what's the world coming to when kids are expected to go to school in actual term time.
Jeez - anyone would think that a trip to see Mickey Mouse isn't paramount
DoE should have been awarded their costs and legal aid shouldn't have been wasted on this shite
still #outraged etc
:26:
Jeez - anyone would think that a trip to see Mickey Mouse isn't paramount
DoE should have been awarded their costs and legal aid shouldn't have been wasted on this shite
still #outraged etc
:26:
mike_field
Vital Football Legend
You did me with a crafty edit for a link there Col hadn't seen that. Fantastic letter back - but explains my response as I still thought you were on about this head lol
JPA PM if you want - I more than empathise. Probably not for an open forum.
MON you think a child's development is all about whether or not they can regurgitate for SATS? What about real learning, experience, or should we put the little fuckers back down the mines?
Make the distinction between a wayward parent whose kid has 50% attendance because they are too pissed to wake up and a kid enjoying a family holiday and being a KID with a plus 90% attendance rate despite the holiday.
Suppose you disagree with the parent who was fined for taking his son I believe to Australia. Was only for his Granddad's funeral but he got a tan didn't he.
JPA PM if you want - I more than empathise. Probably not for an open forum.
MON you think a child's development is all about whether or not they can regurgitate for SATS? What about real learning, experience, or should we put the little fuckers back down the mines?
Make the distinction between a wayward parent whose kid has 50% attendance because they are too pissed to wake up and a kid enjoying a family holiday and being a KID with a plus 90% attendance rate despite the holiday.
Suppose you disagree with the parent who was fined for taking his son I believe to Australia. Was only for his Granddad's funeral but he got a tan didn't he.
mike_field
Vital Football Legend
And that's before we get into the fact it's a double enrichment create cash for the NHS whilst MP's rip the state off financially despite taxpayers paying to begin with - and oh now great free schools admin bills are going up as they set up central departments for 2-3 satellite schools whilst the execs are on uber money when all that used to be handled by an LEA covering all schools in an area.
Be amazed how many head's of schools now have stakes in multiple buildings justifying their boosted salaries but the kids don't see a single penny extra.
Be amazed how many head's of schools now have stakes in multiple buildings justifying their boosted salaries but the kids don't see a single penny extra.
BringbakMON
Vital Football Hero
nah fair point - thought it was a gobshite who wanted a cheaper holiday and thought any school rules didn't apply to him - hadn't realised it down the mines week at school rather than the all round 'learning' experience of Disney
JuanPabloAngel
Alert Team
:64:
mike_field
Vital Football Legend
Fair does mate, no from memory of the story kid was well above 90% attendance, he applied for permission but it was denied by the head - so he went by the books all the way but he'd booked up the holiday as a surprise for the family and kids - memory serves he has two at two different schools, this school was the one to object - so he went ahead and took the holiday and then fought it afterwards.
It wasn't like he was taking them for an experience in Skegness (apologies Skeggy) it was true family time and experience and memories that formulate a learned mind.
:18:
It wasn't like he was taking them for an experience in Skegness (apologies Skeggy) it was true family time and experience and memories that formulate a learned mind.
:18:
