At the beginning of the month the five of us went to Dubai for a week of Winter sun. We went on the Monday and came home on the following Monday evening. My older boys were to due to go back to school after the Christmas holidays on the Tuesday, a day after we flew out. Meaning that in the end they had 6 days out of school. I do not like taking them out really because I do not like breaking rules but because of my partners work in the football industry it is impossible for him to get a solid block of days off work during December because there is so much football being played so the only space in his schedule was the block we booked. I understand we do not have to go away on holiday, we are very lucky we can afford to do so and that would be how the education board would see it but don’t my children deserve to travel and see the world?
Yesterday we received the four fines for taking them out of school for at least 10 sessions, morning and afternoon count as a session each. The fines are £80 per parent, per child. So in total the fines were £320 quite a lot of money, but in all honesty we probably saved more than that on the holiday itself by taking them in term time.
I am accepting of the fact we received the fines and resolved to paying them quickly. However there is a small part of me that wants to protest. My boys are 8 and in year 4 of primary school so I’m about to blame COVID for something else. They were three when we first went into lockdown and of course because I cannot see into the future I had chosen to not take them abroad before that happened. I had twins and the thought of all the stuff they would need me to bring just didn’t appeal to me while they were so small. Meaning they could not go on their first holiday abroad until they were 6 when travel had become easier again. But by then of course they had started school and the only options are paying extortionate prices for flights and hotels and also going to resorts that are so packed you have to get up at 3am to guarantee a sun lounger.
I guess I just feel like they deserve to visit other countries and see the world. They deserve a break as well as I do. They are good boys who do work hard at school and will catch up on what they miss and maybe once they start high school I won’t take them out. But while they are so small and can really experience the magic of building sandcastles on the beach, collecting shells, splashing in a warm pool and giggling down water slides which they won’t want to do forever shouldn’t we be able to let them do that? Shouldn’t we be able to decide for ourselves to make these beautiful memories with our babies without the fear of a fine while we still can?
My other thoughts about the fines is that if you go to private school you don’t get them, you can take them out as you please. I suppose you could argue that they pay for that privilege and that is of course a good point but if it is to do with missing education then aren’t they all missing the same education so therefore shouldn’t they also be held to the same rules?
Disagree with me? I’m interested in other people’s opinions on this….
NJ x
nicola jayne 