Truant Parent Loses Court Case

A parent fined £120, for taking his kid out of school to go on holiday, has lost his court case against Isle of Wight council.

Quite right too. They only go to school for 195 days a year, he gets plenty of opportunity for holidays.
When I was a kid no one ever dreamed of missing school to go on holiday, and we never went abroad.

"Term-time holiday dad loses court battle over school fine"

He must be a bit of an idiot anyway. He claimed that he only needed to send the kid to school "Regularly" in order to comply with the law.
Doesn't he know what regular means?
It could mean once a week, or what about once a month, once a year, or any other consistent pattern one chooses.

Then he made this statement..
"Parents would find it "utterly shocking" that they needed the "permission of the state" to decide on school attendance."

No they wouldn't Mr Pratt, the law is very clear on that, kid doesn't go to school, parent goes to jail.
And what do kids who miss school turn out like? Mr Pratt, thats who.

I agree Volty. We have heard a lot more about him down in the south (unfortunately), as he comes from the local area, local as far as the tv company is concerned. He certainly seems to fancy himself, and has said he will condescend to send his child to school as long as they let him take him out if he wants, otherwise he will go private. That is probably appropriate for the father, who seems a suitably obnoxious prat for private schools, but unfortunate for the son, who will then be forced to socialise with a load of p....s, and probably become like them

Today is/was the first I have heard of this educational expert.
He clearly thinks that education is like his variety of work, turn up, do what you did yesterday but expect more money for it, go home, book a foreign holiday, Da capo.

As you say, the kid is the victim. Probably hereditary.
It might be better all round if said kid is packed off not just to a private school but a boarding school, less exposure to a very bad influence, i.e. the doorknob who thinks he knows better than the rest of the country.

One thing that amused me, the BBC interviewed kids about what they thought regards truanting to go on holiday.
There were a couple of very sensible suggestions but on the whole kids are not to be relied upon for an informed opinion, rather like Mr Pratt is isn't.

Its about time the tour providers stopped upping there prices during school holidays

If parents chose to go it alone in the UK for a couple of years, prices would plummet, but not while people keep paying.
It isn't compulsory to go away on holiday and it certainly isn't necessary to take kids abroad.

Quote: astwood wrote in post #4

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Its about time the tour providers stopped upping there prices during school holidays

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