Hurray! The High Court backs Mr Platt....

[waldo]

As so often, something which looks as though it is true is stated as fact. It is not always easy to spot, and I know of one case where neither the parents, nor the school were aware for some considerable time. In that case neither were obviously negligent, because of their lack of awareness, and the behaviour of the child.

Yes, I can see that there are going to be exceptional cases. But I am not sure I would want to base a law around the existence of a small number of very devious children.

In the case above, it does look as if it was a school negligence problem of one kind or another. In every school I have always worked in, class teachers take registers during every lesson. This data is then used to identify anomalies etc. Pretty basic stuff - not rocket science. Truancy for a "considerable time" would not be possible.

Anyway, I suppose I was talking about the great bulk of children with attendance problems, particularly in relation to parental irresponsibility. They are usually easy to spot - at least in my teaching experience.

[Barbirollians]

It isn't a risk. Because the overwhelming evidence is that parents care deeply about education and regular attendance. Such care does not need to be supported with a financial threat.

It is a risk - there are some very irresponsible pig headed parents who believe they know better than anyone and who will now think so long as their child is in school 9 days out of 10 then that will be enough . My mother was a head teacher until 2001 and she told me there were parents who thought that it was appropriate for children to take days off for Christmas shopping , because they did not like PE etc .

The old rule where a head teacher had discretion was a much better idea .

[Dave2002]

In every school I have always worked in, class teachers take registers during every lesson.

Wow - sounds a bit like I'd imagine a high security prison.

I've not heard of that level of monitoring before - I thought morning and afternoon registers were enough, even just morning ones. I do remember morning and afternoon registers from my primary/junior school though. With short periods and large class sizes the loss of time in each class session would (according to our current discussion) be significant - maybe 1%.

Pefrhaps that wouldn't really matter though, as the average maximum attention span of a child (anybody?) is supposed to be about 20 minutes.

[waldo]

Wow - sounds a bit like I'd imagine a high security prison.

I've not heard of that level of monitoring before ......

This is close to the universal practice now - in all schools, not just private ones. Schools have to know who is in every lesson at any one point in time. In my last school, which I left about five years ago, the class register was electronic and linked straight to a central database. Perhaps it is a Health and Safety thing.......

[waldo]

My mother was a head teacher until 2001 and she told me there were parents who thought that it was appropriate for children to take days off for Christmas shopping , because they did not like PE etc......

Well, taking a day off for Christmas shopping is not a bad idea. Nothing ever gets done in the last week of term.........As for PE, that's just sport. Hardly education in any meaningful sense.

But I take your point. Perhaps there are more "pig headed" parents than I thought........

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Well, taking a day off for Christmas shopping is not a bad idea. Nothing ever gets done in the last week of term.........As for PE, that's just sport. Hardly education in any meaningful sense.

But I take your point. Perhaps there are more "pig headed" parents than I thought........

Sweeping statements?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Yes, but there are plenty of mechanisms for dealing with such parents. If necessary, there can be legal remedies. Truancy is easy to spot, after all. What you don't need to do is draw everyone else into the criminal net. That's why it is a bad law. It causes unnecessary friction and generates a good deal of ill feeling.

Truancy is what this whole thread is about. Truancy imposed on children by some parents.

[waldo]

Truancy is what this whole thread is about. Truancy imposed on children by some parents.

Are you saying that a week's holiday in term time is "truancy"?

If so, I would say that you are conflating two fundamentally different kinds of absence.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It's just legalised truancy.

[MrGongGong]

It's just legalised truancy.

You missed the

(200 / 150)

[waldo]

It's just legalised truancy.

Fair enough. We aren't going to agree, obviously............

Never mind. Enjoy the rest of the day. Haydn quartets for me, as soon as I have walked the dog.

[ardcarp]

Of course some parents just phone in to say their child is off sick. In this way the school is happy because it can tick the 'legit absence' box....even if the school suspects otherwise. Win win? No, because the chid is being involved in a deceit. Much better if head teachers are allowed discretion...as pre-Gove they used to be.

PS I haven't read all the posts, so sorry if this point has already been made.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Of course some parents just phone in to say their child is off sick. In this way the school is happy because it can tick the 'legit absence' box....even if the school suspects otherwise. Win win? No, because the chid is being involved in a deceit. Much better if head teachers are allowed discretion...as pre-Gove they used to be.

I agree with that. But I do think taking holidays during term time should be discouraged.

[Flosshilde]

Well, taking a day off for Christmas shopping is not a bad idea. Nothing ever gets done in the last week of term.........As for PE, that's just sport. Hardly education in any meaningful sense.

At this point I cease to take anything he says seriously.

[Flosshilde]

It's just legalised truancy.