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

[waldo]

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

Ha ha! If you say so!

You can always post an argument against my position, if you disagree.

No hard feelings, I hope. We are only disagreeing on what is a fairly minor matter. I am sure we would agree about most substantial matters relating to education. I believe attendance is very important, as you evidently do, but I think there is room for a little flexibility. I am uncomfortable with the criminalisation of parents, for reasons already set out, but I certainly understand the pressures underpinning it.

My comments regarding PE and Christmas shopping were, of course, touched with flippancy. I would have hoped that was evident, but perhaps I should have found an emoticon to make this more obvious.

[teamsaint]

It's just legalised truancy.

It is if you make it so.
otherwise it's just authorised absence.
A bit like doing 72 is over the limit if the limit is 70, or legal if it is 75.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It is if you make it so.
otherwise it's just authorised absence.
A bit like doing 72 is over the limit if the limit is 70, or legal if it is 75.

Ordinary truancy is absconding from school without permission.
Legalised truancy is absconding from school with permission.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

My comments regarding PE and Christmas shopping were, of course, touched with flippancy. I would have hoped that was evident, but perhaps I should have found an emoticon to make this more obvious.

Perhaps this one?



?

[french frank]

Legalised truancy is absconding from school with permission.

Can you abscond legally?

[vinteuil]

... there were parents who thought that it was appropriate for children to take days off ... because they did not like PE... .

... and quite right too. How and why the cruel and unnatural punishment of 'PE' is still allowed to survive is a mystery to me. I'm amazed the UN or someone hasn't intervened to ban it outright. It took all my not inconsiderable ingenuity to evade PE and Games for almost the entirety of my secondary education... but I succeeded. One of the many things that made me respond so warmly to the opening sentence of 'A Sentimental Journey' -

" --- They order, said I, this matter better in France --- . . . "

[Flosshilde]

Ha ha! If you say so!

You can always post an argument against my position, if you disagree.

No hard feelings, I hope. We are only disagreeing on what is a fairly minor matter. I am sure we would agree about most substantial matters relating to education. I believe attendance is very important, as you evidently do, but I think there is room for a little flexibility. I am uncomfortable with the criminalisation of parents, for reasons already set out, but I certainly understand the pressures underpinning it.

My comments regarding PE and Christmas shopping were, of course, touched with flippancy. I would have hoped that was evident, but perhaps I should have found an emoticon to make this more obvious.

It does seem that there is a deteriorating relationship between schools/teachers and parents. It's possible that that is a result of the hard-line approach to absence that governments are taking, but I think that the latter is a response to many parents who think that they can do what they want & have no responsibilities - it goes along with the idea that schools are solely responsible for children's behaviour. There could well be an increase in parents wanting to take children out of school for family or religious reasons because of extended families, or garndparents, overseas, and because the school year is still structured round the Christian and agricultural calendars.

[waldo]

It does seem that there is a deteriorating relationship between schools/teachers and parents. It's possible that that is a result of the hard-line approach to absence that governments are taking, but I think that the latter is a response to many parents who think that they can do what they want & have no responsibilities - it goes along with the idea that schools are solely responsible for children's behaviour.......

You could be right. I certainly agree with you when it comes to parents not taking responsibility for their children. For me, this isn't just about behaviour, but also "education" more generally. I am not saying it is a parent's responsibility to teach Chemistry, Latin and History in the evenings, but where possible they really ought to take an active role in their children's learning. Perhaps that is why I take a slightly more relaxed attitude towards school attendance than others. I don't see school as the only place my children will learn, and I don't think of teachers as the only people who will teach them. Nor do I want to accept that the government will decide, through curriculum guidelines etc, the boundaries of my children's education. In addition, I am a little uneasy with the traditional idea of the school: I mean a place which has gates, assemblies, uniforms, arbitrary rules, traditions and rituals. Much of what goes on in schools (I have taught in four, altogether) makes me very uneasy..........but that is the different subject, of course.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Can you abscond legally?

According to this judgement - yes.

[ahinton]

It took all my not inconsiderable ingenuity to evade PE and Games for almost the entirety of my secondary education... but I succeeded

Ah, you and I both! Usually I found ways to try to earn a much needed bob or three doing music copying or something but making prior excuses about some other unavoidable commitment...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... and quite right too. How and why the cruel and unnatural punishment of 'PE' is still allowed to survive is a mystery to me. I'm amazed the UN or someone hasn't intervened to ban it outright. It took all my not inconsiderable ingenuity to evade PE and Games for almost the entirety of my secondary education... but I succeeded.

I wasn't particular good at P.E., and had two left feet as a footballer. But we had a thoughtful teacher who provided a range of activities and gave us scope to concentrate on our strengths as we got older. I became a member of the cross-country running team, and was swimming team captain in my final year, even skiving musical activities to train.
Had that teacher been less understanding, I might not be the fit and healthy person I am today.

[Dave2002]

Ordinary truancy is absconding from school without permission.
Legalised truancy is absconding from school with permission.

I don't think legalised truancy makes sense, though I do "know" what you mean.

[P. G. Tipps]

I don't think legalised truancy makes sense, though I do "know" what you mean.

I think Parental-Enforced Truancy might be a more truthful and honest phrase.

Don't blame the kids for the selfish and anti-social actions of their parents!

[mercia]

one school seems to have come up with a solution

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36323213

[ardcarp]

...which is what independent schools have always done. It's easy to fulfil the statutory hours by longer working days...and school on Saturday mornings...thus allowing longer holidays. Win win.