mum fined by stockport magistrates

[dotty.]

the husband of the woman who has been fined for taking her 13 year old out of school without permission to give her away at her wedding in st lucia, just said on tv that there were 'inconsistencies' in the school's policy, what did he mean?
http://menmedia.co.uk...-fined-by-magistrates

[squarebear]

I assume he meant similar decisions had been made that allowed children to be away.

[Mamyalynne]

"There are children at Marple Hall that have been given authorised holidays. Because of the inconsistent decisions I didn't think I should have been fined."

Presumably that point - only quoting from the article.

[dotty.]

yes it's in the article but in the actual filmed interview he seemed to be avoiding saying what he really meant

[Mamyalynne]

Maybe in the press soon then if he was saving it.

[sandyRoe]

Could the story be hinting at a set of regulations for the parents of children who go for long holidays on the Indian Sub-Continent and another for couples who want their children as witnesses at their weddings?

[Mamyalynne]

See that is your 'Sherlock' side we discussed earlier Sandy.

[dotty.]

sandy that is just what it seemed to be not saying

[sandyRoe]

The mysterious case of the dog that didn't bark in the night. :-)

[dotty.]

i just read it that the husband was either trying to imply something similar to add fuel or he knew something contraversial but wasn't prepared to say at this time.....huge leap i guess

[thenry]

Reckon I won't check this out ! Too convoluted !

[Gromit]

He meant that the policy isn't consistently applied. Her other child was given permission by his scchool to attend his mother's wedding. The other boy, attending another school was denied permission.

It seems rather odd that a school has the power to deny a pupil attendance to his own mother's wedding. I am sure when the law was introduced, that it was never envisaged that schools would take such an hard line or would be so inflexible in applying it.

[sandyRoe]

As the court case is over they've missed their opportunity to have the headmaster of the school questioned under oath about permitted long absences for one section of the pupils.

[sp1814]

sandyRoe

Has it been confirmed that this is what the parent was hinting at?

[emmie]

perhaps the boy had more time off unrelated to the wedding.

[sandyRoe]

SP1814, Not as far as I know. When there's gaps in a story some of the readers rush to fill them with their own prejudices.

[rockyracoon]

The school can't really defend their actions properly with regards to authorised absence as they're bound by confidentiality, some parents might think Johnny in 9B was skiing in the Alps when in actual fact he was in hospital for surgery.

[ichkeria]

Why on earth were they getting married in St Lucia (during term time)?
Is one of them West Indian?

[jno]

not to judge by the photos, ichkeria (though of course there are white West Indians).

It's the fact that the boy was away for nearly two weeks that raises my eyebrows. Did he go on the honeymoon as well?

[dotty.]

if his mum and step-dad hadn't taken him with them but left him at home they may well have been charged with child endangerment, as assume their family were also on holiday with them judging by the wedding photos