$70 fine if a child misses school

[grandmoon]

Have your children had a day off school lately? Just a day off without a good reason?

Well, under a proposed change to the law, you could be hit with a $70 fine if your child misses more than five days a year without a good excuse.

But that’s not half bad, when you realise that it’s a 50 per cent discount on the usual $140 fine.

Education Minister Martin Dixon  says that from  next year, parents will be fined $70.42 if they  don’t provide a valid excuse for their child’s absence.

The fine now is $140.84, but it has not been used against any parents since  the law was introduced in 2006. Under the current law, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development  have to take parents to court to fine them.

Under new laws proposed by Mr Dixon, lame excuses such as shopping days, sleeping in and family visits on more than five days in a year would result in a $70.42 a fine. Truancy, school refusal (where a student is sent home) and cultural days would be exempt.

Details are slim, but principals would be able to alert attendance officers to problem parents with lame excuses. Those parents would then be issued with school attendance notices and would need to provide a valid explanation for their child’s absence.

If they can’t provide a valid excuse, they will be issued with an infringement notice of half a penalty unit.

‘‘On a very small percentage of occasions, parents neglect that important duty, and we need to send a very strong message,’’ Mr Dixon said.

Parents Victoria executive director Gail McHardy said parents needed to be clear about what was an acceptable excuse to their principal.

‘‘Where these measures are resorted to, Victorian parents need to know what is deemed reasonable,’’ Ms McHardy said.

‘‘There  need to be communication messages about the importance of school attendance. At the same time, parents need to know in advance if a breach of uniform policy is important enough to keep a child home.’’

Ms McHardy pointed to Victoria University Secondary College, which sent children home on the first day of school for not having the correct uniform.

She said the proposed laws could encourage parents to lie to school principals about when their child would be absent and why.

She said parents needed to understand the importance of attending school, but there was no need for concern if parents obeyed the rules.

‘‘At this stage, it seems to be like a parking fine, if you don’t park illegally you won’t get fined,’’ she said.

‘‘You do have to ask though, are the people they are targeting likely to pay the fine anyway?’’

She called on the state government to increase support for parents and schools to help with school refusal and truancy to engage children at school.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/70-fine-if-a-child-misses-school-20130211-2e72g.html#ixzz2KZ9EGlQ8

[*crikey*mate*]

I think that it is perfectly acceptable to take a primary school child out for a week or two for a holiday.  

Generally speaking - I don't. (yes that may be that rare occasion where it is unavoidable), but they already get 10 weeks a year - they need to fit it into that IMO.

Primary School provides the foundations for their learning for the rest of their lives - every day is important.

Plus, what about the things they miss at school? Is the teacher expected to take more time to ensure the child has caught up? Teachers have to deliver the curriculum to a schedule - we blame them when a child isn't doing well - but we have to give them a decent chance to do their jobs.

[twinkles**stars]

Generally speaking - I don't. (yes that may be that rare occasion where it is unavoidable), but they already get 10 weeks a year - they need to fit it into that IMO.

Actually they get more than that but that's another topic.

When parents are unable to take annual leave during school holidays what would you have them do? Never have family holidays? Neither of my daughters are able to take leave during those times....makes it even harder from them to have leave at the same time considering they are employed by the same company.

[*pepe]

Generally speaking - I don't. (yes that may be that rare occasion where it is unavoidable), but they already get 10 weeks a year - they need to fit it into that IMO.

Primary School provides the foundations for their learning for the rest of their lives - every day is important.

Plus, what about the things they miss at school? Is the teacher expected to take more time to ensure the child has caught up? Teachers have to deliver the curriculum to a schedule - we blame them when a child isn't doing well - but we have to give them a decent chance to do their jobs.

ummm crikey wasn't it you who kept your daughter home one day a week for mummy and daddy time?  ?:|

[shepherdsrule]

Perhaps a little tough on the parent who sends the 15 year old off to school and is none the wiser if they end up attending or not. The schools need to take some responsibility too. I would not have known how many days my kid's had off until report card time. XX unexplained absences. If the child does not turn up for school and no 'absentee phone call has been made' then parents need to be informed, I think this is a safety issue as well. Surely there can't be that many not attending that someone in the office could not call the parent and enquire as to the reason for the child's absence.

[daydream**believer]

Love it. Bring it on.

I know so many parents who keep their kids home for stupid reasons and then dont bother writing a note to the teacher. On their report, those days are listed as "unexplained absences". My daughters 12 year old friend had 72 unexplained absence days last year. I bet that wouldnt of happened if they were fined $70 each time

[daydream**believer]

READ the article.

Kids wagging when their parents think they are at school wiil NOT be fined

[daydream**believer]

Some parents need to stop babying and pandering to their kids. Be the parent and make sure your kids go to school. My kids need to be near death before i let them stay home. And ive warned them that if i ever find out they are wagging, i will escort them to their class and sit outside the room to make sure they stay in there.

[*crikey*mate*]

Generally speaking - I don't. (yes that may be that rare occasion where it is unavoidable), but they already get 10 weeks a year - they need to fit it into that IMO.

Actually they get more than that but that's another topic.

When parents are unable to take annual leave during school holidays what would you have them do? Never have family holidays? Neither of my daughters are able to take leave during those times....makes it even harder from them to have leave at the same time considering they are employed by the same company.

We're in the same boat here - *shrugs* but I still stand by my opinion.

Hospitality here - school holidays are the busiest time of the year - so no holidays - this even includes Christmas Day... and weekends.

My job didn't suit a family situation, so I found one that did. We've been able to manage a few days at a time for family holidays - never a few weeks though - so it's generally me and the kids or they go to an organized camp etc.

I will say here - that because of that situation - a few years ago, we organized that my daughter had every Wednesday off to spend with her dad (this was the day at school where they did stuff like library, sports, assembly - she only missed one actual class and her dad got the day off that the school approved.) However, we had to show that she was involved in a sport as an extracurricular activity, she had to go to the library in her own time and I was expected to show her the work she was missing - etc. In saying that, my daughter was not a student who was struggling at school though, she has high grades -  the school probably wouldn't have been so kind if she were.

(But I did put in a disclaimer where there were some situations which were unavoidable)

But how about addressing the rest of the post from which you took that quote? How is a teacher supposed to teach a child who isn't even there?

[*crikey*mate*]

ummm crikey wasn't it you who kept your daughter home one day a week for mummy and daddy time?  ?:|

just saw this = look above LOL

Yes it was.

[*crikey*mate*]

Perhaps a little tough on the parent who sends the 15 year old off to school and is none the wiser if they end up attending or not. The schools need to take some responsibility too. I would not have known how many days my kid's had off until report card time. XX unexplained absences. If the child does not turn up for school and no 'absentee phone call has been made' then parents need to be informed, I think this is a safety issue as well. Surely there can't be that many not attending that someone in the office could not call the parent and enquire as to the reason for the child's absence.

Our school has an automated system that if a child isn't present for roll call, an automated text and email is sent asking the parent to respond and explain. Been a few false alarms that have caused anxiety though LOL - like if child is at band practice or similar - so is at school and has missed roll call - had a few tense moments when I've had to ring the school and get them to ensure he's there!

"Dear Parent, Our records indicate that XXX was marked absent this morning. Please call XXX on (phone number) and provide a written explanation on XXX's return to school.

(Got that one today LOL - have a sick kid at home LOL)

Pretty lucky here - our school is pretty closed - so pretty hard to escape once you're in the gates - can either exit through front office or walk past the office window of head of secondary school. Only other way really is in the back of a delivery truck LOL - though at the back of the cross country track, the kids could jump the fence into a neighbours yard after walking through 4 acres of bush.

There's one public school I know of that issues each student with a swipe card - they swipe in and out of every class. Not sure how effective it is though, or how they stop kids giving their swipe cards to other kids to swipe for them....