Truancy

There is currently a campaign going on in Manchester to try and reduce parent condoned truancy. The aim is discourage parents from going on holiday during term time and the the posters say things such as;

'Taking off during term time could land you with a fine. It counts as truancy. And as a parent, you are legally responsible for making sure your child is at school, or you could face a fine.'

Predictably enough, some home educating parents are angry about this and want the posters amended to remind people that only pupils registered at school are obliged to attend. I rather think that most people know this any way and that the posters are aimed at the 99.5% of parents whose children are registered pupils at a school. I had to laugh about this, because of course Graham Stuart, the home educators friend, said precisely the same thing himself last year. See;


http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/153756/Get-your-child-to-school-and-win-flying-lessons


You see? I bet you guys didn't know that it is,'tantamount to child abuse not to make sure your children go to school'? And don't forget that parents should do ' their legal duty and send their children to be educated at school.' I'm sure that if these views are acceptable from Graham Stuart, they should be equally acceptable from Manchester Council!