Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A BRITISH FATHER has lost a Supreme Court case after he was fined for taking his daughter on holiday during the school term.
The court ruled against Jon Platt, who had previously won cases against a £120 fine imposed by Isle of Wight council.
Platt’s case concerned a law that allows parents be fined if their children do not attend school “regularly”.
Platt had sought permission from his daughter’s head teacher to remove her from school during term time for a holiday to Florida. The head teacher refused the request but Platt took his daughter on holiday as planned, causing her to miss seven school days in April 2015.
On her return, he was served with a £60 fine which he did not pay before he was prosecuted in the Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court. The fine was increased to €120.
The magistrates ruled that Platt had no case to answer, saying that his daughter had attended school ‘regularly’ – as required by the law – because, even after the holiday, she had attended 90.3% of the time up to that point in the academic year.
The Council appealed on the issue of whether the magistrates had been entitled to take into account attendance at school outside the period of the absence.
In today’s Supreme Court judgment, justices unanimously agreed that the word ‘regularly’ means “in accordance with the rules prescribed by the school”.
It added:
A boarder fails to attend regularly if he is absent without leave during any part of the school term, and there is no reason why 100% attendance should be required of boarders but not of day pupils.
Accordingly, the penalty notice was properly issued to Mr Platt and, having not paid the penalty fine, he should have been convicted of the offence unless he can establish one of the statutory exceptions.
Lady Hale’s judgment adds that Platt’s actions were “a slap in the face” to other parents.
Finally, given the strictness of the previous law, Parliament is unlikely to have found it acceptable that parents could take their children out of school in blatant disregard of the school rules, either without having asked for permission at all or, having asked for it, been refused. This is not an approach to rule-keeping which any educational system can be expected to find acceptable. It is a slap in the face to those obedient parents who do keep the rules, whatever the cost or inconvenience to themselves.
The BBC quotes Platt as saying outside court that the decision meant the “state was taking the rights away from parents”.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
R.I.P.
When Bowies creative output started to suffer in the 80′s, Prince came in and filled that void magnificently. I always viewed Prince in similar terms to Bowie in the way they challenged the mainstream constantly with their music and image. One crumb of comfort can be taken from his premature demise and that is the thousands of unreleased material he wrote over the years and which fans can look foward to hearing in the future.
On probably his worst album ‘Never Let Me Down’, Bowie sang the line : “The Little Red Corvette has passed me by” …
‘Least greatest’ album I think is more appropriate :)
What is the obsession with celebrities when they pass away?We should be mourning scientists,Doctors,professors and not musicians.A note in a newspaper is worthy,but countless stories one after the other is not on.We are taught to worship these people now and obsess.Sad day man passess away,hey over it.it Sums up society today,willfully ignorant and brainwashed by tv and radio.
You didnt have to pay attention to the article’s on him you know, you have a choice here Lee.
Says Lee Oswald
Yes but you know I have to give my 2 cents here…if I don’t highlight the pure ignorance and lack of common sense who else will?
What’s up Elma?
Musicians of this magnitutde are mourned simply because music means so very much to people; we grow with it, it grows with us, it relieves our stress, it gives us emotional release and it has very positive influences on our energy, body and brain. Prince was a musical genius, many people are upset, obviously not you Lee but thats okay. Maybe you’ve never heard music before
The reason for this is that more people would find Purple Rain to be more emotional and uplifting than Panck’s Constant.
Says the lad called after a dead Assassin????
I think if you did a wee bit of research you would realise I was not an assassin.I had a poor shot ,I could not off pulled of the assassination due to this fact.But you believe the Warren commission,which in itself was flawed from the day it was set up.
Back and to the left, back and to the left.
I sense a slight bit of sarcasm there Elma…The fact is shots could not be done in the time scale suggested.
I’m actually with you on this one tbh.
Thank you Elma,I’m not saying I was not involved.But I certainly did not act alone.I never got the call…
Is this worthy of a separate news story?
Maybe not, but the people who own the website think so, and it’s a free world.
Using your thumbs as a guide, it would appear about 80% thinkn yes it is.
“One day of seven we’ll die”
Gotta get those clicks
Goodnight sweet Prince
RTE government and cronie buddies would not represent the independent freedom loving Prince. They might like his music but they certainly wouldn’t be down with his stances on position on certain things. Might I suggest that PrimeTime do a piece on Chemtrails a subject which Prince was vocal about ???
Maybe they could have played ” something in the water does not compute”…
I agree Mr mango…but as you can see from all the red thumbs you are gettingn most people like to be spoon Fed from the likes of rte news.They hold comfort in their Irish independent,rte news and mor ing Ireland lol.Over educated but lack independent thought and the will to question authority.
Mass media educated sheeple, fleeced of free thought, and totally oblivious to the wool being pulled down over their eyes.
Good work RTE. good work
Thats cool,Prime Time taking a leaf outta Newsnight’s book with a lighter credits and a nice music tribute. Too many rte shows are too stiff and serious
Prince, like most of us like minded, would spit on Rte and it’s lie through omission policies. Prime time is a gate keeper like the war on drugs. They proclaim to be tackling the problem when they really are helping guide the outrage which is the brainwashed masses goto first emotion in reaction to the corruption of their overlords. But even Prince’s soul can’t replace the ones Rte & it’s minions already sold to the devil.!
Surprised anyone in RTE has enough soul to appreciate Prince. Disturbing to realise I have something in common with the government droids in Donnybrook
I wonder did David McCullogh manage to stay awake to hear the tune?
They should have faded the music in rather than just blasting it straight out. It’s a nice sentiment all the same.
Pity RTE is shite for the vast majority of the time.
Last weekthe bodies of two more young males were fished out of Galway Bay and Leo the Loo Head has decided he can afford to tske €14m from mental health.There are plenty more tragedies closer to home Prime Time could theme song, maybe “Suicide is Painless”.but of course it’s not, neither is is victimless.
Prince was a fan of Dick Gregory. He had strong opinions about society and politics and would not have been a fan of state owned and government controlled propaganda tv.
And I’m sure he would appreciate you hijacking the fact they played his music to commemorate his death as an excuse to have a rant. Not.
have your say