‘I think absence fines are a very good idea’: Londoners on school absence fines

We ask Londoners whether families should have to pay if they wish to take their children out of school?

Transcript

00:00I think that children should be at school and that absent fines are a very good idea.

00:07I don't think fines are the only answer. I think that if parents could make a strong

00:12case that they were on a cultural trip or that they could do some coursework or something

00:17while they're away, you know, I don't think it's just like throwing out fines left, right

00:20and centre is the right answer, but I think that they need to avoid people just wanting

00:25to go to Tenerife because it's cheaper. I think if they were saying actually we're

00:29taking them out and going somewhere that's, you know, on a holiday that's tied to the

00:34curriculum in some way and that they can prove that.

00:37I think I disagree with that one. I know school is a public system, public funded, so you

00:42have to stay in and by the end of the day, as you said, there's unforeseen circumstances,

00:45kids go holiday, you have hospitals, you can't, you don't, I think it's just, it's a little

00:51extreme to ask everyone to pay, especially when people are going through their own separate

00:54issues. But I would be pro-cancelling the fees.