Parents must be allowed the final say on their child’s school attendance

SIR – Millions of people will regard the Supreme Court judgment on school attendance as almost outrageously devoid of common sense. Worse, I believe, as a former teacher and principal, that it will have unintended and unacceptable consequences.

The first consequence is that head teachers will take an even more strict view of their obligation to ensure that pupils attend for every “attendance” (morning and afternoon), and insist that parents provide “proof ” if a child is “prevented from attending by reason of sickness or any unavoidable cause”, as the Education Act puts it. There will be no discretion shown, as state-school head teachers will fear for their own positions if they are found to be acting contrary to the law.

Recently, my daughter decided to keep her child – who had been ill during the night and was not feeling well – at home for the day. When she informed the school, she was told that she had to produce a doctor’s certificate. She managed to arrange an appointment with her GP, only to be refused a certificate. The doctor said her visit was a waste of time for the surgery, as she had taken the correct decision that her child was not fit for school. The GP told her to inform the school of his opinion and said that, if the school requested an opinion from him directly, he would say that it was wasting valuable NHS resources – and refuse the request.

Parents should retaliate against the Supreme Court’s judgment by taking head teachers to court for failing to provide “efficient full-time education” (as required under the Act) when classroom teaching is replaced in the final week of each term by an array of “play” activities, while teachers prepare reports or tidy up before holidays. As we all know, this practice continues in most schools, making a mockery of the protestations of educational authorities, government and now the Supreme Court that every school attendance is vital for a child’s education. A A Edmonds Cirencester, Gloucestershire SIR – I am uneasy with the idea that parents should be fined if their children are taken out of school during term time. The choice must lie with the parents, who must also accept that their actions will probably affect their child’s academic progress.

Some parents are unable to take vacations during school holiday periods, and they should be allowed to take their children away during school time should they wish to do so. In a free society, draconian fines – as opposed to parental choice – have no place. David Kidd Petersfield, Hampshire SIR – Surely it makes sense for schools to co-operate and vary the dates of their holidays, so that all children can go on holiday at a reduced cost. If School A closes two weeks before Easter and School B one week after Easter, it means that hotels, airlines and families all benefit. Philip Goodall Silverstone, Northamptonshire