Manchester couple beat fine for taking children on Spanish holiday

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Granada - a cultural gem

A MANCHESTER couple who were fined £240 after taking their chidren on an ‘educational’ tour of Spain during school term time, have won their appeal against the decision.

Arguing that holidays during the peak summer season were far too expensive, Neil Hynes and Hannah Manchester were able to convince the civil court that the trip with their primary age children offered important educational value and wasnt simply a spontaneous jaunt into the sun.

“We don’t take the boys out of school for just any old reason,” said Ms Manchester, “but we’re very confident that the outstanding attendance of both our boys, and the broader educational value of our planned trip meant it was acceptable on this occasion.”

The couple had embarked on an extensive trip with their two sons, Isaak, 10, and Liam, six, taking in the capital Madrid, Murcia, and Granada.

“The trip delivered all of that including a visit to a capital city, important landmarks, art galleries and museums not to mention of course exposure to Spanish as a language which Isaak studies at school”, explained the boys’ mother.

The fine was quickly withdrawn and now the pair are calling upon other parents to stand up for their rights, while retaining responsibility for their childrens education.

Manchester’s Local Education Authority has not commented on whether the couple’s success in effect means that a trip to Spain is educationally superior to sitting in a drab classroom studying arithmetic.

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Comments


    • Mike in ESP

      21 August 2016 • 08:27

      Well done, I do think that it is educational to take your children to a foreign country and there should be no restrictions on doing so in school term, even if it is to beat the high prices as it is still educational…. keeping your children off school because you can’t be bothered making them go or allowing them to “mitch” off is another matter. Sometimes I feel in todays society it is those that are supposed to be smart who are the stupid ones.

    • Toni in Spain

      21 August 2016 • 08:41

      I am surprised that these Local Authorities are still imposing fines on parents taking their children out of school during term time after that High Court ruling earlier during the year. Providing parents can prove that they are not being irresponsible in their actions there should be no fines after that historic case..

    • kay peukert

      21 August 2016 • 10:41

      good on them I thoroughly agree – as i had three children to take on holiday it was a nightmare could never get the reductions- always one had to pay full price (adult) plus of course all the kids away at the same time – I moved them to another school which had
      different holiday times so we had our holidays last week of state school and the first week of state school back
      kay

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