A MUM has left people divided after controversially revealing that she ignores many rules that schools put in place, such as homework, and banning holidays in term time.
Mum of two, Rae Roberts said that there are many school rules that she is not a fan of, and is considering homeschool her children so that they won’t be forced to follow these rules.
Rae revealed that she believes homework should be optional[/caption]
She said that she will take her kids on holiday whenever she likes[/caption]
She revealed that homework will always be “optional” for her kids, as she believes it prevents children from having a healthy balance between home and school life.
“If they come home from school with homework and they want to do it, that’s fine”, she said in a TikTok video.
“But if you don’t want to do it, it’s not going to be an issue.”
The mum, from Birmingham, added that she also doesn’t agree with children having to ask to go to the toilet during lessons.
She explained that she will teach them to be polite, and not to go to the loo when the teacher is in the middle of speaking, but will not allow them to be refused going to the toilet.
“There’s absolutely no way you’re going to put my children in the position to potentially wet themselves”, she said.
“If I have to come and collect my child, take them home to use the toilet and then bring them back to school, I will do that.”
The final rule that Rae does not agree with is the fact that going on holiday is banned during term times.
Each parent is fined £80 per child if their kids miss school to go on holiday during term time, but Rae said that that the fines don’t bother her.
She said: “I’ll take my children on holiday whenever I want to take them on holiday.
“I’ll happily pay the fines to do so.”
Rae’s (@raerobertsx) video has likely struck a chord with many people, as it has racked up over 447,000 views on the video sharing platform.
TikTok users raced to the video’s comments section to share their thoughts, and opinions were divided.
Some critiqued Rae’s parenting style, such as one person who said: “As someone who had a parent like you: Homework is so so so important.
What school fines can parents receive?
THE main issue that can lead to parents receiving a fine is missing school.
Currently, it’s the decision of the local council whether or not to issue a parent a fine for their child missing school.
However, from August this year, the fine for absences will up to the school to consider – when a child has missed 10 or more sessions for unauthorised reasons.
And the fine will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days – this is issued to EACH parent.
It’s the first time the fine has been increased since 2012, and is in line with inflation.
If a parent receives a second fine for the same child within three years, this will automatically be charged at the higher rate of £160.
Fines will be capped at two fines within a three-year period.
After this limit has been reached, prosecution or a parenting order may be considered.
According to the official government website, there are only five reasons your child should be absent from school if the school is open.
These are as follows:
- Your child is too ill to attend that day
- You have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on that day due to exceptional circumstances
- Your child cannot attend school on that day because it is a day you are taking part in religious observance
- Your local authority is responsible for arranging your child’s transport to school and it is not available on that day or has not been provided yet
- You are a gypsy/traveller family with no fixed abode, and you are required to travel for work that day meaning your child cannot attend their usual school
“Not having that discipline early on really has impacted my attitude towards deadlines and university submissions.”
A second person said: “Homework is essential for the child to re-cap and remember what they are learning.”
A third added: “Homework for me is more of a life lesson than a learning tool.
“It’s about teaching your kids that sometimes you have to prioritise something you don’t want to do because that’s life.”
However, others agreed with Rae, such as one person who said: “As a teacher I back you on the homework!
“I never set my kids homework instead I set optional work for home which is down to parental discretion.”
A second person added: “Totally agree about the homework.
“My son learnt to ride his bike instead of doing homework last term and I think that is much more beneficial to him.”
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