Getting the kids up, ready and out the door is a daily battle most parents are familiar with.
But just imagine being slapped with a whooping big fine if you don’t make it to the school gates on time.
This could soon be a reality for parents in the UK, who are set to be fined £120 (over $200 AUD) if their kids are repeatedly late to school.
As The Sunday Times reports, the County Council of Warwickshire in the UK plans to fine parents £60 (over $100 AUD) if their kids are 30 minutes late to school. And if they don't pay the fine within three weeks, it'll be increased to £120 (over $200 AUD).
Parents will also face a fine if their kids don't turn up to school at all.
The fines started at Winter Garden's Academy, a school in Essex, when a School Board Inspection found that late students were disrupting the class with their tardiness. There are other counties in the UK that are contemplating fines.
Some believe the introduction of this fine system is a sign of the growing disconnect between parents and the schools their children attend.
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Eleanor, a former school governor in the UK recently told LBC Radio that many parents "didn't get the school of their choice" and this contributed to the problem.
"So they're juggling work," she explained. "They're juggling taking one child to one school and another child to a different school, and simply what with the traffic and everything else."
While Aussie parents don't currently face late fines, it could be only a matter of time before Australian schools implement similar measures to combat tardiness.
What do you think of the fine system? Do we need it in Australia?
Top Comments
We got detention if late, whatever happened to self-discipline?
I have a kid in my year 7 class (South Australia) who continuously arrives after 11, every single day. We have maths and English in the morning block every single day, as I have several students with Autism and our schedule needs to be consistent. He deliberately misses out on these lessons. His mother blames me for his poor grades; and demands I give him extra help. I have repeatedly explained that I am happy to give him an individual program if he attends school during those lesson times, but I cannot do this if he is not present. The struggle is real. I would welcome fining parents. But only those who are consistently bringing their children to school late.