Dad's battle over term-time wedding abroad - right or wrong?

While his 2 youngest children (8 and 10) were granted permission to attend from their primary school – his 12-year-old daughter, in secondary school, was not.

He refused to pay the £60 fine for taking her anyway, and is now expected to stand trial in July, according to The Mirror.

"My step children have never taken any unnecessary time off school and [the eldest] had caught up with all her work within a week of returning to school,” his wife, and the children’s stepmother, argued to the same paper.

"Schools take children on school trips to Europe and around the country for a week or so and that is ok because it's supposed to be 'educational'.

"Well from what I remember all I did on those trips was prat about and hang out with my friends!”

And speaking to The Sun, the dad remarked after his initial court hearing:

“What was I supposed to do, take two and leave the other behind?

“This was an event where the children’s father and stepmother got married, showing commitment to each other as a family.”

On the one hand, we think it’s clear that a parent’s wedding should be classed as an 'exceptional circumstance’, under the law banning school’s from allowing absences for anything but.

And we all know how expensive it can be trying to go abroad in July or August for a little break, let alone pay for a wedding then, too ?

On the other hand, you could argue that, for an 'exceptional circumstance’ event as important as a wedding, this dad could have tried to clear a week-long absence with the schools before setting the final wedding date to ensure there'd be no problems.

After all, you do usually send out Save The Dates well ahead of time so you know your friends and family can come, right?

Or perhaps he could've taken into consideration the fact he may not get ‘permission’ to take his children out – perhaps booking the wedding for a weekend, having a shorter holiday, or paying a bit extra to go abroad earlier the summer, etc.

There's also the tricky question of: is it worth the fight, or is it easier (and nicer for the kids) if you just pay the fine and let it lie?

Have your say

We’re really on the fence about this one – so we wanted to ask you. Would you have reacted in the same way if it was your wedding?

Please share your thoughts on Facebook, or in the comments below

Read more:

• Parents face jail under new term-time holiday laws
• Would you risk the fine? Have your say
• Supreme Court holds up term-time holiday ban