Legal Advice & Education

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Had same thing at my place, I just ignored them and nothing happened.

Me too I got kicked out. Best thing that ever happened to me.

[tinpants]

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

Rules are for the guidance of wise men, and the obedience of idiots...

I think you'll find that should read: "Rules are for the guidance of wise men, and the obedience of fools" A quote attributed to Douglas Bader, a man to whom rules were generally considered an embuggerance and ultimately led to him being incarcerated in Oflag IV C ( Colditz Castle)

Originally Posted by Bellerophon

I think you'll find that should read: "Rules are for the guidance of wise men, and the obedience of fools" A quote attributed to Douglas Bader, a man to whom rules were generally considered an embuggerance and ultimately led to him being incarcerated in Oflag IV C ( Colditz Castle)

Embuggerance was probably the first word he issued after he ignored the rules and barrel-rolled his plane into the ground to lose his legs.

[lazymanc]

Some posts are arguing about "rules" like this is some parent trying to drag their 14 year old kid out of school to go on their jollies mid-term - what we're actually discussing is someone who has chosen to stay in education past the compulsory period and is in the process of learning to become a young adult. Yes, with adulthood comes responsibilities, but surely personal time management and discovering your own learning resources would be ideal qualities to possess?

People are individuals, not battery hens, and what may work best for one lot of youths will not necessarily be good for another. If she finds she works best at home then good for her, as long as her grades reflect that fact.

There's no harm in the parents going in to discuss bending the rule if there is evidence that she's doing well. If the school doesn't want to make an exception then as Supervox says I guess she'll have to begrudgingly obide by their inflexible system until she can move somewhere a little less draconian.

I agree many kids have lost all sense of respect but just because there is a plague of asbo-spawn infesting society, it doesn't mean we should treat all teenagers with equal disdain. The ones showing promise should be encouraged, not beaten down with a big fat rulebook.

[tinpants]

Originally Posted by simesb

Embuggerance was probably the first word he issued after he ignored the rules and barrel-rolled his plane into the ground to lose his legs.

Yeah, you're probably right.

"Come on Douglas, stop arsing around!!"

[yorkie_chris]

Interesting read, cheers all. A couple of you appear to be showing true colours in this one.

Been thinking about this one over lunch...

I really don't see the problem? She isn't failing the course- she hasn't missed a lesson and completes all her work. After school, I went to sixth form college and did exactly the same. Left with some very good results and went onto better things.

Then at uni, I went off on a bit of a tangent work-wise (yet kept it within the realms of the course), which meant the college facilities weren't up to scratch. Consequently, it meant I stayed at home and worked for the majority of the week, using my own computer and resources. Did the uni mind? No. I was producing loads of work and to a very high standard. When I left and used my work to get a decent job/career, I become a poster boy for the uni for how successful they are in creating opportunities for students! However, if I had worked at the uni from 9 to whenever, I wouldn't have been able to achieve any of the stuff they were now shouting about!

So to Ed: Yes, the place had facilities, however I had use of better facilities at home. Is it wrong for me to want to get the most out of my education rather than be at a particular place from 9 to 3? After all, the reason I was there in the first place was my education.

All those rule sticklers posting in this thread - ponder this (as it is a motorcycling forum) How many of you stick to the rules on number plate sizing, tinted visors, noisy exhausts, NSL zones? Even those who have been caught for any of the above, did you still fall into line? I doubt it.

For the record, yes, I am a tree hugging, left wing, Guardian reader who completed a yogurt weaving degree.

Oooh, I never thought the forum would go nuclear over this one I always saw it coming down to a debate over whether "have a go heros" should be allowed to carry AK47s or something.

As another tree hugging, left wing, Guardian reader (although I dropped out of my yoghurt weaving degree because it was secretly run by The Corporations man!) I'm suprising myself by leaning toward the "stick to the rules" camp.

Firstly, arguments to use against the school, because I can certainly see validity in the argument, obviously on a personal level, and quite likely on a wider level too.
1. I'm guessing no-one at the school is going to be arguing that your sister is predicted to get better than the school average grades - do they really want to kick out someone who's going to pull up the school's grade point average?
2. By explaining what your sister is going to be doing with the "free" time that can't be accomplished at school you both prove to the school that by allowing flexibility she'll acheive better results and consequently pull the school up the league tables and secondly will give the school some pointers on what they need to improve.

However, I said I'm leaning toward the "stick to the rules" camp. The rules in place will have a reason, it might not necessarily be a reason that is valid at a personal level but may make some sense when applied to the smooth running of an entire community, ie a school.
One that I can think of off the top of my head would be fire safety - I'm guessing the school needs to keep track of who's in and out of the premises at any given time in case the physics lab goes thermo nuclear or something. Now sure, that can be negated by just agreeing that your sister signs in and out when she comes and goes, however when that's applied to a whole sixth form the school will likely need to pay some admin person an extra hour a day to keep track of it all - that's money that could be better spent on.... better facilities.
The school could be trying (apparently failing admittedly, but trying) to create a "community". You see this more in private schooling and religious state schools, you'll find that certain activities (even past 16) that have no practical bearing on your ability to pass exams will still be compulsory. This is all geared to producing rounded individuals rather than just exam passers. Now admittedly, if this is their goal then it sounds like they're failing, but in the school's shoes - if they allow opt outs of this (and bear in mind once one is allowed then a precedent is set) then the whole school community attempt (at sixth form level at least) is effectively abandoned - they might not want to abandon this concept just yet.

Challenge rules, definitely always challenge rules - in fact that's part of what the school will likely be teaching - make sure the reasons for them are still present and at least in some way valid rather than just a blind adherence to "that's what we've always done". If there is a valid reason consider if whilst it might not be personally applicable it makes some sense in the context of managing and improving an entire community.

Breaking any rule, and then objecting to the consequences is far less likely to get you what you want becuase it puts the party of authority in a difficult position if they accept your challenge.

Far better to challenge the validity of the rule, in advance, and in a way which presents no publicly visible challenge to authority. That is far more likely to get you what you want.

That's my point.

[Bluepete]

In trying to answer your question MissA*, I managaed to find this.

S T A T U T O R Y I N S T R U M E N T S
2006 No. 1751
EDUCATION, ENGLAND
The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006
Made - - - - 1st July 2006
Laid before Parliament 11th July 2006
Coming into force - - 1st September 2006
In exercise of the powers conferred by sections 434(1), (3) and (4), 551(1) and 569 of the

Education Act 1996(

a), the Secretary of State for Education and Skills makes the following

Regulations:

Citation, commencement and application
1.

—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Education (Pupil Registration) (England)

Regulations 2006 and come into force on 1st September 2006.

(2) These Regulations apply only in relation to schools in England.

Interpretation
2.

In these Regulations —

“the local education authority” means, in the case of a school maintained by a local education

authority that local education authority, and in every other case the local education authority
for the area in which the school is situated;
“maintained school” means a school maintained by a local education authority;
“relevant person” means —
(a) in relation to a pupil under the age of 18, a parent of the pupil;

(b) in relation to a pupil who has attained that age, the pupil.

which appears to say that a pupil under 18 has to attend and be registered.

Contents of Attendance Register

6.

—(1) The following particulars must be recorded in the attendance register at the
commencement of each morning session and once during each afternoon session —

which explains the sixth forms request she attend all day.

The full text is here and is not interesting reading.

Maybe have a read of it with your sis and parents before the meeting 'cos I imagine the head will be able to quote it!

Pete.