[arista]

The School has no choice.
These Sloppy Parents must be Fined


[A primary school is to fine parents
who are late to pick up their children.
Holy Trinity in Gravesend, Kent,
will issue a £1 charge per pupil
every five minutes after 15:40.
Social services will be contacted
if a child remains uncollected at 16:00,
according to a policy that was
introduced earlier this month.
The National Education Union
fears "punitive" fines and "threats"
of social services would "undermine
positive relationships with parents".

The school said paying staff overtime
to care for uncollected children had
become unsustainable and would
impact other aspects of school funding.

Head teacher Denise Gibbs-Naguar
said it was increasingly common
for a "significant number"
of pupils to remain uncollected
30 minutes after the school
finished at 15:30.
She said pupils who are collected
late often
"exhibit signs of anxiety and distress"
and "worry that something may
have happened" to their parents,
adding: "Clearly this is not something
anyone wants a child to experience."]


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-51126559