A father from Kent has slammed his daughter’s school after he was fined for taking her to Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
Neil Young said he took his 14-year-old daughter, Emily, to France to mark the historic event in June.
‘It was no holiday and every day was educational,’ he insisted. ‘It wasn’t a trip to Spain where we sat on the beach and did nothing. We went to different places, speaking to new people and learning new things.’
Neil says he told St Anselm’s Catholic School in Canterbury of their plans ahead of time and assumed there was no issue with taking his daughter, a budding history student with ‘100 per cent attendance’, out of school when they did not reply.
When the school told Neil the absence was not being authorised, he appealed the decision – but the school issued a £60 fine increasing to £120 if not paid within 21 days, before retracting it as an ‘administrative error’.
Emily Young, 14, holds up one of the fines issued to her parents. Neil (right) said the trip was educational, but the school pushed back and issued a £60 fine for unauthorised absence
St Anselm’s Catholic School in Canterbury fined the family after Emily was taken out of school
The father, a military vehicle restorer from Shepherdswell, Kent, says his family were invited to attend the anniversary events by the Invicta Military Preservation Society.
The group visited museums and three different war cemeteries, paid their respects at memorials and met surviving Second World War veterans to coincide with the anniversary of D Day on June 6, 2024.
They even laid a plaque for Emily’s great-grandfather near the Standing for Giants installation, which has 1,475 silhouettes across the British Normandy Memorial.
But two days after arriving in Normandy in June, an attendance officer called Neil and asked him why Emily had not arrived at school.
Neil then received an email informing him the absence was unauthorised and a decision would be taken on whether to issue £60 fines to him and his wife, Annette.
‘It was a bit of a blow and was not what we were expecting. I am disappointed in the school for being like this,’ he said.
‘She had 100% attendance last year and this year so far.’
Neil insisted the ‘once in a lifetime’ trip was fundamentally educational, getting up at 6am to get to historical sites they left at 10pm.
‘Emily wants to do history as a GCSE. I think it is disgraceful the school has done this,’ he said.
After being told Emily’s absence was not being authorised, Neil challenged the decision with assistant headteacher Harriet Holmes.
She replied: ‘I understand you are upset regarding the decision of the school to not authorise this event.
‘I recognise that this is a fantastic opportunity for Emily, however, unfortunately the decision not to authorise this is due to Emily not being a direct part in the activities listed above.
‘Although she is experiencing these she is not required to attend and therefore we cannot authorise the absence from her education.’
British WWII veterans Peter Newton (2-L) and Albert Keir (C) salute during a UK veterans parade in Arromanches-les-Bains on June 6, 2024, as part of the “D-Day” commemorations
Militaries bagpipers and other musicians perform during a British veterans parade on June 6
People attend the D-Day parade with a Royal Guard Of Honour during the commemoration
Penalty notices from KCC arrived at the Youngs’ home this week, giving them 21 days to pay £60 or the fine would be increased to £120.
Ms Holmes he later blamed an ‘administrative error’ for the fines being issued.
She said: ‘The parents are not being fined as this was an administrative error that has been rectified.
‘Whilst we are carrying out Kent County Council policy, we do acknowledge these are exceptional circumstances and have reviewed the coding.’
But when informed of the school’s response, Neil said: ‘They are trying to think of something to blame it on other than they did not agree with [the absence].’
MailOnline approached the school for comment.
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