We were fined £720 for taking the kids on holiday in term time but we have no regrets… we saved SO much money
PARENTS who were fined £720 for taking their kids on holiday said he has no regrets.
Wesley Joyce, 42, from Worcester, took his children Jai-Jai, Cleo and Hallie on a ten-day all-inclusive trip to Turkey during their school term last month.
When they returned home, builder Wesley discovered he and his wife Stacey had both been slapped with fines for each of their three children – adding up to a whopping £720 penalty for the family.
Fuming dad-of-three Wesley got his own back – by sending a fine to teachers for going on strike.
He told PlymouthLive: “The holiday came to £7,000 with seven people all-inclusive.
“If I went in the summer holidays it was £12,000. We just couldn’t afford that.
“About a month before, they had their 13th day of strike action.
“My son went to school last week and the teachers were on strike, he just watched a film all day.
“You want me to pay over £700 because I took my kids out of school, but when they got back there was one training day and then two strike days the week after.”
Wesley posted a letter to his children’s two schools slamming teachers’ “pathetic” decision to walk out – adding that he did not “grant you the ability to strike”.
He also claimed that he asked permission for an authorised absence before the holiday – but was turned down.
Neil Morris, headteacher of Christopher Whitehead Language College, said: “Mr Joyce may be fined for taking his child out for 10 days. The child will have crucial exams in 32 weeks.”
It comes after a fuming dad “fined” his son’s teachers for going on strike after he was hit with a £240 penalty for taking a family holiday in term-time.