Parents have reacted to a school's attempt to stop mums and dads being late for pick-up by issuing fines.
The Manchester Evening News reported on Tuesday how families with children at at Woodbank Primary School in Bury have been warned they could be fined £5 for every half an hour if they don't pick them up from school on time.
One dad criticised the school saying the warning, along with reminders not to take children on holiday in term time, is hypocritical when teachers have also announced plans to strike from next week.
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But other parents have now been having their say - and some of them have mocked the school, saying teachers may well have 'shot themselves in the foot' by offering such 'good value childcare'.
Responding to a tweet about the proposed charges, shared by Simon Harris, aka Man Behaving Dadly, Nadia Essex said: "£10 for an extra hour of childcare. Bargain. Shot themselves in the foot with this one me thinks."
Jo Whitehead said: "That’s actually really good value childcare! For many working parents breaking their neck to get to school on time it could be a good wrap-around care option."
Tracy MoMM added: "Absolutely going to backfire, many parents will lose the guilt and effort to be on time and consider £5 per half hour worth it. And probably take the whole half hour if they’re paying for it."
Hundreds of readers have responded to the school's plan on the Manchester Evening News Facebook page, where many gave their support to headteacher Kelly Macadam who told us she would 'only consider charging parents who are persistently and repeatedly late'.
Paige Batty said: "So they should, if you're over half an hour late to pick your kids up you need to sort your priorities out and stop taking advantage of the poor teachers."
And Skye Gray said: "When I worked in a primary school the same children on a regular basis were left waiting for their parents. One often sat with the headteacher for an hour at a time. Some parents made no effort to rush expecting teachers to provide after school care."
Others said that charges often apply at private nurseries, with one saying hers charges £1 for every minute she's late, but one former nursery worker spoke of the impact lateness can have.
"I used to work in private nurseries and the amount of times parents are late is ridiculous," said Stephanie Swann. "Before I drove I had to rely on public transport and if I missed my bus due to parents being late then I’d be waiting an extra 30 minutes for a bus home and not get home until 7.30pm or later.
"I’ve missed appointments or been late for plans because of parents being late and it’s frustrating when it’s the same people all the time. I think they should be fined if it’s the same people continuously being inconsiderate.
"A one-off maybe can’t be helped as things come up, but staff can’t be expected to just hang around all the time. A fine acts as a deterrent to frequent time abusers."
Responding to the complaint from a father whose child attends the Brandlesholme school, head Mrs Macadam told the M.E.N: "It is very important that parents and carers pick up their children on time at the end of the school day.
"Children not collected on time often get upset and distressed if they do not know where their parent is. Also, staff members have to attend meetings, lead extra-curricular clubs or have work to complete, and sometimes have to leave school on time for their own child care arrangements.
"We always make allowances for exceptional circumstances such as an emergency or being stuck in traffic, and we provide a ‘before and after school’ club which parents can use if they are going to be late.
"We would only consider charging parents who are persistently and repeatedly late. To date, no parent has been charged."
Speaking about the response to the school's proposal to fine parents, she said: "I would just say that I am really pleased with the overwhelming positive comments from members of the public on this matter."
What do you think about the threat to fine parents if they are late for pick up? Do you work in a school and sympathise? Has your school sent information about the planned strikes? Let us know in the comments here.
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