TAKING kids out of school for the holidays is “definitely okay”, according to Katherine Ryan.
The comedian, 40, argued that it is “much more enriching” to leave with your family than to be in “institutionalized education”.
Katherine shares two children, 14-month-old Fenna Grace and Fredtwo, with childhood sweetheart Bobby Kootstra, and has daughter Violet, 14, with ex-boyfriend Alex Edelman.
Speaking on Olivia Attwood’s podcast, So wrong it’s rightthe TV star said it’s “definitely okay” to take the kids away during term time.
She told the former Love Island star: “I think it’s always right to take your children out of institutionalized education.
“I think if you can, you just shouldn’t have them in the first place, because it’s so much more enriching to be with your family and see something and go somewhere and be part of that tribe.”
TV personality Olivia, 33, responded: “I think this is controversial, people get really angry about it online.”
Canadian Katherine argued that holiday companies “raise prices on everything” when it’s not term time, which is one of the reasons to escape during the school year.
She added: “If you’re at a private school, they let you take your kids whenever you want because you’re paying, but they have scholarships, they just let them go.
“And if they go to public school, they keep them there, why, so they can be guardians of the government?
“I don’t understand. I don’t understand any of this.
The mother of three even said that she will pay fines imposed on families who take their children out of school to travel.
She joked: “I’m going to set up a charitable foundation to pay fines to people who took their children out of school.
“I like running marathons and stuff and people are like, ‘What’s the point? charity?’”
Olivia joked: “So Sharon wants to take her kids to Center Parcs for cheap week.”
Currently, families who take children out of school can face fines of up to £160 per trip.
When will higher fines for truancy come into effect?
THE laws – which will make it clear that fines should only be imposed when attendance interventions have failed – will come into force from August, in time for the next academic year, which begins in September.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan highlighted a “global rise in absenteeism” due to schools closing due to lockdown and worsening student mental health.
She said: “Our fantastic schools and teachers unleash children’s imagination, potential and social skills, which is why improving attendance is my number one priority.”
But union bosses rejected the plans, with National Education Union leader Daniel Kebede saying fines were “not the answer”.
He said: “Especially in a cost of living crisis, where some of these families may be struggling to make ends meet, and this would simply plunge them into debt.”
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has promised to tackle school dropouts which have increased in the wake of the Covid pandemic.
The unauthorized absence rate this school year is about 2.2% – about 200,200 children missing school.
I think it is always right to remove your children from institutionalized education
katherine ryan
The crackdown will force all councils to consider fining parents if their children miss five days of school without permission.
Local authorities currently have varying policies on when to issue fixed penalty notices.
Meanwhile, fines will increase from £60 to £80 if paid within three weeks, and from £120 to £160 if paid within four weeks.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story