Watch Explosive Reaction Of Term Time Holiday Dad To Court Ruling
6 April 2017, 13:01
"It's OK to be wrong occasionally, you're the child's parents. You should be able to make that decision without the state coming along and saying: you're wrong about that."
Jon Platt spoke to Shelagh Fogarty shortly after the justices upheld a fine imposed on him for taking his daughter out of school for a week-long holiday in 2015.
Platt says the case criminalises millions of parents across Britain who want to take their kids out of school for a break during term time.
"Unauthorised absences have a disruptive effect, not only on the education of the individual child but also on the work of other pupils," said Lady Hale, deputy president of the court.
When he spoke to Shelagh, Platt denied he was angry about it but said instead he was "disappointed, crushed, shocked."
During his explosive reaction, he even linked the judgment to a rise in authoritarianism.
"Irvine Welsh said on the radio the other day: we are being groomed for authoritarianism. That's exactly what this feels like.
"That...as private citizens, the state knows better than us, even what is right for our children. We're a free society, this is not North Korea.
"Surely it cannot be right that some person in a local authority can second guess our decision."
