WITH the UK Government encouraging people to avoid human contact and interaction, many parents are opting to remove their children from school.
But if you choose to do this, could you face a fine?
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Will you be fined if you take your child out of school?
Official advice from the Department of Education suggests that you can be fined for taking your child out of school – for example to go on holiday – during term time without the school’s permission.
Your local council can issue a fine of £60, which rises to £120 each if you do not pay within 21 days.
If you do not pay the fine after 28 days you may be prosecuted for your child’s absence from school.
However, you can allow your child to miss school if either they’re too ill to go in or you’ve got advance permission.
At the moment, schools seem to be taking a more relaxed approach when it comes to parents taking their children out of school over coronavirus.
Some parents have been taking this step in order to protect more vulnerable members of the family from the pandemic.
One family in Yorkshire was told that they wouldn't face fines for taking their child out of school to protect his younger brother, who was born prematurely, according to Yorkshire Live.
But a spokesperson for the Department of Education told The Sun: "It is for headteachers to decide whether an individual absence is authorised.
"But where schools are open and pupils are not unwell and have not been asked to self-isolate by Public Health England, we would expect them to attend school as normal."
They added that this was a "dynamic and changing situation" and we will update the guidance if it changes.
Schools may be told to close soon anyway.
Yesterday, Boris Johnson dropped a heavy hint that schools will close within days after 650,000 people signed a petition urging him to keep kids at home during the coronavirus outbreak.
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What are your rights to time off work?
Some schools in the UK have shut as a precautionary measure to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Meanwhile Ireland has announced it is locking down schools and offices in a bid to get rid of the deadly virus.
In this case, parents are entitled to take time off work to look after their children without facing disciplinary action or losing their job.
This is known as "dependent leave" which allows the parent time off to deal with an unexpected problem or emergency.
The downside is that you won't be paid for the time off, unless your employer specifically says that you will.
You may be able to negotiate taking holiday with your employer if you'd still like to get paid and are entitled to paid holiday but this will be at their discretion.
But crucially, you don’t have to make the missed time up later on.
If you're self-employed, there is no extra help at the moment, although you can apply for benefits if you are unable to work.
Here's what to do if you lose your job or are made redundant due to coronavirus.
Some good news if you own your own home – mortgage lenders are to offer a three month break in bills for coronavirus-hit customers.
And here's how to get help paying bills if you’re struggling during the coronavirus outbreak.
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