4000 Swiss Francs Fine for Playing Truant

Here is an English translation of an article from the beginning of this October in the “Tages Anzeiger”, a reputable Swiss Newspapers, translated by yours truly.

I thought that you might be interested to see how the Swiss do things and the matter-of-fact way in which Swiss Newspapers report these matters, without comment. Make up your own headlines from an English Newspaper.

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A mother from the winegrowing town of Waltalingen has to pay expensively for the premature start to her holiday. The woman wanted to take her daughter out of school one day early, in order to fly to Egypt on holiday. As she had already used up her “Joker Days” [days allowed off per year during term time], the school leaders and administrators did not approve the additional days off. However, the mother departed with her daughter anyway. She said to the “Schaffhauser News” that she had thought that a possible fine would be cheaper than the postponement of the flights.

 Now she has received a letter from the district attorney. She and her husband, from whom she is separated, must each pay a fine of Chf 1,500, as well as Chf 500 each by way of administrative costs. [Total of about just under £3,000]

The district attorney wants to use this to clamp down on the bad habit that parents have of switching to cheaper pre-holiday flights with their children. “The fine should be high enough to cancel out the financial advantage”, said the Adelfingen Governor, Peter Weih to the newspaper. Urs Meier, representative of the School Body, is surprised about the amount, but said that this is in the jurisdiction of the Governor. The upper limit is Chf 5,000, but for that, a great deal must happen or a particularly serious offence committed. The parents have lodged an appeal.  The mother says that if the fine is upheld, she will pay, rather than go to prison.

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Now make up the story as the English Newspapers might have reported it.