An angry dad has “fined” his kids’ teachers for going on strike after he was hit with a £360 penalty for taking a family holiday in term-time.<br /><br />Wesley Joyce, 42, was fined when he took his son Jai-Jai, 15, and daughters Cleo, 13, and Hallie, five, to Turkey.<br /><br />He and wife Stacey, 34, treated the family to a ten-day all-inclusive break last month during the school term.<br /><br />The holiday cost £7,000 but Wesley says the same trip would have cost up to £12,000 in the school holidays.<br /><br />When the family returned home to Worcester, Wesley and Stacey received a letter stating they faced a £360 fine.<br /><br />Wesley responded by posting a letter to his children’s two schools, demanding that striking teachers should be charged for refusing to work.<br /><br />In the letter to teachers he said he wasn't able to "grant you the ability to strike" and their absence will be "noted as pathetic".<br /><br />Wesley, a builder, said: "The holiday came to £7,000 with seven people all inclusive. <br /><br />“If I went in the summer holidays it was £12,000 that’s a difference of £5,000.<br /><br />“We just couldn’t afford that and why should we. The memories of a family holiday will live with them forever.<br /><br />"We left on the 8th of June, came back on the 22nd of June and there was a letter on the doorstep. <br /><br />"About a month before, just as they had their 13th day of strike action assuming it wouldn’t be an issue as they've done it. <br /><br />“It's beyond belief. Does it matter what day you’re studying. It doesn’t matter in the summer holidays.<br /><br />"My son went to school last week and the teachers were on strike, he just watched a film all day. <br /><br />“How’s that helping him. Jai-jai has done really well this year but now he’s got ten absent days. <br /><br />"It baffles me how they need all that time. It's not about how much they get paid or not. <br /><br />"It wasn’t just me, I had one and my wife had a letter each. They fined us £60 each, rising to £120. <br /><br />“It was just embarrassing to read from the schools point of view. <br /><br />“You want me to pay over £700 because I took my kid's out of school, but when they got back there were one training day and then two strike days the week after. <br /><br />"Surely they have to think about how it affects the children’s education. <br /><br />“Teachers are supposed to be bright and brainy, but it doesn't look that way right now. <br /><br />"Where does it go, they’re charging me £720 whilst they go on strike, so I can’t work. It's a vicious circle."<br /><br />Wesley claims teachers knew what to expect when they first applied for their jobs and that the strikes are unnecessary. <br /><br />The dad, who once donated a kidney to a stranger suffering from cystic fibrosis, added: <br />"I know children who haven’t been fined who have left and gone on holiday. <br /><br />"They're in the position of who are you to fine us. You can’t fine us. Teachers know the conditions and pay scale, so why do they strike. <br /><br />“If you don’t like the job, go find somewhere else. <br /><br />"I had an email from the school yesterday regarding Jai-Jai. I told them my son is not getting educated. <br /><br />"Supply teachers don’t do anything, we all know.”
