A headteacher has quit his job to travel to the World Cup in Brazil because he would not miss ‘the trip off a lifetime’.
England and West Ham fan Mark Williams told governors at High Lawn Primary School in Bolton he wanted to resign so he could go to the tournament in South America. Controversially they have given him two weeks off during term time to travel to Brazil.
He will return in July for the remainder of the summer term before a new headteacher takes over in September. The decision could infuriate parents who would be punished if they took their children out of school outside holidays.
They can be fined £60 per child, which increases to £120 if it is not paid within 28 days. Failure to pay can result in court action and in extreme cases a short prison term.
Mr Williams flew out to South America on Wednesday – a day before hosts Brazil beat Croatia 3-1 in the opening match of the tournament in Sao Paulo.
Mr Williams said:
‘I offered my resignation to governors so I could fulfil the trip of a lifetime.
However, it was agreed with governors that it would be best for the school for me to continue until the end of the year. We agreed that I would be on unpaid leave of absence for the two-week period.’
No comments:
Post a Comment