I am a single mother, I am wondering whatsrights I have over my sons schooling.?

Question

My son lives with me, in a respectable area with nice schools, I would like my son to go to a nice school with a good reputation.

His father doesnt pay much towards my son, I work hard to support us both. I am a Police women.

His father wants his son to go to a school his friends children go to. the school is rough has a bad reputation. He thinks my son should go to.

but I disagree, what rights does his father have over me, can i decide what child i want my son to go to and if not how do i get the right?

I look forwaard to hearing from you.

Kind regards

Becky

Answer 1

Do you have a Parental Responsibility Agreement? It comes automatically with marriage, but if you weren't married, then you will have had to have signed one. If you have one, the father will have a lot more rights. If not, you have a strong case I think, especially if the new school has a bad reputation. Also, moving schools is a big upheaval, and should it come to court, the court will be more in favour of retaining the stability of the child's life, which is likely to include staying at the same school. Why should he move when all his friends are there?

Answer 2

you have more rights over the school as your son lives with you

Answer 3

Surly he should go to school in your catchment area,,however as YOU are looking after your son it should be you who decides,,,,,get some advice from either CAB or your work colleagues

Answer 4

I would think as long as he lives with you that the decision is solely yours as to where he attends school .

My son was going to a bad school for some time as well and was getting into alot of trouble, hanging with the wrong crowd.

My son finished the 8th grade in public school with straight F's and went from that to straight A's and B's being home schooled. Online charter schools are considered the same as public schooling. My son graduated an online charter school and now attends University of Dayton ( a private university ) with scholarships.

Home schooling can work for some. The student needs to be self disciplined enough to do the work and care. Generally less work is involved with an online charter school than in a regular public school. You are also able to work at your own pace. k12 will customize your curriculum and make sure you are where you need to be.

This is the school my other children are now attending,

http://www2.k12.com/getk12/index.html......

Depending on where you live they may be a help, if not, there are online charter schools all over.

They will provide you with the computer, printer, supplies and books that you need as well as teachers and academic advisors. This is the same as a public school but ONLINE at home.

If you choose not to use a virtual school , yes you can still purchase k12 products. http://v7.k12.com/independence.html...

If you need anything else feel free to email me

Answer 5

Hi Becky

The choice, if you are not paying for your child's education is not really your or the child's father to take. The decision is normally dictated by  the catchment area where you live. It may not necessarily be the closest school to you either. If you live in a densely populated area you may well have more options, living in the country will limit you. It is worth remembering that you do not have to accept the first option given to your child and you may appeal against any decision.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

If his Father has parental responsibility then he does have some say in his sons life, but if you are the parent with custody, then the final descision will lie with you.

Parental choice now means you do not have to put your child in a school in your catchment area although priority is given to those who live closer to the school.

As a parent myself I believe your son would benefit from going to a local school as he will make local friends and not spend a lot of time travelling.

Bottom line, you have the final say. Just put him where you feel he would do best.

Answer 7

did you need a critic to state the obvious ?

or is this an opinion thing ?

you seem to be at peace with your situation.

if it would bother you to have the child at a different location it does not matter what any one out side your realm or home,would say.aside from any thing illegal,child abuse or what ever.

what would you do for some one,if you were called upon ?

Answer 8

you have a say in your child's education. if his dad tries to send him against your will ,ask someone to help you research on the schools background, present enough evidence that the school is bad and maybe he'll change his mind.

Answer 9

You don't say if you were married to his father or not, if you were never married and he doesn't have parental responsibility for your son then he has absolutely NO rights at all where your son is concerned. If you were married and he has parental responsibility along with yourself then i would imagine you still will have the right to send your son to the school of your choice, especially as it is your catchment area.

Answer 10

Believe me you don't wanna go there put him in a nice school.

Answer 11

our society is patriarchal. in case of children above five years, male parents have higer decision making power. it will be better to arrive at an amicable and mutually agreed decisions.  However, you may take legal advice as law differs slightly from country to country regarding parents' rights on children's upbringing.

Answer 12

well as you are responsible for the child (he lives with you and you have custody) you have the final say so, but he will only get accepted in schools within the catchment area of where you live.

i can see the fathers point of view, I wouldnt want to go to a school where i didnt know anyone and would like more to follow my friends till college if I was your son.

why dont you ask your son what he thinks. after all its him who has to attend school and the more enjoyable it is, the more he will learn there.

Answer 13

i would say that you have the right to make the decision. if you are not sure, why dont you try talking to your local citizens advice. i had the same problem....and my ex didnt pay anything.

Answer 14

If you have sole custody, you have the right to send your son to whatever school you choose.

Also, in some places (you don't say where you live), fathers have very few, if any, rights when it comes to decisions concerning their kids if they are not married to the child's mother. I know that, in England, my cousin's dad took her to the doctor to have her routine baby jabs and the doctor refused to give her any of her jabs because her mum and dad aren't married. They wouldn't accept his word that both he and her mum wanted her to have her jabs; they had to hear it direct from her mum because, being unmarried parents (although they've lived together for nearly 20 years),*ALL* the rights over the kids rest with their mum.

Answer 15

Hello becky how stupid of his father to want him to go to a school that HIS friends children go to that is madness and also a bit controling to me.

Your son may not want to go there or even like these other children plus the added fact it will be YOU having to work around your job to take him there and back!!!

You live in a nice area with good schools the rules of our education system are they go to nearest available school in your catchment area and that is Locoal Education Office talking not me.

So I doubt very much if you will be allowed to follow his wishes unless you have a good case for it which you do not as you want him to go to nice local school so it is better for him and also for you.

You are looking after him, have custody so it is you that will be you that has the main say not his dad.

Tell his dad the LEA are the ones calling the shots not you that may shut him up.

Answer 16

has his father got parent rights if so yes he can have a say in his sons life? if not then you can send him to what school you like

but saying that i would send him to the school with the beter education anyway and he should respect that wish for his son not because his pals children go there is this to keep tabs on his son and you

Answer 17

If you have custody, you have the say. He can try to bring it to court if he wants, but he wouldn't get far. Since the nice schools are already in the area where your son lives, there's really no chance that a judge would order something different.

Answer 18

Hello there,

We have schooling problems too ..i have my son in a good school very respectable and nice.

We had our daughter down on the list but it's full so we have to either let her go to a really rough school or teach her at home...

can u guess what we did?

Taught her at home untill a place is free.

What i'm trying to say is i would never choose a rough school.

Answer 19

The primary care giver has the say in the child's school.

Answer 20

If you have custody and the father isn't paying for the school then he can't choose the school his son's going to.  Don't let him bully you into making the wrong choice.