Iain Meiklejohn's son really ought to have got him a good card for Father's Day this weekend, as the internet has dubbed him the best dad ever for whisking him off on an 'educational trip' to watch the Euros.
The diehard Scotland fan, 48, hilariously informed his son Aleks' teachers that they were heading off to follow their beloved team in the highly-anticipated tournament for academic reasons.
As well as studying the 'extreme emotional highs and lows that only a Scotland fan goes through', the father-and-son are going to visit several cities in Germany - and apparently, the 12-year-old lad is going to write a 'report' about it all.
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If there was ever a way to sell kinaesthetic learning and leaving the country during term time to teachers at Forresters High School in Edinburgh, this is surely it.
Iain shared the contents of his comical email in a post on X showing how he had informed the school about their plans.
It read: "Hi! I am just writing to inform you that Aleks Meiklejohn will not be attending school from Thursday, June 13th until whenever Scotland are eliminated from Euro 2024.
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"We will be going on an educational trip through Germany visiting several cities where we will study the extreme emotional highs and lows that only a Scotland fan goes through.
"I will ensure Aleks completes a report on his return in full detail. M'on Scotland!"
Not everyone was convinced that Iain was telling the truth though, presuming it might have been a prank - that was until he shared a selfie of him and Aleks in the airport online earlier this morning (13 June).
The dad and his lad were seen grinning from ear to ear - clearly both thrilled to be heading on their 'educational' trip - while proudly sporting Scotland jackets.
Iain captioned the post: "We're off!"
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Parents risk being slapped with hefty fines in England for taking their kids out of school, but the rules are a bit different in Scotland as they don't get penalty notices for unauthorised non-attendances like us lot.
However, they can instead be handed 'attendance orders' which demand they explain their child's absence and those without a reasonable excuse could end up being fined up to £1,000.
Iain and Aleks previously attended the 2014 World Cup in Brazil before also showing their support for Scotland at the tournament four years later when it was held in Russia.
After landing in Frankfurt today, the pair will take a train down to Munich to watch the opening match at the Allianz.
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They will then head back to Frankfurt for a few days before travelling to Cologne to the second game - while they plan to enjoy Heidelberg for a couple of days so that Aleks can learn about the culture.
He told you it was educational!
Iain is obviously playing it by ear when it comes to how long they will be away for, but he's booked extra time in work so that he could be there to support Scotland if they succeed.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, the dad explained that he isn't too concerned about taking his 12-year-old out of school.
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He said: "I think in England it is a lot more frowned upon but there have not been issues in the past when we have gone to World Cups and Euros.
"It is also going to be an educational trip as we will be learning about different cultures while building memories for life.
"He is only 12 and he has been to 24 countries including Brazil and Russia. This is nothing new for him."
Tour guide Iain explained that he has been a loyal supporter of the Tartan Army for the last 30 years and he now shares his passion with his young son - but they haven't yet been able to watch Scotland at a 'proper' tournament together yet.
He continued: "A quote that has always stuck with me is, ‘football is not about winning or losing, it is about who you are watching it with’ and that has always stuck in my head.
"Following Scotland together has been amazing- it is massive for us. I’m a Dundee United fan but Aleks is a Hearts fan so we don’t have that club bond, if we go to Dundee Utd vs Hearts then we are sat at opposite ends and it can be a bit awkward. When we follow Poland I want them to win for him and his mum but it is not in my blood.
"I’ve been here, there and everywhere following Scotland. Aleks come along and he loves it, it is our thing now."
How can any educator have a problem after hearing that, eh?
Well....a spokesperson for Edinburgh City Council told LADbible: "Any unauthorised absence would be dealt with in line with the Council’s policy on this."
Topics: Education, Football, Sport, Travel, UK News, Viral, World News, Euro 2024
Olivia Burke