Term-time holidays warning as parents fined for taking children out of North East Lincolnshire schools
PARENTS have been warned that they do not have the right to take their children out of school for holidays after it was revealed that 359 fines were handed out for truancy in the last academic year.
Between September 2011 and July 2012, 359 parents were given penalty notices for either an unauthorised term time holiday, irregular attendance or if a child is seen in a public place within the first five days of an exclusion.
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Jetting off to the sun?: Taking children out of school could land you a fine.
It is a rise from the previous year, when the number was 332, and 74 penalty notices have already been issued this academic year, since September – despite proven links between attendance and grades.
And as we all welcome in January 2013 – the month most of us book holidays in an attempt to lift those post-Christmas blues – North East Lincolnshire Council chiefs hopes that the number of fines serve as a warning to parents not to take children out of school during term time.
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Many are tempted to because holiday prices shoot up during school holidays.
Councillor Ian Lindley, NELC's portfolio holder for people and communities, said: "The law is clear – there is no parental right to take a child out of school for a holiday.
"It is in every child's interest to attend school on every day possible and there is a direct correlation between school attendance and academic results."
The penalty notice is £50, per parent, per child, if paid within 28 days, at which point it rises to £100 with a further 14 days to pay – and parents are prosecuted if they still have not paid by this point.
However, it is small change compared to the hundreds, or even thousands that families can save by booking holidays even a month before the end of term.
By using a well-known online holiday search engine, we found that a holiday to Florida for two adults and two children – including flights and an Orlando apartment – will cost £2,974 leaving during term time on June 28 and £4,248 on July 31 during school holidays.
It's a difference of £1,274 or an extra 42 per cent.
Head teachers and principals have the discretion to authorise holidays in term times but must follow clear Government guidelines on the special circumstances in which this is allowed.
These are:
For parents whose work means that they can't take holidays outside of term time, if the holiday will have minimal disruption to that pupil's education.
When a family needs to spend time together because of a crisis or serious illness.
Government guidance advises that holidays taken for the following reasons should not be authorised:
Availability of cheap holidays or certain accommodation.
Bad weather in school holiday periods.
Overlap with the beginning or end of term.
Last year, 112 parents were taken to court for not paying the fines – although 59 of these were eventually withdrawn.
In 2010-2011, 103 parents were prosecuted and 34 were withdrawn, which could be for a number of reasons including moving house, incorrect names being recorded, or if a sibling in another year was granted the time off.
Mr Lindley added: "Education welfare officers work closely with children, parents, carers, schools and academies to promote and ensure maximum attendance."
Editor's Comment
SHOULD holiday companies be forced to stop the seemingly unfair method of making prices sky high at peak times?
Any hard-working parent, or indeed teacher, would say yes. The difference in prices between term and holiday time is ridiculous and totally unfair - prohibiting many, many families from enjoying a break.
Time together for any parents with their children is extremely valuable and its worth should not be underestimated. Travelling abroad can also broaden the horizons of children who will experience different environments and cultures – if they steer away from the egg and chip bars of the Euro resorts, that is!
Yet no one is preventing the free market holiday companies from bumping up their prices, in some cases they charge almost double the amount during school breaks when compared to low season.
Can the British working parents actually continue to afford what is now becoming a ‘holiday luxury’?
If that is the case, the situation could get even worse. Faced with a possible downturn in bookings, the companies could decide to hike up prices even more to ensure a healthy return.
Or could they actually decide to take a reality check and, in the current economic climate, offer families a better deal? Now that would spread a little sunshine!
*Can you afford a holiday this year? Comment on this story below
Comments
by Faxfan
Friday, January 04 2013, 3:59PM
“It's a cheek. After the Spring Bank Holiday schools don't seem to know what to do with the students. There are all sorts of actvities, (educational ?) trips out to Alton Towers and the like,
but hardly any school work. Most of the time in the period between Spring Bank holiday and the Summer holiday, children would miss very little. A family holiday would be more beneficial”
by 4caster
Thursday, January 03 2013, 12:25AM
“It is human nature not to value that which we receive free of charge. Parents do not withdraw their children from private fee-paying schools for term-time holidays, because they want to receive their money's worth.
And to those who knock the teaching profession, I have known a lot of teachers in my time. Yes, a few coast along and do the minimum work necessary. But the majority get satisfaction out of doing their best for the pupils. They spend nearly every evening marking work till 10 p.m. or after. Many stay on to supervise after-school activities and work through part of their lunch breaks. And many are not averse to preparing for the term's activities before the start of term.”
by shadowtek
Wednesday, January 02 2013, 11:14PM
“What do most parents do as soon as they get to the holiday destination. dump the children in kids club.
would have been sodding cheaper for you to leave them at home with a responsible adult. while you sit by the pool for a whole week the kids would never know if they are in spain or turkey cos you never leave the all inclusive hotel all week.”
by shadowtek
Wednesday, January 02 2013, 11:06PM
“oh look you have had a kid. well here is some child benefit each week and a loads of tax credits. while we are at it how about some free dental care. plus we will throw in some free education till they are 19. All we ask is you get your child to school every day. but If you want to take your child on holiday when ever you want then you can forget all of the above and pay for every thing yourself .”
by sjs967
Wednesday, January 02 2013, 10:46PM
“the whole point of all this is that time spent at school directly correlates to exam results. they're trying to help your kids. why don't people understand that. if you can't afford to go to your chosen place in holiday time, then go somewhere cheaper. what is more important ? i had what my parents could afford when i was at school and loved it. didn't involve foreign holidays every year. it's all about status now. we went here, we went there..........kids love hols wherever they are.....unless they're brought up within a very materialistic family. people need to understand why their kids should be in school as much as possible. doesn't it make you proud to see a 99-100% attendance rate at the end of the year......or is the glamorous holiday more important to YOU. because i can assure you it makes little difference to the kids.”
by shadowtek
Wednesday, January 02 2013, 10:26PM
“just cut the tax credits as a fine”
by J_G_969
Wednesday, January 02 2013, 6:24PM
“I didn't have any bad experiences. In fact I was one of the brightest in school, I got very good grades with everything. My poor kids on the other hand, just didn't fit, as soon as they brought in the National Curriculum schooling started to die as a feasible education, its so restrictive.
I used to be able to take my children out of school during term time, it never affected their education in any way, as schooling these days is repetition with a bit of extra added on something that was done 4 years before. Do you realise that they do the Victorian era 3 times during a child's' school life. Why don't they do other time periods, or other countries, what happens if a child is interested in Chinese history, or the native American history, they are ignored and their desires and interests are ignored and quite often they are made to feel foolish for having other interests. I understand that teachers have to do what they are told, but you will not persuade me that what they are forced to teach is in anyway an education as defined in the relevant laws of this country. This is...
Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 :-
"The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive
efficient full-time education suitable-
(a) to his age, ability and aptitude, and
(b) to any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance
at school or otherwise."
If you can tell me that ALL children, even a majority are receiving an education suitable to the CHILD, their age, ability and aptitude and not to a block group arbitrarily sorted according to age only, then I may (but not likely) change my mind.
The Special needs provision in schools has already been proven to 'not fit for purpose' in a major inquiry into Special needs provision.
I am sorry that you believe I have insulted teachers I didn't mean to, many of them are utterly dedicated to the children and their education and are to be applauded. They have a horrendous job to do, under restrictions that don't actually allow them to do their job, then they are blamed by parents for not doing their job. They have a strong union, why the hell they aren't using its power to enforce a suitable educational structure is beyond me. Lots of teachers though are jobsworths with degree's that should be stacking shelves in Tesco, some are worse.”
by sibolton
Wednesday, January 02 2013, 6:21PM
“Hi dj
Same each time :-(”
by Jensen125
Wednesday, January 02 2013, 6:17PM
“Classic sheep behavior...the law is the law etc..but how many more laws do we need to follow before its just as bad as china?its slowly getting that way..just people are to sucked up in their own world and will obey to every command the govt says so!... If you're a business type and you have children and your wife also works then, what are the chances of booking a holiday from both of your jobs at the same time? Just not easy is it..and besides to judge by the amount you save on a cash strapped world at the moment then course your going to take the cheaper option. Any moron can see that!... I think its a very touchy subject and there should be stringent regulations that should be taken into account. Not everyone can a afford a dream holiday and when you get the chance to go then you're not going to think twice about one poxy fine...because 2 weeks off is going to fail a child for life! haha please..stop letting the govt lead you on a path of drones!”
by Wilderness
Wednesday, January 02 2013, 5:36PM
“@J_G_969
"State teachers and such ilk seem to forget its the taxes you pay that pay their wages. They are not gods or omnipotent" - Have you had a bad experience with a teacher? The vast majority understand fully who pays their wages. I can only imagine you are from a different generation i.e. old.
It isn't the teachers who drafted the rules, that was politicians through the various LEA's. Just to clear up another point, it isn't the schools that benefit from the fines. That goes into the local council and LEA coffers.”