New research suggests that the number of parental fines for parents who take their children away in term-time has risen sharply since the Government banned holidays outside the statutory periods except in exceptional circumstances.
Overall, the figures indicate that parents in England received at least 63,837 fines in the academic year to July 2014, compared with 37,650 fines in the previous 12 months. The most fines were in Lancashire, with figures almost trebling in 2013 to 3,106 from 1,125 the year before. The fines are £60 per parent, per child, per period of absence, which rises to £120 if it is not paid within 21 days.
The ban on holidays in term-time has been opposed by thousands of parents, many of whom say that they cannot afford a holiday during school vacations when prices are at their highest, so would miss out on going away as a family if they did not take their children out of school. They also feel that the odd break should not be treated the same way as persistent truancy.
However, local authorities have been quick to fine parents if they do take their children out during a term, with almost 64,000 fines having been issued since the law changed in September last year, a rise of around 70 per cent.
When the law changed, school heads could no longer grant 10 days’ holiday in “special circumstances”, although they can still allow extended leave of more than 10 school days in “exceptional circumstances”. However, these absences are subject to strict rules, with heads expected to decide in advance the exact number of days a pupil may have away from school.
Commenting on the research, schools minister Nick Gibb said that the change in the law came about because research showed that absence from school can damage pupils’ chances of achieving good qualifications. He added that the Government is introducing new rules to give all schools the power to choose their own term dates.