Travel bargains at root of parents taking term-time family holidays

A summer holiday in October? Parents finding it hard to resist cut-price deals face truancy fines as councils get tough.

Price wars between airlines and holiday companies could be to blame for an increase in the number of families taking term-time holidays.

Parents tempted by bargain off-peak deals are facing stiffer punishment as councils crack down on truancy. Fixed penalties handed out for absenteeism in schools has increased by up to 50 per cent in some areas of England, a survey by BBC Online has revealed.

After illness, family holidays are the second biggest reason that children are not in school. Under the current law, parents can receive a £50 fine for child truancy, rising to £100 if not paid within 28 days

Research into England's 20 largest local councils found that the number of fines issued this academic year were already up by 10 per cent since September. And Liverpool saw the biggest clampdown, with a rise from 77 fines handed out over the autumn term of 2008 to 116 for the same period last year.


A price war between low cost airlines at Liverpool John Lennon Airport has seen more families tempted by off peak deals.


It's estimated that ten per cent of school days are lost nationally because of children going on family breaks.

The economic downturn is being blamed for the rise in truancy as tour operators and airlines have slashed prices to keep people travelling.

Low cost airlines at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport have constantly undercut each other in a battle to win business, which is said to be tempting families to take advantage of breaks that fall outside of the school holidays.

If savings are significantly higher than the £50 fine, then many parents are prepared to jet away and face the consequences.

Liverpool's chief attendance officer Ron Collinson said: “We see some families taking holidays two or three times a year.

"They always seem to take them at key times for the schools, when we're trying to settle them into new environments or they even take them at times that coincide with exams."

At present, individual schools have the discretion to say yes or no to parents wishing to keep children away from school for special reasons.


source: dailymail