New School Penalty Fines For In Term Holidays - What Do You Think?

If it’s kids missing school because of holidays then I agree but if it’s for other reasons like family issues, mental health, illness then I disagree.

Absolute bag of bull you fine a family not both parents bloody disgusting get travel companies to change

My kid has a better attendance than his teacher, good luck trying to enforce a fine. It comes down to the head to decide if it’s pursued and should be done on a case by basis

All my children are adults now and so glad I do not have this problem anymore. Yes, I used to take them out of school as the holidays were so much cheaper. It all boils down to supply and demand. The travel companies are too blame but they need to make their money to survive.

I don’t have kids but think this is pretty unfair, what are parents who can’t afford the extortionate fees in school holidays supposed to do?

How is it fair that they and their children will miss out on travelling

I think it's dreadful, some parents can only take their children away during term time when everything is cheaper! Why can't they allow one holiday a year without the threat of a large fine. When children have a genuine reason for missing school, such as illness then no fines should be made!

I think this is awful, what if a child is generally ill and misses 10 sessions. Theirs going to be more kids coming to school ill, and spreading germs. As parents will be scared thAt their children will be fined

I can't see schools fining parents being fined for kids being sick. It's aimed at those that take the mick out and take the kids out 2 or 3 times a year

I used to take my kids out for one week a year - i explained to the headmaster if was either that or he gave me the difference in the cost of the holiday. Its ridiculous that the same holiday can almost double during the holidsys and why should my kids miss out ? There were plenty of kids that would go on holiday in term time 4 or 5 times a year !

We plan out holidays around school holidays so it doesn't effect us, it's just another way to fleece money out of folk

If a child is off ill then parents shouldn't be fined. If the child is off school once a year for a holiday then it is OK, if it is happening a lot then yes some sort of fine should be given as it will be affecting the child's education.

Ridiculous. 2 weeks authorised holiday a year never affected my education when I was at school, and everyone else's 2 weeks authorised holidays never affected my education either.

It's beneficial to children and their mental health.

I have 5 little ones, so a holiday out of term time would be impossible, and a fine of potentially £160x5 for each parent would be equally ridiculous coming in at a £1600 fine.

So I guess we will just continue to suffer with a system that already neglects mental health for kids and adults alike, and make it even worse for the sake of a few pennies in their back pocket!

Families need a break, it's hard times for everybody and here we have a system that wants to make living life harder for everybody.

Can't you tell people with money and no/minimal children have come up/supported this ludicrous idea?!

Do the children not miss there education when the teachers go on strike or does that not count towards children missing there education at school?

Schools, education staff & government don’t be hypocrites.

Don‘t fine if a child has excellent school attendance. I was one of these parents who said children shouldn’t miss school but what choices do some families have when holiday prices are so high.

People shouldn’t judge when schools close for strikes.

As an independent travel agent I have to say I find it highly frustrating to see airlines and hotels increase their prices in school holiday times. Not only does this mean paying higher prices when you stick to school holidays, but if anyone needs more holidays in a year it is families!!! Sometimes the difference in price from a Friday to a Saturday departure is massive and I try so hard to seek options in budget for my clients. The best rule of thumb if you are wanting the best price is to book as early as possible (on a deposit). All airlines and hotels have 'dynamic pricing' now, which means a computer tells them when demand is high. High demand = higher prices. Last minute bargains are a thing of the past (or you get the rubbish hotels/resorts!!)

This is absurd. The most holiday children get from school is 2 weeks. We don’t all have family that live happily in the Uk we are a multicultural nation and should not have to be stipulated when we can have holidays ( like in the summer 6 weeks)

They don’t take that into consideration. Also the 6 weeks holiday , we get ripped off because the prices are sky high. put the prices down and we will not take our children out of school . Hearing this makes me feel very ashamed of the British schools. Another money making scheme which always inflicts the poor / working class .

It’s ridiculous. The fine isn’t big enough to act as a deterrent. Families should not be punished financially, the holiday and travel companies should be reducing their prices in school holidays, or at least levelling them out across the year. Families need holidays, make them affordable.

Everything in this country is about fining people and fleecing them for money. Thou children need to attend school regularly they also learn a lot of things outside school and that includes going on holidays to different places/ different countries and experiencing different things. things

If children are off school for important reasons such as illness or bereavement, then there should be no fines. But if they are off school just to go on holiday, then fair enough.

My two girls Granddad has a terminal disease and this yr they are paying for us all to go on holiday in on the 8th September for a wk its all about making memories, I hoping the school will understand

It seems to me government is here solely for the purpose of making the little people pay. No change there over hundreds of years, the elite raise money by taxing and fining the poor and because they are poor they have no legal recourse unless it's small claims court. I don't feel kids should miss school days when they have about 13 weeks per year holidays but there has to be a better way. Constantly finding more ways of 'punishing ' folk by making them poorer helps no one.

Don't have any children of school age now but I do like to take my grandkids away in my own time I think if they have got good attendance in school and is linked to a school holiday I don't see the problem

It's the holiday company's that need to sort the prices out

My children are adults now.

I don't blame parents for taking them out of school,the holiday prices are exhaustion.

But it's OK when the teachers strike,not so bothered about the kids education then,double standards.

I think these fines are fairly similar to what they used to be previously. I suppose the 'lost consideration' is that children going off for holidays in school time are missing education which has been paid for by general tax payers (and it's not cheap!); their learning is so highly regulated that they then have to be specially and often individually taught to try and catch up with work they've missed and finally - school terms aren't new - parents knew about these rules when they joined the school! Sorry folks - as a teacher I ALSO don't have the opportunity to use cheap holiday deals because I've chosen to support children learn - can I have a week off when I fancy it?

Personally I don’t think taking a child off school for a week or two harms them.