Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told The Mirror that parents have a ‘responsibility’ to their kids’ classmates not to take them out of school during term time
A minister pleaded with parents not to take their kids out of school early for the summer holidays – saying they have a “responsibility” to their classmates.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told The Mirror that while she understands families wanting a break together, they must think of others. She said: “If children are not in school, that doesn’t just have an impact on your own child, it has an impact on the whole class.
“Because what teachers tell me is that they have to cover lessons over again to help children with their catch up.” And she added: “If parents then choose to take their child on termtime holidays that does have knock on consequences for everyone.
“And I think it’s about our responsibility not just to our own children, but our responsibility to the whole school community.” Ms Phillipson has previously said she would talk to travel chiefs about pricing, while her Cabinet colleague Heidi Alexander urged airlines to “do the right thing”.
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Last year a record 443,000 fines were issued to parents taking their children out of school during term time to go on holiday – a 53% increase since before Covid. This is despite school absence fines in England going up from £60 to £80 last September – rising to £160 for a second offence within three years.
But Ms Phillipson said there are “green shoots” suggesting school absences are dropping. Analysis last year found holiday package to Greece cost £748 in term time and £1,023 in the school break.
And a package to Spain cost £925 in term time and £1,179 during the school holidays.
In May Transport Secretary Ms Alexander admitted there was little the Government could do to force travel firms to drive down fares.
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Ms Alexander told The Mirror : “Airline pricing is a matter for the airlines. And I think it’s a very difficult thing for the government to interfere in. We don’t have any intention of interfering in those decisions of private companies, but I can understand the frustration of parents when they are looking at the comparative costs of holidays in school holidays and school holidays.
“I would ask the travel industry to consider doing the right thing. But I think there are very limited levers for Government to intervene directly in this.”
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