Holiday truants on the rise

The high cost of a fortnight away during school holidays compared with exactly the

same package for any other time has resulted in more children than ever being taken out of school on unofficial leave.

Last spring, pupils missed nearly 1.4 million school days due to Middle Class Truants', families who deliberately planned vacations to avoid peak-time rates.

Figures published by the Department for Education show almost 20,000 more lost school days than in the previous spring term, provoking a pledge by ministers to get tougher with rule-bending parents. Although a 100 fine is levied against term-time getaways, parents feel it's more than covered by the large savings on holiday deals. And, if paid within 28 days, this penalty is reduced by half.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said: "We are putting in place a series of measures to raise standards of behaviour, to put head teachers and teachers back in control of the classroom, and to get tougher on parents and pupils who do not abide by the rules."

Responding in the Daily Mail, however, writer Julia Llewellyn Smith asked: "How else can we afford our holidays?" before admitting that the prospect of cheap flights was far too tempting to resist.

"It's a crime I never dreamed I'd commit. I was brought up to regard taking children out of school as the height of disrespect." Yet, despite boarding the plane feeling like a criminal, watching her children make sandcastles by the crystal Red Sea was worth every twinge of guilt especially as she saved "hundreds of pounds in the process".

Holiday truants on the rise

By: R Hardman

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