Are your children missing time from school so you can have family time?

Nearly 1 million children miss at least one day of school in England even with the possibility of being fined £60 per child which is increases to £120 if the fine isn’t paid within 21 days, in the worst case you could face prosecution and be fined up to £2,500 and could be given a jail sentence of three months. Figures show that 50,414 fines worth £3 million were issued to parents for unauthorised absences in 2014-2015.

 The amount of unauthorised absences has increased from 691,910 (in 2014-15) to 801,980 (in 2015-16).  According to the guidelines, you cannot take your children out of school unless they are ill or you have received permission in advance.   To be able to get permission from the school you have to make an application to the head teacher who will ultimately decide if you can take your child out of school. Due to the change in guidelines head teachers may not grant 10 days of authorised absence unless in extreme circumstances.

Poor attendance at school can have a lasting impact on your education. Not only do you miss vital lessons that contribute to your GCSE’s but it can cause you to feel less motivated to work and it can lead to bad behaviour and it can also affect your desire to attend school regularly. Furthermore, missing out on extra-curricular opportunities and experiences can affect your confidence and your ability to maintain healthy friendships. Children who attend school regularly are four times more likely to achieve five or more decent GCSEs than those who are frequently absent.

Recently a debate gained the attention of the media because a father refused to pay his £120 fine, the case went to the Supreme Court. He asked for permission to take his daughter out of school but his request was denied by the head teacher. When he was prosecuted, magistrates refused to convict him.

Due to the prices of package holidays sky rocketing parents sometimes have no choice but to book prior to term dates and some families do not have the financial resources to go on holiday within the given dates. Parents that have children tend to have less money than ones without so why should companies increase their prices during school holidays?  Many people believe the only way to stop this is to boycott companies that are doubling their prices during the school holidays.

Prices of holidays are constantly increasing but does that mean you should jeopardise your child’s future?

Katie Trebes