More children taking holidays in term time
The number of British children missing lessons to go on holiday rose in the last school year, according to the latest figures from the Department for Education.
The percentage of pupils who missed at least one session due to a family holiday in 2016/17 was 16.9%, compared with 14.7% in 2015/16.
The absence rate due to family holidays agreed by the school was 0.1 in 2016/17, the same as in 2015/16.
The percentage of all possible sessions missed due to unauthorised family holidays increased from 0.3 per cent in 2015/16 to 0.4 in 2016/17.
The Government’s report said authorised holiday absence rates are much lower now than in 2006/07 but have been increasing gradually since that date.
Tighter rules came into force in September 2013 stating that term time leave may only be granted in exceptional circumstances, prompting a sharp fall in authorised holiday absence around that time.
The figures also show a drop in the proportion of parents being fined for taking their children out of school without permission.
The latest figures relate to the time when parent, Jon Platt, won a high profile legal battle after refusing to pay a fine from the Isle of Wight Council for taking his daughter to Disney World in term time.
He later lost the case when it was referred to the Supreme Court, but it is believed publicity around the case meant many parents decided to take term-time holidays thinking they would not receive penalties.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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