School term-time holiday fines ‘unworkable’, says LGA
I can see a lot of merit in this argument from the LGA. This story tells us:
A “common sense approach” should be applied to parents in England taking children out of school for holidays, the Local Government Association says. Strict new rules on term-time holidays – including fines – were introduced in 2013 to punish parents over absences. But the LGA says the current system “does not always favour families”.
Campaigners say a “blanket ban” remains unworkable, but schools minister Nick Gibb said the government was determined to raise pupils’ attainment. A Freedom of Information request to councils by the Press Association found 86,010 fines had been issued by 98 councils in 2014-15 for pupil absence – either because of holiday or truancy. The figure was up from 62,204 in 2013-14 and 32,512 in 2012-13.
The LGA says families often struggle with the high cost of holidays out of term-time. Councillor Roy Perry said family holidays can have “social and emotional benefits which are of lasting value and support to children”. “It should not be something for which they are unduly punished,” he said.
And I still favour kids having days off for iconic local events like the Lincolnshire Show. Our children now live in a very urban and media driven world obsessed with common approaches to everything. Its common outcomes not the same way of doing things for everyone that matter – a key principle in our guidance developed for Defra on local level rural proofing- still worth a read