Parents say it's their right to withdraw children from school for holidays due to inflated vacation costs

Parents in Sunderland said they have the right to take their children on holiday during term time and have urged the Government to do more to regulate “exploitation” by travel companies with massively inflated vacation costs during the school holidays.

During the last academic year the City Council issued over 100 fines to parents who withdrew their children to go on holiday.

Parents shopping at the Galleries in Washington were speaking to the Echo after the latest Department for Education figures showed that in the last academic year, over three in ten (31.9%) secondary pupils and two in ten (20.4%) primary school children were persistently absent (10% or more).

Both are above the national average with one of the largest factors, parents withdrawing children to go on holidays during term time.

With the country still in the grips of the cost of living crisis and largest decrease in disposable income in 70 years, a survey carried out by the online company Holiday Extras showed that in January (2023) one in ten parents had already booked to go away in term time.

The survey of 1,500 parents also revealed a further 29% were intending to do so.

The overriding factor is the massive disparity in cost, with analysis by the travel company revealing that, on average, holidays are 28% cheaper than during the summer holidays.

It’s a situation which for the first time has led Lisa Wheatley, 49, to book a holiday to take her teenage daughter out of school three days early.

Lisa, from Penshaw, said: “It’s at least a third more to take the same holiday outside of term time and this does make a huge difference. 

“We even looked at flying from Glasgow or Edinburgh in the second half of August, when the Scottish schools are back. But then you have the travel and parking costs as well as a possible overnight stay."

Retail worker Christy Laighton, 35, whose daughter is currently in nursery school, added: “I think parents should have the right to take their children on holiday. Going away to a different country and experiencing different cultures is educational.

“If I was unable to afford to go during the school holidays then going in term time is something I would be willing to do.

“So many children are missing out on the experience of going on holiday with their families.”

Parents who are found to have withdrawn their children from school to go on holiday face a potential fine of £60 for each absent child.

During the last academic year 115 out of 245 fixed penalty notices were issued to parents by Sunderland City Council for term time holidays, at a total cost of £6,240.

However, any fines imposed are dwarfed by the savings parents can make with research by Holiday Extras revealing that even once fines are paid, families will still on average save 19% on their holiday cost.

Denise Kay, from Lowfell, said: “My children are finished school now but I used to take them out during term time to go on holiday. It was purely down to cost.

“I would do the same again. You might get fined £60 but you will save a lot more than this on the cost of your holiday.”

Natalie Booth, 39, has never taken her children out of school during term time but “fully understands” why other parents do.

She said: “Going away during the school holidays is extortionate. Even if you stay in England the price of a lot of holidays seems to be double.

“Some parents won’t go on holiday during term time and then simply can’t afford to go at all, meaning children and families miss out on making these memories.

“I’ve never taken my girls out but I wouldn’t like to be fined if I did.”

Natalie feels the Government needs to do more to regulate the travel companies and the inflated costs during the school holidays.

She said: “The holiday companies are exploiting parents to the point that some feel they have no choice but to go in term time.

“The Government needs to do more to regulate the costs so parents aren’t put in the position of having to make these decisions.”

It’s a sentiment shared by Haley Hollis, 39, who said: “The price increase is ridiculous. I’ve taken my children out as there is often a £700 to £800 difference which some families simply can’t afford.

“I do think there needs to be a balance and I wouldn’t take my children out around key events, but the Government needs to cap how much the travel companies can put these costs up.”

Lisa also cited the recent teachers strikes as a reason why schools and the authorities should have a “more flexible” approach.

She said: “Parents shouldn’t face fines for deciding to take their children on holiday. We’ve had all the teachers strikes recently. Fortunately my children are older but I’m self-employed and if I had young children I would have to take a day off work when they were unable to go to school.

“How would they feel if I could then fine them due to loss of earnings?”

Kath Barker from Washington added: “One day teachers are on strike and the next it’s an inset day and so parents should have the right to take their children out of school to go on holiday if it’s right for them.”

However, retired plant operator Stuart Fenwick, 66, who doesn’t have children, feels parents should be sanctioned for withdrawing their children.

He said: “I don’t think parents have the right to withdraw their children. Surely their education is more important than going on holiday.

“A lot of these travel companies also offer free child places. These £60 fines don’t seem to be working but there needs to be some sort of sanctions to keep these parents in line.” 

Sunderland City Council's Cabinet Member for Children, Learning and Skills, Councillor Linda Williams, sympathised with parents over the inflated costs experienced during school holiday periods but stressed the impact withdrawing pupils can have on their education and warned sanctions could be issued for those parents who fail to comply.

She said: "We all very much understand the financial challenges that many families are facing and would always welcome discussions at a national or even local level around costs and the issues around holiday providers raising the costs astronomically in some cases when school holidays begin.

"Yet an application for leave must be in exceptional circumstances and the headteacher must be satisfied that the circumstances warrant the granting of leave. These circumstances will be determined by a child's school.

"Parents can be issued with a penalty notice or prosecuted for periods of unauthorised holidays.

"If a child missed two weeks of school every year they would have missed more than half a year of their education by the time they are 16."