Should pupils be allowed time off during term-time? Government statistics have revealed that more than 150,000 fines were issued to parents in 2014/15 for their children’s term-time absence. This is a 54% increase compared with the previous year.
There has been an ongoing dispute to whether parents should have to pay fines for taking their children on holiday during the school term.
A spokesman from Department for Education said: “The rules are perfectly clear – children should not be taken out of school without good reason. That is why we have tightened the rules and are supporting schools and local authorities to use their powers to tackle unauthorised absence.
“The evidence shows that every extra day of school missed can affect a pupil’s chances of achieving good GCSEs, which has a lasting effect on their life chances – vindicating our strong stance on attendance. A child who is absent also impacts teachers, whose planning of lessons is disrupted by children missing large portions of teaching.”
What are your thoughts on pupils having time off during the school term? Is this an issue at your school? Get in touch:
T: 01277 245840
E: education@athona.com
