Taking your children out of school for a vacation is irresponsible

I can understand why mother Laura Melling described the decision to take her two daughters out of school for a holiday to Egypt as a “no-brainer”.

She and her husband Paul – from Leyland in Lancashire – were fined a total of £240 for their children’s absence from school, which was apparently a drop in the ocean compared to the £3,000 they said they had saved by not going away during the school holidays.

But I still winced when I read the news, because while I’m opposed to taking children out of school, I don’t think fining parents is the answer.

Holidays during school terms are something you will never see my family doing. We are activists about it.

You see, my husband is a teacher and it is frowned upon for teachers to take vacations during term time. Can you imagine the outcry from parents if a group of school staff took time off wherever they wanted?

So, even before we had our children, Ella and Leo, aged 11 and 7 respectively, we did it. With the children, we had some lovely holidays on the Greek islands – Kos, Corfu, Skiathos, Kefalonia and Crete – all very cheaply, but always during the school holidays.

Of course, travelling during school holidays is a busy time. Airport queues are longer, flights are often fuller and resorts can sometimes feel a little crowded.

Then there are the extra costs. According to one travel agent interviewed by the BBC, holidays outside school term times can cost up to 40% more. In fact, these exorbitant costs are why we haven’t been taking a holiday abroad in recent years.

But I still think it’s unfair that parents like Laura and Paul can get a well-deserved break whenever they want.

Of course, you could just say that I have a hint of jealousy because I can’t do the same.

But I think of the children.

The problem is that the argument really comes down to how being away from school can affect their learning.

Some children will struggle to readjust to their social circles after an extended period, others may be afraid of missing out, while some may actually fall behind their peers.

According to the latest government data, the higher the percentage of absenteeism, the lower the level of achievement. For example, pupils who do not achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics have an overall absentee rate of 4.7%, compared to 2.7% among those achieving the highest level.

Student absences also affect teachers, making it more difficult for them to ensure children catch up on what they missed.

Even though most kids are doing well, I think the playing field should be fair and equal for everyone who attends and works in a school environment. I’m not alone either.

The Department for Education (DoE) believes school attendance is essential to “giving every child the best possible start in life”. Former education minister Damian Hinds said in February that persistent absence is “robbing (children) of the future they could and should have”.

I do not dispute that children can flourish and achieve more in life if they spend as much time as possible in school. But whether a week’s holiday on the Costa del Sol can hinder this achievement will depend largely on the child and the total number of holidays taken during the school year.

In a likely bid to combat this – and bring it in line with inflation – truancy fines are set to rise from £60 to £80 in September.

I believe more needs to be done to make holidays affordable for everyone.

Schools are under intense pressure from the Department for Education to ensure that all children attend classes for as many days of the school year as possible, and many reward children at the end of the summer term for good attendance.

I’m glad my kids’ school is very good at sending us emails to remind us of our absences. Which doesn’t stop some parents, of course.

Ultimately, I think it’s unfair that some parents reap the benefits of school holidays, while others – like me – stick to the rules and get by.

To change this unfair system, I believe more needs to be done to make holidays affordable for everyone. And instead of penalising parents with fines, airlines and travel companies should be given stricter thresholds to reduce costs during school holidays.

If holidays cost the same throughout the summer season, more families would stick to school terms.

This is something that I think the government should consider as a way to help maintain high attendance rates.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a last-minute gift for your teacher, holiday vouchers might be a good idea.

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