Update on plan to allow parents to take childen out of school in term time as DfT responds

A campaign to allow children with special educational needs (SEN) to take 10 days off on holiday without being fined has won a government response. The petition on the Parliament website quickly soared past 10,000 signatures, meaning the Department for Education has to give its answers to the questions raised.

Currently anyone taking their children out of school during term time faces the prospect of big fines. The government has been cracking down on this process because it believes the education of the children could be damaged and it is also disruptive to classes.

But parents claim they unfairly have to pay much higher prices during school holidays as demand means travel firms hike the costs. The campaigners for change say SEN children have bigger problems in school holidays because of increased crowds - so they should be treated differently.

The petition created by Nicola Marie wardle said: “Allow families with SEN children 10 days term-time holiday without being fined. We believe SEN children are already excluded from society and education. Many children with disabilities or SEN can find it hard to deal with crowds, noise and the general hustle and bustle of travelling in peak times. Yet, these families are penalised for removing children from school for holidays.”

Under national regulations, schools are obliged to consider fining parents when a child has missed the equivalent of 10 days due to unauthorised absences.

This means that the fine is £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days. However, this fine can be issued per parent, per child, potentially resulting in substantial costs for larger families.

The petition has now been signed by 18,000 people and the DfT has given a response. If it gets to 100,000 signups then it could be debated by MPs in Parliament.

The DfT said that current policy was that it was against allowing children more time away from school. It said: “We understand that there can be considerable additional pressures on families of children with SEND, but we do not believe that the solution is to endorse additional time away from school.

“We sympathise with parents who, for a variety of reasons, face barriers to securing their children’s school attendance. This is why the government is taking a new approach to tackling absence based on responsibility, partnership and belonging. This involves working with schools and local authorities to tackle barriers to school attendance and ensuring schools are able to deliver an excellent education, meeting children’s needs and creating a welcoming, engaging and inclusive environment for children.”

And the DfT’s response is disappointing for all parents with children who would like the chance to take them on holiday in term time, with calls increasing due to the cost.

The DfT said it was policy to crack down on the growing problem of parents flaunting the rules: “We are currently facing an absence epidemic in this country, with 1 in 5 children persistently absent, missing a day each fortnight.

"For children with SEND, this increases to 1 in 3 children missing a day each fortnight. If children are not in school, it does not matter how effective or well-supported teaching and learning is, as they will not benefit. If children are taken out of school for a two week holiday every year and have an average number of days off for sickness and medical appointments, then by the time they finish year 11 at age 16 they will have missed the equivalent of an entire year of school.”

To see the petition and the full DfT response click here.