'It's not fair on us as parents' - parents divided over school-absence penalties as holiday costs soar

Following Government comments that pupils should not be allowed to miss 10 days of school “without good reason”, back in October.

Dozens of readers responded to post on the issue, revealing deep frustration over the cost of holidays and sharply differing views on whether fines should be scrapped.

Many commenters argued that current fines are unfair, pointing to steep price increases during school breaks.

Lynda Green, said: “It’s pointless anyway. The fine is cheaper than the increased cost of a holiday outside term time. Also, travel is educational.”

Kris Horner, said: “The reality is the government should be putting a lot of pressure on companies that charge wild prices in the school holidays to stay with them.

“It’s the whole reason why parents take their kids out in term time, I don’t blame parents if they save £500-1k on a holiday & in return get a £100 fine I would in their situation.”

Parents said they were often “priced out” of holidays unless they travelled in term time. Several reported saving hundreds or even thousands by avoiding peak weeks, with one writing: “We saved £5,000 going in September - it’s ridiculous.”

A common theme was anger at travel operators. “Holiday companies cash in,” one commenter said, while others called for price caps or Government intervention to stop what they described as “extortionate” school-holiday surcharges.

Sue Hall, said: “There is also the problem of some families having kids at different schools. So the kids can have different school holidays! I had this problem with my two sons who where born 4 years apart.”

Some also accused the system of inconsistency, noting that schools hold inset days, strikes and training sessions during term time.

Others said families dealing with funerals, serious illness or work-pattern restrictions were being unfairly punished.

One parent said fines were increasingly issued for absences unrelated to holidays, warning that some cases were now “completely out of control”.

However, a significant number defended the fines, stressing the importance of attendance for children’s progress.

Patrick Barnes, said: “It’s not really a yes or no question! Maybe no fines up to high school as long as the child is not falling behind.

“At high school maybe it should be year and performance based the higher the year and the worse the child is performing the higher the fine.

“It should always be about the child’s education and not selfish parents who want a week in Malaga on the cheap.”

Commenters said that missing lessons disrupts learning and adds pressure on already overstretched teachers. “Children’s education comes first,” one wrote, while another said rule-breaking risks teaching pupils “that ignoring the law is acceptable”.

Some readers expressed concern that term-time holidays burden teachers, who are left to help pupils catch up, while others said family trips were not inherently educational.

Several suggested compromise solutions, including different rules for younger children, consideration for pupils with special educational needs, or reforming the fine structure based on performance or year group.

The discussion highlights a broad sense of frustration directed both at Government policy and at the holiday industry.

School absence fines in England rose from £60 to £80 in 2024, and a parent who receives a second fine for the same child within a three-year period receives a £160 fine.

While opinions on fines remain deeply divided, many commenters agreed on one point: without addressing the rising cost of travel, the dispute over term-time absences is unlikely to go away.