Parents ‘held to ransom’ by travel firms’ holiday hikes
‘Exploiting families’
TRAVEL companies must stop ripping off families during school holidays following a landmark Supreme Court ruling, critics demanded last night.
Parents and politicians urged ministers to ‘cap’ summer break prices, which can rise by more than £1,000 at the end of term.
Companies were accused of ‘holding law-abiding parents to ransom’ after a father yesterday lost his fight against a £60 fine for an unauthorised term-time trip.
The ruling means families will face a fine or prosecution if pupils take even half a day off without permission.
Parents now have little choice but to book during school holidays, leaving them at the mercy of travel firms charging sky-high prices.
Lib Dem education spokesman John Pugh said: ‘Travel companies are holding lawabiding parents to ransom. They should be forced to cap the cost of trips in school holidays. Travel companies should not be allowed to profiteer off the back of hardworking parents.’
Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said the Government must make clear ‘it is unacceptable to exploit hardworking families’.
Russell Hobby, of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: ‘If the cost increases were not so dramatic, parents would not feel the need to seek cheaper deals in term time.’
The Supreme Court ruled against Jon Platt, 46, from the Isle of Wight, who won earlier legal battles over a seven-day trip to Florida, in April 2015.
He argued that his daughter had regularly attended school for the rest of the year. But the Supreme Court upheld an appeal by Isle of Wight education chiefs and the Government against a High Court hearing last year.
At issue was the meaning of the words ‘fails to attend regularly’ in the 1996 Education Act. The judges yesterday said ‘regularly’ did not mean ‘sufficiently often’ but instead ‘in accordance with rules prescribed by the school’.
There are exceptions, such as religious holidays and sickness. But the decision effectively means parents should not take a child out of lessons without permission.
Mr Platt warned every unauthorised absence in future, ‘including being a minute late to school’, would now be deemed a criminal offence.
In Scotland, prosecutions and financial penalties are likely only in extreme cases. The Scottish Government said: ‘It is for schools and local authorities to decide on what action to take if a parent takes a child out of school for a holiday without permission. The legislation and guidance in Scotland are clear.’
The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 allows an education authority to require a parent to provide an explanation for non-attendance. Without a reasonable excuse, the council may report it to the procurator fiscal or issue a warning.
Attendance orders can be imposed which, if breached, could result in fines or even imprisonment.
Research by foreign currency experts FairFX shows the average price for a package holiday for a family of four goes up by £1,310 if they travel in August compared with June – a rise of around 55 per cent.
A Department for Education spokesman welcomed the Supreme Court ruling, adding: ‘We will examine the judgment carefully.’