Pupils skip days to beat holiday price hikes

Family breaks cheaper before end of term

Nearly 100,000 Scots pupils missed school in the last week of term as parents tried to beat summer holiday price hikes.

More than half of pupils in some secondary schools were missing in the run-up to the end of term this year.

Education Secretary John Swinney attacked travel firms for massive price rises during school breaks and branded the holiday market “broken”.

He said: “As education secretary, I have to say that kids’ schooling must come first. That doesn’t stop me asking why parents are being forced to choose between school and a good holiday break.

“We can – and should – ask hard questions of the holiday firms.”

As children finish their first days back after the six-week break, figures obtained from Scotland’s local authorities by the Sunday Post revealed absence levels doubled in the weeks leading up to the end of term.

Parents say they are forced to take their children out of school because of massive holiday price hikes that accompany “peak season”.

Travel agents confirm the cost of holidaying in Britain and abroad soars after term ends. Unlike in England, parents in Scotland are not fined for taking their children on holiday during term.

Every council in the country was asked for absence rates for each of the three final weeks of the summer term over the past three years.

A pattern emerged which showed the number of pupils skipping school doubled as the break approached.

In total, 13.8% of Scotland’s 684,415 pupils – 94,449 – were marked as being off in the final week before this year’s summer break.

The absence rate was just 6.58% in the third-last week of term.

Joanna Murphy, chairwoman of the National Parent Forum of Scotland, said: “It’s understandable, especially if children are usually allowed to play games and watch videos in the last few days before the holidays anyway.”

Education Secretary John Swinney.