School holiday fines ‘double in just a year’
THE number of parents fined for taking children on holiday during term time has almost doubled following a landmark court case ruling it illegal.
Figures from the Department for Education show almost 223,000 such fines were issued in 2017-18, up from around 115,000 the year before.
The increase of 93 per cent suggests head teachers and councils are clamping down on term-time holidays.
It comes after Jon Platt lost a test case in the Supreme Court in April 2017. Judges ruled he was wrong to take his daughter out of school for a family holiday to Disney World.
Until that case, schools had been unsure what the law required – and many parents had been let off.
The fine for unauthorised absence is £60 per child. This rises to £120 if not paid within 21 days. After 28 days parents can be prosecuted.
The DfE report said the Supreme Court judgment in Mr Platt’s case ‘had an effect on the number of penalty notices issued in 2017-18’. Yesterday Mr Platt said he felt ‘partly responsible’ for the rise. A DfE spokesman said: ‘ We have put head teachers back in control by supporting them – and local authorities – to use their powers to deal with unauthorised absence.’
Chris McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said taking a child on holiday during term time could disrupt both their education and that of the rest of the class.