Some term-time holiday fines may be unfair, says AM

ACAMPAIGN group set up to oppose the blanket ban on term-time pupil absence has welcomed support from a cross-party Assembly committee.

William Powell, Liberal Democrat AM for Mid and West Wales and chairman of the Assembly’s Petitions Committee, has written to Education Minister Huw Lewis asking for an urgent review of the situation.

It follows a recent meeting of the committee during which Mr Lewis highlighted that only a school’s head teacher had the discretion to allow or deny a request for absence.

He added: “Local authorities that give the impression they can override that are wrong or that they can provide some sort of barrier between a head teacher who is reluctant to make a decision and the parent – in other words, take the buck – are also wrong.”

The Petitions Committee has raised concerns that there is confusion within local authorities about the legal position, with many advising schools and parents that some sort of exceptional or special circumstances must apply in order for a request for leave to be authorised.

Members also expressed concern that parents may have received or paid fixed penalty notices based on a misunderstanding or misapplication of the regulations by head teachers.

The situation was considered particularly alarming in Cardiff and Rhondda Cynon Taf, where 529 parents have received fixed penalty notices for taking their children out of school for a holiday.

Campaign group Let Children in Wales have a Holiday During Term Time was founded by Bethany Walpole-Wroe, of Cwrtnewydd, near Lampeter, and opposes the widespread ban on any absence during term-time.

Ms Walpole-Wroe said: “We are extremely pleased with the action the Petitions Committee has been taking following our evidence session – and the further session with Huw Lewis. It is clear that the guidelines are not being followed by the majority of Welsh councils with a great deal of widespread confusion.”

A spokeswoman for the Welsh Government said Mr Lewis had been “very clear” and would be writing to all regional education consortia, local authorities and schools to emphasise their role in ensuring its term-time holiday policy “is being implemented consistently and accurately”.