UK Ferry Tickets

Family holidays – are they acceptable in term-time?

The issue of whether or not it’s acceptable for parents to take their children on holiday at the expense of school lessons is already one of the most controversial topics of the year.

Personally, I never take holiday during July and August. I don’t have children, so naturally I want to avoid the peak periods when prices are at their highest and beaches are full of little people building sandcastles. But should everyone be able to travel during so-called off-peak periods?

Travel companies are constantly attacked for putting up their prices during the school holidays, but they merely contract hotel rooms and it’s the hoteliers who ramp prices at a time when demand peaks.

The government, along with some tour operators, has tried to prevent people from pulling their kids out of school for an off-season break, with a campaign which offers discounts during the peak period. But, the ‘Every Lesson Counts’ scheme has really been a damp squib, because even with the discounts on offer, it’s still far cheaper to holiday in May than it is in August.

Head teachers can, at their discretion, allow children to take up to 10 days off school per year, but they are under increasing pressure to do so only in exceptional circumstances.

Some parents feel they should be freer to take their children out of school for holidays abroad during term-time.

The founders of a family website, www.takethefamily.com, polled over 200 people and found that 78 per cent of them felt it was acceptable to do just that. Lucy Ace, one of the website’s directors, said the savings made through the government’s scheme were simply not good enough and argued that everyone should be allowed to take full advantage of their 10-day allowance.

She pointed out that many trips can be educational for children, as they experience different cultures and can practice languages that they learn in school.
The government disagrees. A spokesman for the Department for Education said it was not going to discuss the merits of taking an off-peak trip. “We believe that children should be at school during term time,” he said.

So, what do you think? Are holidays during term-time educational? Or should children always be in school?

Guest Article by Jeremy Skidmore