Michael Gove to stop abuse of system of authorised absence by parents who remove children during term-time to take advantage of cheaper holiday deals
Parents will be banned from taking their children out of school to get cheaper holidays under a new Government crackdown.
They will also face tougher penalties if their children regularly play truant, the Sunday Mirror can reveal.
Education Secretary Michael Gove will unveil the clampdown within days but he will stop short of withdrawing child-benefit payments from the parents of children who regularly play truant, an idea floated by Downing Street last year.
Mr Gove will tackle abuse of the system of authorised absence by parents who get permission to remove children during term-time to take advantage of cheaper holiday deals.
Headteachers have the discretion to approve two weeks of authorised absence.
The measure is designed for illness, bereavment and if bad weather prevents a pupil getting to class. But increasingly it is being abused by parents wanting to take their children out of school so they can take holidays out of pricey school holiday times.
A senior source at the *Department for Education said: "The Government will end the distinction between authorised and unauthorised absence because any time away from school can be damaging to a childs education.
The crackdown follows a review of discipline in schools ordered by the PM last September in the wake of the riots. Former headteacher Charlie Taylor, the Governments adviser on discipline in schools, was appointed to look at ways of cutting truancy rates.
Schools can already take court action to fine parents whose children regularly miss school.
They can be fined ?50 and, if they refuse, they face a ?2,000 penalty or prison. But many refuse to pay and courts are reluctant to put parents in jail.
More than 8,700 parents were found guilty of letting their children skip lessons between 2005 and 2009. Only 55 were jailed.
Government to ban school children taking holidays during term - Mirror Online
How is this fair exactly?
Perhaps they should start targeting the thieving fcking holiday companies that deliberately ramp up their prices when the kids are off school.
It just shows how backward this government is when it is actually cheaper to pay the fine than the price increase from the package crooks.
Parents will be banned from taking their children out of school to get cheaper holidays under a new Government crackdown.
They will also face tougher penalties if their children regularly play truant, the Sunday Mirror can reveal.
Education Secretary Michael Gove will unveil the clampdown within days but he will stop short of withdrawing child-benefit payments from the parents of children who regularly play truant, an idea floated by Downing Street last year.
Mr Gove will tackle abuse of the system of authorised absence by parents who get permission to remove children during term-time to take advantage of cheaper holiday deals.
Headteachers have the discretion to approve two weeks of authorised absence.
The measure is designed for illness, bereavment and if bad weather prevents a pupil getting to class. But increasingly it is being abused by parents wanting to take their children out of school so they can take holidays out of pricey school holiday times.
A senior source at the *Department for Education said: "The Government will end the distinction between authorised and unauthorised absence because any time away from school can be damaging to a childs education.
The crackdown follows a review of discipline in schools ordered by the PM last September in the wake of the riots. Former headteacher Charlie Taylor, the Governments adviser on discipline in schools, was appointed to look at ways of cutting truancy rates.
Schools can already take court action to fine parents whose children regularly miss school.
They can be fined ?50 and, if they refuse, they face a ?2,000 penalty or prison. But many refuse to pay and courts are reluctant to put parents in jail.
More than 8,700 parents were found guilty of letting their children skip lessons between 2005 and 2009. Only 55 were jailed.
Government to ban school children taking holidays during term - Mirror Online
How is this fair exactly?
Perhaps they should start targeting the thieving fcking holiday companies that deliberately ramp up their prices when the kids are off school.
It just shows how backward this government is when it is actually cheaper to pay the fine than the price increase from the package crooks.
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