School vs Family: Who Controls Your Child's Time?
Children are back in school, and now some parents have decided to take their children out of school and go on holiday. I mean, you’ve just had six weeks!
In this post, I intend to explore the rules we have created to keep children in school. I will pose questions at the end for you to reflect on your own experiences as a child, parent, or teacher, and to consider on a societal level.
Before I begin, I believe that all parents have the right to educate their children in the values they see fit, without undue influence from others. I don’t mean to inject my opinion into this post, but if you detect an undercurrent of bias, I apologise.
Latest News
We usually hear a story like this close to a holiday. This year, the BBC wrote an article in early September 2024 titled: Rise in fines for term-time holidays won’t stop us, say parents (1).
It was reported that: ‘The latest school attendance data shows 5% of pupils in England were off without permission in the week ending 19 July — around 450,000 pupils.’
They go on to say that fines have increased from £60 to £80 if parents take their children out of school without permission, and the fine will be doubled if it happens again within a three-year period.
However, some parents are undeterred, as the fine is less than the cost of a holiday taken outside of school time. For example:
Thailand: Term-time £554, summer holidays £1,112
New York: Term-time £586, summer holidays £942
Orlando: Term-time £556, summer holidays £754
So, let us explore this a bit further by looking at the history of school attendance and fines.
When Did Fines Come into Place in the UK?
Back in 2013, the government issued the following statement:
215: Parents should plan their holidays around school breaks and avoid seeking permission from schools to take their children out of school during term time unless it is absolutely unavoidable.
216: An application for leave of absence should (and in certain schools must) not be granted unless it is made in advance by the parent the pupil normally lives with, and the school is satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances, based on the individual facts and circumstances of the case, which justify the leave. Where leave of absence is granted, the school will determine the number of days a pupil can be absent from school. Leave of absence is granted entirely at the headteacher’s discretion.” (2)
Essentially, it was up to the headteacher to grant permission at their discretion.
What Happens in Other EU Countries?
Is this just the UK, or do other countries enforce similar rules?
*These penalties apply in cases of persistent absence or when fines are not paid. (3)
The UK isn’t unique in imposing such fines, but the severity varies across EU countries.
Where Did This Come From?
Let’s briefly look at the past, before 2013, and ask ourselves why school attendance became compulsory.
I have chosen this 30-year window as it seems to mark the moment when Parliament started insisting on compulsory education for all children:
1870: The Elementary Education Act
1873: Section 74 of the Act empowered boards to create a by-law to make attendance compulsory unless there was an excuse, such as illness, living more than three miles from a school, or reaching a certain standard of education (4).
1873: 40% of the population lived in compulsory attendance districts.
1873: The Agricultural Children Act aimed to improve school attendance: children under eight were not to be employed, and those aged eight and nine had to have a certificate showing they had attended school at least 250 times in the previous year. However, the fines were too low to be effective.
1876: The Elementary Education Act tightened rules on school attendance and child employment, created a system of certificates for free education in certain cases, and made other administrative provisions.
1880: The Education Act made school attendance compulsory between the ages of five and ten.
1893: The school age was extended to 11.
1899: The school age was extended to 12.
1901: Many children worked outside school hours, and truancy was a major problem, as parents could not afford to lose their children’s income (5,6).
Historically, you can see that Parliament was determined to ensure children attended school, and since the mid-1860s, Educational Acts have been updated to suit modern times. For example, the Chimney Sweepers Act once required licences for sweepers and set an age requirement, helping to remove children from the workforce.
Questions & Food for Thought
Is this a new thing — the government changing policies to keep children in school?
No, governments have been altering the age of compulsory school attendance, imposing fines on parents, and placing legal limits on child labour for centuries.
Money-saving vs. money-making
Historically, parents were reluctant to send their children to school because the children earned money for the family. Today, parents resist sending their children to school on certain days because they can save money by taking holidays outside of peak periods.
What is the trend?
It seems the trend is towards more school time, higher fines, greater control over content, and more after-school care.
Where does the money go?
I would love to know where this money goes. It’s not like schools have a quota for fines. So, where does it go?
Who has the right, in the end?
What can anyone say if a parent wants to take their child out of school for something? I would argue that some holidays, trips, or time with family can be just as educational as sitting in a classroom.
However, I also understand that some families abuse the system, and they are often the ones most in need of help.
How do you get time off without being fined?
Sweet talk and butter up the head teacher. They are the ones with the final decision. They will take into account the child’s history of attendance and the importance of the trip. However, I feel for these headteachers because they know that there are some family trips, and outings that would be great for the child. But, if they can’t have one rule for one person and another rule for another.
What is your view on this?
References
1: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ykz4nr11no
2. Code H: leave of absence for the purpose of a family holiday granted by the school (p58) states:
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elementary_Education_Act_1870#cite_ref-Jenkins_2002,_pp231-5_11-4
6. https://education-uk.org/documents/acts/index.html
7. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/holidays-during-school-term-time-england/
