...By Lola Smith for TDPel Media.
Rachel Smith, a single mum who works in finance, has saved almost £10,000 by taking her children out of school during term time to go on holiday.
Rachel, 33, and her two children, Brayden, 11, and Elianna, nine, have been on four holidays during term time, with a fifth trip to Mallorca planned for next week.
Rachel believes that her decision is a “no brainer” as it saves her thousands of pounds, despite regularly receiving fines of £60 per child.
She argues that the cost of holidays during the school holidays is “outrageous” and that children should not be penalised because their parents cannot afford to pay for expensive holidays.
The Cost of School Holidays
Rachel argues that the cost of holidays during school holidays is prohibitively expensive and that it is unfair that some children miss out on holiday experiences while only children with wealthy parents can afford to go away.
She believes that it is important for families to be able to spend time together on holiday, but that the cost should not be so high.
Rachel claims that the cost of holidays during term time is double, even triple, compared to holidays during school holidays.
Rachel’s Holidays
Rachel and her children have been on four holidays during term time so far, and a fifth trip to Mallorca is planned for next week.
Rachel says that she always checks the school calendar carefully to make sure that the holiday does not impact her children’s learning too much.
She claims that taking her children out of school for a holiday once a year has not been detrimental to their education and that they have learned a lot from going on holiday, including experiencing other cultures, developing social awareness, and learning another language.
Rachel thinks that schools should implement a system where parents are allocated a number of days to take children out of school for holidays.
Analysis and Commentaries
Rachel Smith’s decision to take her children out of school during term time to go on holiday is not unusual.
Many parents face the same dilemma of wanting to take their children on holiday but being unable to afford the high cost of holidays during school holidays.
While the cost of holidays during school holidays can be prohibitively expensive, schools have strict rules around attendance, and parents can face fines if they take their children out of school during term time.
Rachel’s argument that children should not be penalised because their parents cannot afford expensive holidays is a valid one.
It is unfair that some children miss out on holiday experiences while only children with wealthy parents can afford to go away.
However, schools have a duty to ensure that children attend school regularly, and taking children out of school during term time can be detrimental to their education.
Rachel’s suggestion that schools implement a system where parents are allocated a number of days to take children out of school for holidays is an interesting one.
This would allow parents to take their children on holiday without incurring fines and would ensure that children’s education is not adversely affected.
However, it is unclear how such a system would work in practice, and schools would need to ensure that children’s education is not impacted by taking time off during term time.
Rachel’s decision to take her children on holiday during term time is understandable given the high cost of holidays during school holidays.
While schools have strict attendance policies, it is important to recognise that not all families can afford expensive holidays during school holidays.
Schools should work with parents to ensure that children’s education is not adversely affected by taking time off during term time.
