With school holiday costs soaring and more kids missing class as parents face hefty fines, many are questioning if it’s time for travel companies to finally lower their prices during term time
Many parents are regularly left fuming over the soaring costs of holidays during school breaks and now Labour’s Education Secretary is riled up over it too. And it isn’t just about the cost of trips – it’s also about the increasing number of kids being taken out of school during term time for family holidays.
The pandemic may have made this worse, but it’s a trend that doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who aims to address this issue head-on with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, says she’ll be exploring “what the options are”, especially as the number of children missing class has spiked since Covid.
Last year, the number of fines issued to parents taking their children out of school during term time reached a record high – a whopping 443,000 fines, a staggering 53% increase since before the pandemic. Despite penalties now climbing to £80 for a first offence and £160 for a second, parents continue to weigh up whether they should just pay the fine and go on holiday. After all, the cost of family travel during school breaks can be astronomical.
With many parents arguing that the fines are still cheaper than taking their kids away during the pricey school holidays, Bridget Phillipson plans to confront the travel industry over the soaring costs. She told the Mirror: “Yes, I do believe that we need to look at what the options might be. They’re not easy, and if they were, action might have followed more rapidly than this. But I do understand that families want the chance to have a holiday, the importance of that time together as a family, but I’m afraid that can’t be during term time.”
Even though the fines have been ramped up, many parents are still prioritising family holidays over school attendance. But with so many kids missing school – about one in five children are persistently absent – does the government have a responsibility to step in? Should travel companies be forced to cut prices in school holidays? Take our poll below and if you can’t see it, click here
What price rises do families currently face?
A holiday package to Greece cost £748 in term time and £1,023 in the school break, while a package to Spain cost £925 in term time and £1,179 during the school holidays, an analysis by Go Compare found last year. The Mirror today found prices to Santiago de Compostela in Spain from London’s Heathrow, Britain’s most used airport, almost doubled from £101 per person in April to £197 in August. And flights to Paris were £79 in September, when kids return to school, compared to £115 at the end of August.
Many parents have resorted to paying fines as it is more cost-effective than going on holiday during the school break. Mum-of-three Rachel Smith told the Mirror earlier this month that she is homeschooling her kids for three months so her family can go on a couple of affordable holidays without the threat of court action. She branded the government “a dictatorship” after being fined £480 in January for taking them to Portugal in term time.
“By going to Portugal in January we managed to get flights for just £20 per person. You can never get flights for anything like that in the school holidays,” she said.
Another couple who were fined £2,000 for taking their kids on holiday during term time said they had “no regrets” as they still saved £3,200 on the cost of the trip. Rebekah Richardson and Dale Wood took their children on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, US, during term time because it was £5,000 cheaper than going in October half term. But they criticised the harsh fines they received on their return, with Rebekah ordered to pay £924 and Dale £1,044. “We’re being treated as criminals for taking our young kids on holiday. I feel as parents we’re penalised for everything now,” they said last year.
‘Price hikes for families long been an issue’
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, welcomed Ms Phillipson’s comments. “The price hikes families have to fork out for if they want to take a break during the school holidays has long been an issue,” he said. “It is good to hear that Bridget Phillipson is considering tackling travel companies and ending this rip off that penalises those with school age children. This is something that will greatly reduce families taking children out of school for term time holidays.”
The Association of British Travel Agents said: “We appreciate that the price of holidays can be more expensive during school breaks than in term time. Our members do strive to provide holidays at competitive prices, as well as offering free child places and other money-saving incentives for early bookers. The price, as in most commercial sectors, is a function of supply and demand. Holidays are part of a global market; many other countries have school holiday periods similar to those in the UK, meaning that all these countries are competing for holidays with the same suppliers which affects the price.“
Now it’s time to share what YOU think. Should travel companies be forced to cut prices in school holidays? Take our poll above and if you can’t see it, click here – then expand on your feelings in the comments.
