The pressing problem of escalating holiday prices during school breaks has been a persistent issue for numerous parents, and it appears Labour's Education Secretary is sharing their concern. The financial strain is immense, but there's also an increase in children being taken out of school for family holidays during term.
The pandemic might have exacerbated the situation, yet there are no signs that this trend is waning. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, aiming to confront the issue with the support of Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, is committed to examining "what the options are", especially due to the spike in school absences in the wake of Covid.
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Last year witnessed a record-breaking number of parents fined for unauthorised term-time getaways with 443,000 fines marking a 53 percent increase from pre-pandemic levels. Despite fines starting at £80 for a first offence and doubling for further breaches, parents are still weighing up the cost-benefit of paying the fine against the exorbitant prices during regulated school holidays.
The ongoing debate regarding fines for parents who take their children out of school for holidays during term time heats up, with Bridget Phillipson poised to confront the travel industry over soaring vacation prices. In a statement to the Mirror, she conveyed her grasp on the issue: "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."
Despite stiffer penalties, a notable number of parents still opt to take their children away during cheaper term-time dates instead of authorised school holidays. This has led to troubling statistics - nearly 20 percent of kids show habitual absenteeism - prompting the question of whether government and compulsory price regulation by travel firms should step in.
The dissimilarity in holiday costs is stark, illustrated by recent comparisons. Go Compare's analysis from last year showed that a holiday package to Greece cost £748 during term-time and leapt to £1,023 during the school break. The Mirror reported similar inflation in prices, where a trip to Spain surged from £925 to £1,179.
The Mirror has highlighted the steep increase in flight prices during school holidays, with fares from London's bustling Heathrow to Santiago de Compostela in Spain jumping from £101 per person in April to a whopping £197 in August. Similarly, flights to Paris after the summer season are priced at £79, compared to £115 during the peak end-of-August period.
In light of these price hikes, many parents are choosing to pay fines as it proves more cost-effective than travelling during school breaks. Rachel Smith, a mother of three, told the Mirror that she's opted to homeschool her children for three months to enable affordable family holidays without the risk of legal repercussions.
After being slapped with a £480 fine in January for a term-time trip to Portugal, she criticised the government, likening it to "a dictatorship. 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." Rachel explained.
Another couple, Rebekah Richardson and Dale Wood, were hit with a hefty £2,000 fine for taking their children on holiday during term time but insisted they had "no regrets". The savings on their dream trip to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, amounted to £5,000 compared to October half-term prices.
Despite the significant savings, they were critical of the steep fines upon their return, with Rebekah and Dale being ordered to pay £924 and £1,044 respectively. "We're being treated as criminals for taking our young kids on holiday. I feel as parents we're penalised for everything now," they expressed last year.
Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, has come out in support of Bridget Phillipson's remarks on addressing holiday pricing. "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.
Kebede welcomed Phillipson's approach: "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."
Meanwhile, the Association of British Travel Agents voiced their take on the subject: "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."
Should travel companies be forced to cut prices in school holidays? Have your say! Join in the conversation.
