Term-time holidays continue
As the school holidays begin and the search for what to do with the kids over the summer starts, it would seem parents are ignoring potential prosecution by continuing to take their children on holiday during term-time.It would seem parents are ignoring potential prosecution by continuing to take their children on holiday during term-time. A snapshot poll of over 100 parents, by holiday website www.cooptravelshop.co.uk, has revealed that 80 per cent are still regularly taking their children out of school, because of the higher prices of holidays during the peak Summer season.Cooptravelshop.co.uk and its High Street agency chain Co-op Travel have already launched a five percent discount scheme in a bid to deter parents from removing children, in conjunction with ABTA’s ‘Every Lesson Counts’ initiative. Currently, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) says that parents should not automatically expect their child’s school to agree to a family holiday during term-time. In a test case in March this year, High Court judges backed a local authority which pursued legal action against a mother who took her children out of school for a holiday without permission. Judges declared that schools alone have the right to decide whether children can be taken out of class.Paul Drew, eCommerce Marketing Manager for cooptravelshop.co.uk, says: “Like any other product, holidays are subject to the laws of supply and demand and in general terms, prices go up at times during school holidays when demand is greater. “We understand the concerns of parents. In addition to our own five per cent discount scheme, we are constantly striving to offer good value breaks during school holiday periods, and we currently have a series of good value offers in the UK and overseas tailored purely at the long school holidays. “We also support the DfES and ABTA, which encourages parents to book early for the best deals. “Because we are independent, we offer a far wider choice of holiday arrangements than other major travel agencies including a full range of family specialists and deals, making it easier for us to find customers a holiday that’s right for them.”
About the Author
Co-op Travel and www.cooptravelshop.co.uk are part of the £496 million United Co-operatives and the Co-operative Travel Trading Group. With combined holiday sales of over £1.3 billion, CTTG caters for the needs of over 3 million holidaymakers each year. Visit their website at: http://www.cooptravelshop.co.uk
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