‘Immoral practice’ of cashing in on school holidays

EDUCATION leaders are calling on the government to crack down on travel companies and airlines ‘immorally’ cashing in on school holidays.
They say the price hike for travel and hotels during school holidays is totally unjustified and immoral, and leads to parents taking their children out of school during term time.
It is also prejudiced against all people who work in the education sector as they are restricted to taking their leave during school holidays when prices are so much higher.
The call follows a letter sent to parents in six local authority areas – Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Powys and Swansea.
It informed parents that if their child was taken out of class it would be marked as unauthorised and would show on their attendance record.
It is part of a drive to cut down on absenteeism in schools, but has generated a reaction from parents across the region, venting their frustration with increased holiday costs during school holidays.
Lead Director of the South West and Mid Wales Education Consortium, Eifion Evans, said: “The education of children is paramount and research has shown that attendance at school is a high factor in achievement.
“Although we are not saying school is the only place children can learn, and that there are of course benefits associated with travel and different cultures, if children miss out on lessons they will not be taught the full national curriculum.
“This puts them at a disadvantage and leads to falling standards, which no parent or school wants for a child.
“This is not about education authorities being heavy handed, we have to prioritise children’s education and a large factor affecting this is absenteeism.
“Having said that, we fully understand the frustration of parents, and indeed all those people working in the education sector, who are forced to pay higher prices for holidays.”