To wonder what the new laws regarding school absence will have on the tourist industry?

[LEMisdisappointed]

I really don't want this to turn into a debate on the rights and wrongs of taking one's children out of school for holidays(yeah, i know IABU and niave) , I am interested in how it will affect holiday providers, principally here, but also abroad.

At the moment, holiday companies charge a premium for school holidays - i can't see that changing, in fact, i can actually see the prices rising. I do not think that there will be a change in the numbers of folk taking holidays in school holidays as places are already full so there is no incentive for holiday companies to make reductions.

At the moment, people, for various reasons take advantage of the cheaper holidays out of school times. So now, people will either find the extra money for their holidays or not go - maybe camping will see an increase?

How are the holiday companies going to market their non-peak holidays now, considering that a large proportion of families with school age children still take these at the moment? Will they aim at a different market sector? Try and market abroad?

The discounted holidays by the Sun and that "other" paper generally only offer term time breaks, will they no longer offer them?

Will this affect you? what will you do? pay the extra or simply not go?

We went away for one night and will maybe try for another night or two away in a hotel rather than a holiday this year. DP is self employed and this makes it difficult to plan but we would possibly have taken a week in a caravan park during school time before. DD will be in year four in september so we probably wouldnt have chosen to take her out of school anyway so not necessarily affected by the change in law.

[FannyFifer]

What new laws?

[WorraLiberty]

I'm not sure a 'large proportion' do any more to be honest.

Most schools around here have had a no holiday policy for years

Those who lie and pretend their kids are ill, or a close family member has died abroad, will probably still continue to do so.

Those who would rather pay the fine than save longer to go in school hols, will probably still continue to do so.

I can't see it affecting them much at all.

[EarlyIntheMorning]

Yes, what new laws please?

[SelectAUserName]

What Worra said.

[LEMisdisappointed]

Hasn't it been made that schools have to adhere to this more stringently? So no opportunity for discretion? maybe i was dreaming it

We had a letter from school at the end of this term stating that NO absence would be authorised wheras before it was down to the discretion of the governers. To be fair the answer was always no, but i think the school now have a duty to report any unauthorised absence rather than it just being marked as unauthorised on the register

[Rufus43]

We don't tend to take the children on holiday in term time. In the last three years they have only had one three day term time break

This is because the 14 year old has been in senior school for those years. If they were all in primary school I would not worry about taking them out for a week

In two years time we will be taking the two youngest out for one week in term time law or no law. But that's the only term time holiday we are planning for the next 6 years

I'm not sure it will affect the holiday companies for the next year or two until the fines start coming through

[LEMisdisappointed]

Worra, i take your point but surely with £100 a day fines it would be cheaper to go in the holidays anyway?

[WorraLiberty]

As far as I'm aware, it's still £60 per child...rising to £100 or something if not paid within 28 days.

What I'm unclear about is whether the £60 is per day or per 'block' of unauthorised absence.

I've googled it a lot but can't find any clarification on an official website.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Dd's school insist on daily phone calls for sickness. Doable if you're holidaying in this country but not from abroad.

[AlphaBetaOoda]

It's £60 per child per parent isn't it.

[McBalls]

"We had a letter from school at the end of this term stating that NO absence would be authorised wheras before it was down to the discretion of the governers. To be fair the answer was always no,..."

I think that pretty much chimes with what worry says.

I really don't think September will herald any major change in either families and their choices or holiday companies.

[McBalls]

Worra*

[WorraLiberty]

I think it's doable from abroad, especially if you're holidaying in Europe.

[LEMisdisappointed]

viva - thats all well and good if you can get your child on board but my child would refuse to lie (which is a good thing i suppose :) ) and also would be physically incapable of keeping it to herself if she had been/was going on holiday

[WorraLiberty]

All that's happened is the wording on the rule has been amended...and the word 'holiday' taken out.

It's still up to the Head's (or sometime's governor's) discretion, if exceptional circumstances can be proved.

[Sirzy]

I THINK its £60 per child per day fine. Whether they are used straight away is yet to be seen I wonder if that will be mainly for 'repeat offenders'

I don't think it will make much difference to holiday prices tbh, most people already holiday during the holidays so I don't think demand will change that much really.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Mmm, maybe - I'd worry about the dial tone been totally different. School secretary might be if she clicked.

Will stick to camping in the summer holidays.

[WorraLiberty]

I think this is going to be more of a problem for employers than holiday companies.

Employers are likely to be put under more pressure to ensure employees can take their holidays, during school holiday time.

Personally I think those who can't afford to go on hols during the school holidays, need to choose a cheaper holiday or spend longer saving for it.

But that doesn't solve the problem for people that aren't allowed to take their holidays when the schools do.

[LEMisdisappointed]

Thats a good point worra about the employees.

When i was a child yearly holidays were unheard of, we weren't especially poor either and we did take two six weekly breaks to australia to stay with family, however i firmly believe that was the reason i failed my 11+. It seems that the "annual holiday" seems to be an expectation rather than an exception. We certainly don't manage every year but I would say that we are in a minority where we live.

[ilovesooty]

I'm sure it won't be long before this thread kicks off like the last one.

I'm rather interested in how workplaces handle holiday requests. After all if your partner works in a school you can't go away outside the holidays. Surely you have as much right to be considered for school holiday annual leave as employees with children?

[WorraLiberty]

We don't manage every year either LEM

Well we could if we wanted to go camping or something, but if we want a more expensive holiday, we have to save for at least another year.

[WorraLiberty]

That's a good point too sooty

It would be unfair to ban non parents from taking holidays in August for example, just because they don't have kids.

[fledtoscotland]

I haven't heard anything from our school but I cannot get AL during peak business times and our head authorises 10 school days for parents in similar positions if employers will confirm this in writing

[Viviennemary]

Can people not say their child is ill. I'm sure some will. And also I wonder if private schools will be having the same rules.

[LEMisdisappointed]

Viv - i doubt it would be so much of an issue for those with kids at private school, making the jump tht they may well be more well off generally.