Is it discriminatory to issue penalty notices for term time absence to both parents?

[minisale]

Our LEA has a policy of issuing a fine to each parent for each child if you take them out of school for 5 consecutive days. So a two parent family will receive four penalty notices of £50 each while a single parent family will receive just two for the same act. The impact of taking the two children out of school is exactly the same. Is this discriminating against two parent families and therefore is it illegal for the County Council to implement this policy? Ideas, knowledge, experiences and views gratefully received.

And I would also just pay and move on.

I would pay and move on.

Headteachers used to be able to grant compassionate leave but this is no longer the case.

Headteachers used to be able to grant compassionate leave but this is no longer the case

It very much is still the case. Some head teachers like to pretend they don't have any discretion as it means families who are denied permission for absence take their anger out on someone else. They are lying. They have discretion to decide what counts as exceptional circumstances that allow absence to be authorised.

If the child has separated parents then it is only one of those parents chosing to remove them from the school - they get fined.
If the parents are together then they both make that choice - they are both fined.
It's not rocket science!

Aaaaaargh ZOMBIE THREAD!!!