Dudley councillor says parents 'criminalised' for cheap holidays
A former headteacher and Dudley councillor says parents fined for taking term-time holidays are criminalised for ‘doing the right thing’.
Councillor Hilary Bills was speaking during a discussion about an education report at a meeting of the council’s Social Care and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee on February 4.
The report said attendance at borough schools had improved to 93.1 percent, in line with national averages, while 19.2 percent of children were classed as persistently absent because they missed 19 or more days of school.
The report, signed by John Macilwraith, Dudley director of children’s services, said: “This is the first time for a number of years that school attendance and persistent absence has been at national levels across Dudley and this should be celebrated.”
A significant reason for unauthorised absence from school is parents taking children on cheaper family holidays in term time.
In the 2024/25 year Dudley issued 4,669 penalty notices to parents for taking children out of school for holidays.
More than a decade ago, Conservative education secretary Michael Gove removed headteachers’ ability to grant two weeks discretionary leave in term time.
In 2013 new legislation meant parents could be fined for taking children out of school to take cheaper holidays; fines start at £80 but the penalty can rocket up to £2,500.
According to research published by Go.Compare, for a family of four the average price hike for a package getaway during school holidays is nine percent per person.
Councillor Bills said: “There is a large number of families now who pay willingly to take their children on holiday during term time.
“As far as I was concerned as a headteacher all the exams were over by May 31, as long as you go after May 31 – I don’t care.”
“It was Michael Gove who changed that, they criminalised families because they wanted to do the right thing.”
Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Bills added she believes absence from school for family holidays after pupils have finished exams is acceptable and for some pupils at special schools it can be beneficial because children struggle to cope with crowded tourist environments.
Councillor Bills said: “There is something seriously wrong with the system, councils can’t change it, the government needs to look at it and bring it up to date with how people live their lives.”
