Deal will curb holiday rip-offs
TRAVEL firms are slashing the cost of high-season holidays for families with school children in an attempt to cut term-time absences. They have struck a deal with ministers to stop thousands of parents taking their children abroad during school terms when holidays are cheapest.
Some companies are offering discounts of up to £400, free child places and free insurance for peak-time travel.
The deal comes a year after the Government introduced £100 fines for parents whose children were removed from lessons without permission.
More than a million teaching days are lost each year because of holiday truancy. Around 50,000 children play truant every day. Since the fines were introduced 34,000 more pupils attend classes each day, according to Government statistics.
The latest anti-truancy initiative was dreamt up by the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Trade and Industry. They hope the lure of cheaper holidays will prove as effective as the threat of fines.
Eighty local authorities have signed up to the deal alongside such companies as Thomas Cook, Virgin, First Choice and Thomson. Thomas Cook says it will offer a free child place on certain holidays and Virgin will discount some flights to Florida and California by £400.
The tour companies are told what term times exist in their local areas so they can offer their deals in the holiday period. They have agreed to remind parents of their responsibility if they are booking holidays during term time.
Traditionally, travel agents have taken advantage of holiday periods to raise prices. Many families found they could not afford to go abroad during the high season and resorted to taking holidays during term time.
A DfES spokesman said: 'We believe every day in school counts. We have brokered this deal as a way of keeping parents from having to book holidays during term time.' Under current rules, parents can request up to ten days' holiday, but it is up to the school to authorise time off.
The Tories have dismissed the scheme as a token gesture. Shadow Education Secretary Tim Collins said: 'Bribing parents to keep their children at school is not the way to tackle Britain's growing truancy problem.'
