TRUANCY 2

Parents who take kids out of school for a holiday would also face these fines. Adult Learning Minister, Ivan Lewis said, “Keeping kids away for holidays is truancy, pure and simple.” (No it isn't, pure and simple). Truancy figures in England have fallen slightly, but almost half of all pupils in some areas are absent without permission at one time or another each year. Under the proposals, which would go into the Home Office's Anti-Social Behaviour Bill, fines will be higher if the parents do not admit that their child's absence from school was not sanctioned by the school.

The shadow education secretary, Damian Green, said, "While truancy is a serious problem this is yet another in a long line of government gimmicks which do not deal with the real problem. Since Labour came to power they have spent £600m on anti-truancy measures with no impact on truancy rates. What is needed is a radical change to the curriculum allowing technical and vocational education much earlier than we now do." And Liberal Democrat spokesman Phil Willis said, "Making criminals of truants and their families will do little to re-engage those children with education."

But Ivan Lewis, said the fines were not aimed at parents struggling to get their children back to school. "They are aimed at those parents who simply refuse to co-operate with the authorities that are there to help them. The main emphasis will be positive support and help but if parents don't co-operate with the simple responsibility of ensuring their children are at school, we feel it is right to hold them to account." Parents would only be responsible for their offspring during school hours though. Outside school hours, kids would continue to be a law unto themselves and answerable to no one.

An inquiry was demanded into how travel firms charge almost double for package tours during school holidays. Parents are facing fines of up to £100 under the Government's new truancy rules if they take their children out of classes to go away, even though family travel during the official school holidays can be vastly more expensive than in term time. An analysis by Escape, The Observer's travel section, shows that a family of four could pay up to £1,948 more for a week's skiing in the February half-term than in an off-peak week in January. Malcolm Bruce, the Liberal Democrat trade and industry spokesman, said Ministers should investigate if the crackdown on truancy was skewing holiday costs.

"If public policy says school holidays should be when they are, and public policy says parents should be discouraged from taking children away from school for holidays, then perhaps public policy is artificially creating a situation which the travel industry might then exploit," Bruce said. "I don't see why the Office of Fair Trading should not investigate how these prices can be justified. It's unfair because it penalises families and encourages what the Government is calling truancy and some parents regard as unauthorised absences. There is some obligation on the Government if they are being, not unreasonably, so strong on the policy that they should take action to try and ensure that parents are not disadvantaged."

The following example is from a recent advertisement for Florida By Phone holidays.

Tour operators insist they are not exploiting holidaymakers, and say prices must rise during peak seasons to spread firms' costs throughout the year and sustain them in times of low demand. They say desirable destinations attract premium rates during the school summer holidays. Martin Garland, of the Association of Independent Tour Operators, said prices were fair. "They take into account the huge annual investment involved, producing and dispatching brochures free to thousands of consumers, owning holiday accommodation for 52 weeks while letting it for, say, only 20 and paying suppliers in advance for the season." However, some headteachers say parents, particularly those on tight budgets, are being put under heavy pressure by the high prices. A Department of Trade and Industry spokesman said it had no plans to intervene. "The only way we would get involved is if there was evidence of price fixing, in which case the Office of Fair Trading would become involved," he added.

A mother who appeared in court after her daughter attended school for only one afternoon in two months escaped with a £350 fine. The city council, which had pledged to take a hard line on truancy, had taken the woman to court for the third time. Magistrates had the option of forcing the woman to carry out community service, attend a parenting course, or even sending her to jail. But they decided that the fine was adequate punishment, even though it is almost certain it will be paid weekly from the woman's state benefits. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Mar/06)

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