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You and Yours: Call You and Yours: School holiday fines

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04/02/2014

Call You and Yours: School holiday fines

BBC Radio 4 - You and Yours, Call You and Yours: School holiday fines

Should parents be penalised for taking their children on holiday in term-time?

Consumer phone-in with Shari Vahl. Should parents be penalised for taking their children out of school during term time? Parents in England can be fined as much as £60 per child.

We're asking whether parents should be penalised for taking their children out of school during term time.

Last week an irate father posted on Facebook that he was "sick to death" of being "ripped off" by travel companies which put up holiday prices outside school term time. His post was shared more than 143,000 times.

In the past parents might have taken their children out a few days early to avoid the most expensive fares but new rules in England mean head teachers now have far less discretion over whether or not to allow parents to take children out of school. Parents who ignore the rules can be fined as much as £60 per child. So is this fair?

Maybe you are a parent who has been fined? Or perhaps you're a teacher - do you agree with this policy? Is it preventing parents taking their children out of school?

Maybe you agree with the policy of fining parents but think the travel industry ought to be doing more to bring down the cost of holidays outside term time?

We want to hear your views from 1100 on Tuesday 4th February. 

The phone number to call is 03 700 100 444.

E-mail you and yours at BBC dot CO dot UK.

Or you can text 84844.

Presenter: Shari Vahl
Producer: Fiona Woods.

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