Fining parents for term-time holidays 'should be last resort'
Fines for parents who take their children out of school to go on term-time holidays should only be handed out as a last resort, it has been claimed.
Councillor Charlotte Barnes said punishment issued to parents was handed out in a "punitive" way and has called for the existing system to be scrapped.
She said the current "one size fits all" legislation failed to account for the problems faced by families living in rural areas, and has called on Nicky Morgan, secretary of state for education, to make changes.
It comes after Jon Platt won a legal battle last week after he took his seven-year-old daughter on a holiday to Disney World in Florida during term-time.
It was decided he had no case to answer as his daughter regularly attended school and the case was dismissed before it reached magistrates in the Isle of Wight.
Last year Natasha and Stewart Sutherland of Telford were fined after taking their three children on a term-time holiday in Rhodes, Greece, in September 2013.
The couple were told to pay £1,000 in fines and costs after the case reached Telford Magistrates Court.
Nearly 900 fines were handed out to parents in the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin areas during the 2013/14 academic year for taking their children on holiday during term-time.
Councillor Barnes, who has two young children, said: "Although in principle its right to punish parents who take their children out of school the way that this law is implemented is far too punitive and doesn't take into account the realities of modern life, especially in rural areas such as Shropshire.
"The main problem with the current legislation is that 'one size fits all' with very little leeway. Parents are fined irrespective of the circumstance in many instances.
"Although some people abused the system in the past taking children out of school repeatedly, we are now hearing of fines being levied on parents out of school for isolated incidents.
"On a wider note, wages in rural communities like ours are low and frequently the only way that parents can afford holidays is to take outside the overpriced height of summer. Work practices in farming, tourism and related industries also frequently do not fit in with school holidays.
"I'm not saying that all fines should be scrapped. Rather they should be used as a last resort for parents who repeatedly take children out of school for no valid reason.
"I think heads should be given more discretion to take in local, personal and social reasons when deciding who should or should not be fined. One week should not be a problem for most children's education."
Earlier this month three parents from north Shropshire were handed fines at Shrewsbury Magistrates Court due to the poor attendance records of their children. The cases were related to bullying and illness.
