大象传媒

Should parents be fined for taking children out of school? A former Kent headteacher says it is never acceptable to take a child out of school in term time. Is he right?

Peter Read, widely regarded as one of the most respected educational experts in the county says we need a zero tolerance approach to term-time absence.

Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove is believed to be considering more severe punishments for parents who allow children to miss school during term-time.

In 2010 around 6,000 parents were fined for letting their youngsters miss school, but mostly the fines are only 拢100, and the savings that can be made on family holidays massively outweigh the penalty.

Do you ever take your children out of school in term-time. What for? Have you asked for permission and been denied? Is it time for a crackdown?

After 36 years sailing round the world, a couple in the 80s have decided it is time live on dry land again and they have chosen a small riverside community in Rochester as their permanent base. We speak to the Coopers for their stories of decades on the high seas.