Term-time holiday fines - what's changed?
Unauthorised absences are consistently higher in the week before or the week after a school holiday. New rules for England aim to deter parents from booking term-time holidays.
New figures show that in the last week of the summer term this year, 5% of pupils in England across primary and secondary school were absent without authorisation.
Some of them may have been playing truant from school, but plenty of others will have been on holiday with their parents.
Unauthorised absences are consistently higher in the week before or the week after a school holiday.
Why? Because it's cheaper. Now, the rules have changed in England, with the government hoping higher fines will act as a deterrent for parents.
In this episode of 5 Questions on, our Cost of Living correspondent, Colletta Smith, explains the rules in detail, and hears from some parents to find out if they think the change will have an impact.
(Image: Getty)
