http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/nov/29/primary-schools-parents-fined-term-time-holidays




The author says that primary many school leaders have fined parents for taking children out of school for unauthorised holidays. Parents are said that the sickness as the reason for absence. Many parents maybe try to get around the new rules. Schools are allowed to grant up to 10 days leave for family holidays but the new rules are failing to change parents' behaviour, especially for those with primary school-aged children. The new regulations allow schools to fine each parent £60 for each child's unauthorised absence, rising to £120 if not paid within seven days, and one in four of those surveyed said they had used the new power since it came into force on 1 September. Experts says that lost classroom time – especially in primary school – is damaging to a child's education.

In my opinion, many parents are happy to pay the fine in order to get a considerably cheaper holiday in term time. Holiday price increases during school holidays are ridiculous. Maybe the parents who believe they deserve cheaper holidays should turn to the travel industry and lobby the companies who inflate their prices in school holidays to spread the costs evenly across the year. That way the people who teach their children would be able to afford to go on holiday too. So, in schoold there is specially allotted time for rest and for holidays. In Russia we have the same problem. many parents take their children on holidays during the academic year, but we have enough time in sommer for rest - three month. But prices in summer are much higher than, for example, in winter, when ravel companies offer to purchase hot tours.

Questions: 1) What do you think, how should the primary school leaders toughen the rules to prevent this situation?

2) Could parents to refuse to go on unauthorised holidays?

3) In your opinion, how much money should pay the parents for these unauthorised holidays and should they pay at all?