Liberal Democrats criticise 'heavy-handed' response to term time holidays

“Of course local authorities have a duty to ensure children are regularly attending school and receiving their education, but these fines are often used in a way which is far too heavy handed.

"For many families the cost of going away during the school holidays is prohibitive, and we must remember that being able to spend time away with family, and learning about another place or culture, is beneficial for children too.

"Head teachers are best placed to understand the needs of a child and their family. They should be given the discretion to grant children up to ten days of holiday during term time if they can reasonably make up the missed work and not overburden their teachers. We need a much more sensible and even handed approach to this issue".