MOST schools in England and Wales broke up for the summer holidays only this week, but some pupils were already on the beach. Airlines and hotels jack up their prices when the school holidays begin, tempting some parents to pull their children out of class a week early to take advantage of lower fares. To deter such truanting, schools can slap families with a £60 ($95) fine per child, per parent (so a couple with two children would forfeit £240).
Research by The Economist suggests the fee is not much of a deterrent. We compared the prices of 230 holidays for a family of four during the summer break and during term time (see chart). Unsurprisingly, almost all were cheaper outside the school holidays. But more than half were cheaper even accounting for the fine. On July 19th Sir Michael Wilshaw, the chief inspector of schools, suggested beefing up the penalty. Yet even if the levy doubled, it would be cheaper to play truant 14% of the time. The fine would have to treble before nearly all term-time vacations were as dear as breaks taken during the school holidays.
This suggests that fines may not be the answer. Eveswell primary school, in Newport, has devised what may be a better way to reduce truancy. It has scheduled five staff-training days, which are usually spread across the year, to be held in one week next June, so families can take cheap trips without children missing out on education. A good lesson.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline "Truancy pays"
