A mother, upset over receiving a fine for taking her son on a £3,000 holiday, expressed her dismay by labeling the fine as unjustifiable, asserting that their journey to Egypt served an educational purpose.

Michelle Partington and her husband, Andrew, took their 12-year-old son Oliver out of school for 10 days on June 1.

The 46-year-old explained that the reason behind the trip was to uplift her son’s spirits after he changed schools in April following incidents of bullying. Financial constraints made it impossible for her to afford the trip during the school break when costs soared by an additional £2,000.

She contended that the trip’s activities, which included snorkeling, quad biking, and exploring historical sites, offered educational value due to Egypt’s abundant historical significance. Nonetheless, her appeal for official leave was denied by the school.

She remarked: ‘Despite the fine, the holiday was indispensable. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, filled with wonder. Traveling to Egypt during school vacations was beyond our means; domestic options like Pontins or Haven were more within reach.’

‘We work hard, so getting to spend time together as a family was nice, and we don’t get to do that very often.’

Further, she stated: ‘I informed the school about our plans to take him out. I explained that it would be an educational journey as Egypt is a cradle of civilization with extensive historical relevance.’

However, Wigan Council responded by emphasizing that ‘parents bear a legal responsibility to ensure their child receives full-time education, through regular school attendance or alternative means,’ leading to a fine of £80 each imposed on her and her husband for their son’s unauthorized absence.

Local councils can issue a fine of £80 per parent for a child’s unauthorised absence from school, including holidays during term time.

If parents fail to pay the fine within a 21-day timeframe, the amount doubles, and if it remains unpaid, they may face prosecution.

Mrs Partington, a driving school company director who lives in Wigan, Greater Manchester, said: ‘As much as education is really important, I think spending time with family and relaxing with family and enjoying family time on holiday is equally as important for a child’s mental health.’

The mother made sure there were no exams during the trip, but was still warned she could be fined. 

She said: ‘I was expecting to get a fine and I’d heard that it was £80. My husband and I received separate letters. I just thought they were doing their due diligence by sending it to them both but it was £160. You’d think there was a better way to deal with this.’

She was ‘devastated’ when she and her husband both received an £80 fine from Wigan Council on July 2, forcing her to cancel the fun plans she’d organised for her son during the summer break.

‘We had trips booked during the summer holidays but because of the additional expense of the fine those things have had to go to the wayside. Oliver wanted to go to Jurassic World in London but the funds aren’t there.’ 

But she stands by her decision and has called on the council to change their policy as well as the holiday companies to stop charging higher prices during school holidays.

She said: ‘We had to swap his high school because he was bullied. He was still very upset about what had happened. This holiday was to cheer him up about that as well.

‘I feel like the school and the council didn’t really take that into consideration. You’d have thought there’d be some sort of leniency there.

‘Even if the council said yes ‘you have to send this fine’ does each parent have to pay it? They should give an option to pay it in instalments so it’s not as big of a hit.

‘I can understand the school wanting to take a stance on children being present at school, and I understand education is so important.

‘What is unfair is the holiday companies charging through the nose so much more money when people need to go during the school holidays. It just makes it impossible for normal people to book nice holidays during the school holidays because it’s too expensive.’

A Wigan Council spokesperson said: ‘Parents have a legal duty to ensure their child receives full-time education, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.

‘Headteachers may only grant a leave of absence during term time if they consider that there are exceptional circumstances, and the Department for Education’s statutory guidance, updated in August 2024, reinforces that a holiday is not considered exceptional.’