Parents face fines for school absences as families choose early holiday for savings

By Mahvash Ikram of RNZ

Several Kiwi families say they are okay with their children bunking school to go on holiday early because flights are cheaper.

On Thursday — one day before the holiday began — dozens of travellers at Auckland International Airport told First Up they were checking in early for flights to the Pacific Islands, United States and Australia.

One woman heading to Rarotonga said she would have to pay at least $500 more if she travelled after the school holiday started.

Another whānau said their children were skipping two days of school so they could save $2000 on airfares.

Meanwhile last week, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced parents who allow their children to take more than 15 days off in a single term face possible prosecution by the Ministry of Education.

One mother said she was all for children being in class, but she thought skipping two days was not a big deal.

“I’m not the kind of parent that would keep my kid out of school just to make it cheaper on the pocket.”

But they were not the only ones.

A man heading to Brisbane with his family said airfares seemed to go up as soon as holidays began, so he had no choice but to travel early.

“It’s significantly cheaper. We’re also coming back a day after school starts, so we’re coming back Monday and that’s saved $1400.

“It seems that they [airfares] go up dramatically as soon as school holidays start.

“It’s just price gouging.”

Another whānau headed to the US said leaving early was not about the cost, but spending extra time overseas.

And it was no problem getting their daughter off school early.

“I just emailed school that we’re taking a couple days off and that’s it.”

Several other travellers said they, too, had no problem getting their children excused from school a couple of days early.

“We told them it was happening. They’re in primary school, so it’s ... no major deal,” one father said.

But most families did not like the idea of potentially being prosecuted if their children missed 15 days of school during a term.

“I think travel is an education. I wouldn’t take them out all the time, but I know my children work hard during the rest of the time. I’m not bothered to take a week here and there to go and travel,” said a mother of two.

Another woman said it was not fair to penalise parents for airlines that made it expensive to travel during holidays.

Air New Zealand has been asked for comment on travellers’ concerns that fare rises amounted to price gouging.

Education has been seen as dispensable: Seymour

Seymour said not enough people were taking education seriously.

“School is open for about 180 days a year, that leaves another 185 days a year for family, cultural events, holidays and anything else that people would like to do.

“I think when people say that school being open 180 days a year is too much and they need to nickel-and-dime a day here and there for a holiday, it shows that education has been seen as dispensable, too dispensable in our society.”

Although fines were a last a resort, they might have to be implemented to catch repeat offenders, he said.

“You’ve got to remember that you only get fined as a last resort if you’re chronically absent and you’re judged to be more of a won’t than a can’t. If you miss a few days a term, you won’t fall into the chronically absent category where fines are a possibility. But that doesn’t mean that it’s okay.”

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