MORE Swindon parents are taking their children out of school to take advantage of cut-price holidays in term time.

Research from The Knowledge Academy revealed 1,882 fixed penalty notices were issued to families for unauthorised absence last year – a nine per cent rise on the figure for 2017/18.

Swindon Borough Council made almost £100,000 from the fines, but parents in the town thought it was a price worth paying before the cost of a holiday is hiked at peak times.

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Lee Hardy: "Why not give the parents the coursework the child/children would have missed out on doing to do during the time they are away.

"When I was a kid if we took time from school whether it was holiday or sick, mum and dad made arrangements for us to have the coursework – it would take us a day or two to get done and then we would have the rest of the holiday to have fun."

Zoe Angela: "I’m sorry but missing a week or two of school isn’t going to have a massive impact on the kid's education. If a kid wants to learn they will and they’ll catch up! I know children who don’t go to school just because they don’t want too and nothing happens to them or their parents. Kids get a choice these days which is why education is failing."

Kate Johnson: "Children have 13 weeks off a year and an extra five teacher training days. It’s disgusting that the government can choose to pull our children out of school that long and then fine people for taking them out for five days to save themselves some money."

Tessa Thompson: "I think going on a family holiday is more likely to teach the kids about what’s important, like family time, giving your bodies and minds much needed break, from the stresses of everyday life, the pressures of school etc. I do not believe that fining already financially stretched parents is the best thing to do.

"If all holiday places lowered their prices by a quarter instead of being greedy more families would be able to take kids on holidays out of term times and the holiday companies would still make millions."

Zowie Seymour: "I work in a school so I have to go in the holidays. If I didn’t work in a school, I’d be going term time with my child."

Julie Baynham: "Mine are grown up now but I took them on holiday a couple of times during term time or else I wouldn't have been able to afford to. And do you know what – during those holidays they learnt to swim, they gained valuable social skills and most importantly it gave them happy memories. They didn't lose any education whatsoever!"

Collett Bird: "I think every child should be granted 2 weeks holiday to be taken anytime through the year."

Kelly Higgins: "I'm taking mine out of school. If I get a fine so be it. It's £240 for my fine but saves me £1,200 for going in half-term! I know what I'd rather pay and they're not missing out on much education for one week."

Marie Woodward: "I could say a lot about this. End-of-term DVD watching, children at different schools having different times off, closing for schools to be used as polling stations, up to seven extra days closed due to TD days, factory workers with certain shutdowns and not all parents are able to get time off in the school holidays all make family holiday time difficult."

Debra Minns: "I agree it would be better for schools to change holiday times but it wouldn't take long for the holiday companies to cotton on to them and bump up the prices again. It's them that should be targeted to not discriminate against families with children of school age."

Andy Hannath: "I know of countries where the different districts all get a different two weeks for half-terms throughout the year. They still have same summer and winter so holidays with family and friends can be planned then. Makes a lot of sense."