Crusader
for breaks
says ‘don’t
criminalise
parents’

Craig Langman, whose petition against the Government’s clampdown on term-time holidays has attracted more than 128,000 signatures, said that pupils should be allowed to spend “quality time” with their parents.

Under changes introduced last month, headteachers can no longer grant any absence outside of school holidays unless circumstances are exceptional.

Previously, school leaders could grant up to 10 days’ leave a year for family holidays in special circumstances.

Mr Langman, who has a six-year-old son, started a petition on the 38 degrees campaigning website against the move which argues that the changes will impact on families who cannot afford to take a break during the school holidays.

Speaking after he handed the petition in to the Education Department earlier yesterday, Mr Langman, from Nuneaton, said that headteachers need to be given back the power to make decisions about giving pupils time off.

“This rule takes away that ability to talk to the school and discuss your child’s education with them.”

He insisted that he was not advocating that every child should automatically be entitled to time off for holidays, but suggested that it should be looked at on an individual basis.

“If my son was ill a lot and then I say that they’re better now and I want to take him on holiday, the teachers have got every right to turn around and say your son is hardly ever here we have to decline it.

“If my son has a good attendance rate why shouldn’t I be able to discuss it with them, I’m not talking about a guaranteed one or two weeks every year.”

Mr Langman said: “I really and truly want to be part of my son’s education and to teach him good things in life.”

He added that he wants to spend time helping his son and working with teachers to do that, and that it shouldn’t be up to government to say when he can take his child on holiday.

“It makes me feel like a criminal and I’m not,” Mr Langman said.

The petition says: “These changes will adversely affect many families who cannot afford the cost of a holiday in school holidays.

“Also not all businesses can allow their staff to be off all at the same time, therefore is the Department of Education now saying that children are not entitled to holidays with their parents anymore?

“I feel that most MPs in the Government had holidays with their parents when they were younger so why do they think they have the power to stop our children’s generation from enjoying the same lifestyle? Good parents or parents that work full-time should not be criminalised for wanting to enjoy an affordable annual family holiday.”