IN light of the news today that a High Court judge has upheld a father’s decision not to pay a school fine of £120 for removing his daughter from school to go on holiday, I have asked Devon County Council if it will suspend any further prosecutions of parents in similar circumstances in Devon until the law is clarified.

As I understand it, the Government has announced it will introduce new legislation to clarify school attendance.

Until that happens, the county council should not seek to press cases in court, in light of today’s Court decision (Isle of Wight Council asked Court to rule whether a seven-day holiday was a failure to ensure regular attendance).

The father in this case set out the argument that his daughter ‘regularly’ attended school with 90% or better attendance. The judge accepted the argument made by the father’s legal team — that there had been regular attendance, which is what the law requires.

Given the decision today, it is my view that Devon County Council should not routinely take legal action against parents removing their children from school for ‘term-time’ holidays until the position is clarified by new regulations or legislation.

Cllr Alan Connett

Shadow Leader

Devon County Council