Parents are being urged to stop removing children from school during term time for family holidays, as new figures reveal primary school pupils lost almost 360,000 school days to family trips last year.
The figure represents nearly triple the pre-pandemic level, prompting warnings from school principals about the serious emotional and social damage caused by extended absences.
The Department of Education has launched a new strategy to tackle what it describes as “concerning levels” of school absences, with term-time holidays emerging as a significant contributor to the problem.
Holiday Costs Drive Term-Time Travel
The surge in term-time holidays is largely driven by dramatic cost differences between peak and shoulder seasons, according to travel industry experts.
Tom Randles, president of the Irish Travel Agents Association, reports a “noticeable increase” in families choosing to travel in June rather than during the traditional July-August school holiday period.
“It’s really down to value, particularly if they are cost conscious,” Randles explained, citing substantial savings available to families willing to travel during school time.
A family holiday to Majorca costs over €1,000 more in July compared to June, while the same trip to Costa Daurada near Barcelona would cost €1,400 less in early June than in July. Families booking Corfu holidays in June rather than July could save more than €1,500.
“That’s with the same properties, and the same number of adults and children,” Randles noted.
Another factor encouraging term-time travel is the “extremely hot temperatures” experienced in European destinations during peak summer months, making June a more comfortable option for families with young children.
Educational and Social Concerns
School principals, who are required to report extended absences to Tusla, express serious concerns about parents’ understanding of the impact on children’s development.
“It’s the middle class to the more affluent who are taking these blocks of holidays,” one school principal told the Irish Examiner. “I think there needs to be an education piece for these people of the damage they are actually doing for their children.”
The principal emphasized that many parents, despite being well-educated, fail to recognize the consequences of removing children from school.
“Parents don’t seem to think it’s causing any harm, these are very educated people, [and they think] ‘we know what’s best for our children, they’ll catch up, my child is bright’ but they don’t seem to see the impact it’s having on their child emotionally or socially.”
Call for Greater Awareness
School leaders are calling for increased public awareness about the serious implications of term-time holidays.
“It has to be more evident in the public domain, that this is a very serious thing to do, that it’s not the right thing to do for your family, taking them out,” the principal added.
The message to parents is clear: “You have a duty of care to your child and taking them out of school for a holiday should be avoided at all costs.”
The dramatic increase in term-time absences reflects broader post-pandemic changes in family priorities and travel patterns, but education experts warn that short-term financial savings could have long-term consequences for children’s academic and social development.
The Department of Education’s new absence strategy aims to address these concerns while helping parents understand their responsibilities toward their children’s consistent school attendance.