PETITIONRejectedPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Allow up to 10 days term-time absence without fines – protect family rights.
Allow parents to take up to 10 days of term-time absence per school year without penalty notices. Ensure consistent rules across all school types and review the system’s compliance with Articles 8 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
21
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 21/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 21/100,000
Background
The current system unfairly penalises state school families, while parents of independent school pupils avoid fines. This creates a two-tier system and may breach ECHR rights to family life (Article 8) and non-discrimination (Article 14). Family time matters, and responsible parents should not be punished. The rules must be fair, lawful, and equally applied to all.