Readers Back Abolition of Term-Time Holiday Fines
Readers support Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett's call to abolish fines for term-time family holidays, citing educational value and unfairness.
Category : Education Policy
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Hillingdon exclusions at historic low as Northwood thrives
Hillingdon's permanent school exclusions fell 23% to a historic low in 2024/25, with suspensions down 9% to 1,977, bucking the national trend.
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School summer holidays need to be cut by two weeks
Self-employed mother Alice Johnson says six-week summer holidays are 'archaic' and calls for a four-week break to ease childcare costs and learning loss.
Abolish term-time holiday fines for families
A record 459,288 fines were issued to parents for term-time holidays last year. Abolishing them could ease cost pressures, reduce inequality, and boost child wellbeing, argues columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett.
Are British graduates being conned? Opinion on debt crisis
Thousands of graduates face an employment crisis with huge debts and overqualification, as predicted by Aditya Chakrabortty, challenging the promise of a bright future for £9,000 tuition.
Burnham's vocational plan needs curriculum overhaul, readers say
Readers respond to Andy Burnham's plan to align teaching with local jobs, arguing that true reform requires a 14-19 curriculum overhaul and parity of esteem between academic and technical routes.
Burnham: schools must adapt to local jobs market
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UK's Jodrell Bank faces closure in funding crisis
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Suri Cruise drops father's surname legally
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Islington Council Fined £2,150 Over EHCP Delay
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Brisbane woman has identical quadruplets in Australian first
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Brits Regret Not Thanking Teachers, Survey Says
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Secular coming-of-age ritual for my daughter
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Soho's last primary school faces closure over low enrolment
Soho Parish C of E primary, the last school in the area, faces closure due to falling pupil numbers post-Covid. Parents and supporters fight to keep it open, citing its role in preserving family life amid tourism.
Meningitis B vaccine recommended for UK teenagers on NHS
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Florence Welch's mother calls arts cuts 'absolutely tragic'
Prof Evelyn Welch, vice-chancellor of Bristol University and incoming Russell Group chair, says cuts to arts and humanities are 'absolutely tragic', citing daughter Florence Welch's success as proof of their value.
Ofsted: North London nursery learning 'more by chance'
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Harrow teacher banned for life for child grooming and assault
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Housing anxiety tops climate concerns for young Australians
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UK pupils struggle in 40C classrooms as teachers call for action
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Raise minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14, says Bar Council chair
England and Wales have the lowest age of criminal responsibility in Europe at 10. The Bar Council recommends raising it to 14, citing harm to children and increased reoffending.
How to solve the literacy crisis in schools
A third of disadvantaged white pupils leave primary school without reading fluency. Teachers and experts urge intensive literacy intervention in year 7 to prevent disengagement.
Wandsworth schools face more class cuts as pupil numbers fall
Wandsworth Council plans further reductions in school forms of entry due to falling pupil numbers, with five primary schools closed since 2023 and Oasis Academy Putney shutting this month.
300,000 pupils absent after England World Cup win
About 332,000 fewer children attended school on Monday after England's 3-2 World Cup win over Mexico, with attendance dropping over three percentage points.
Language course cuts risk social mobility, UK experts warn
Exclusive: Former education secretaries and experts warn that cutting university language courses, as proposed by Nottingham and Exeter, undermines social mobility and vocational skills for working-class pupils.
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Disadvantaged White Pupils in England Struggle with Reading
A third of disadvantaged white pupils in England leave primary school without adequate reading fluency, hindering secondary curriculum access and leading to disengagement.
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