Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson has thrown his weight behind a campaign to end the crackdown on parents who take their children on term-time holidays.
Writing in his regular blog, Sir Richard said he supported Janice Skelcher who ended up in court after refusing to pay a fine imposed by her children’s school for taking them on a trip to Australia during term-time.
Skelcher and her husband were given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £400 costs.
However, Sir Richard said holidays were an invaluable part of childhood, adding children "may well learn more than they ever could in a classroom".
He said: "If there is no other time when parents can afford – financially or time-wise – to take a holiday, they should not be punished for doing so during term."
New rules introduced last September mean that head teachers can only grant children up to 10 days of discretionary absence in "exceptional circumstance" and fines are to be issued to parents who take children out of school without permission.
Skelcher has petitioned MPs to overturn the tightening up of the law and more than 200,000 families have signed the petition.
Branson said: "If your holiday has to be in term-time, so be it – just ensure children get the chance to travel. They may well learn more than they ever could in a classroom."
However, while his blog attracted supportive comments from many, some accused his airline of profiting from the situation.
Alex Stevens from Gloucester claimed Virgin Atlantic fares to New York rocketed 94% during school holidays. "The very reason parents (have had to travel in term time) is because of the travel industry capitalising on the vulnerable. I don’t need someone in the very epicentre of that industry telling me that if I want to save money – then take them out of school."
