Petition · past parliament
Reverse Ban on Holiday's During School Term Time
Closed
51,403 signatures
Government response · 20 March 2014
As this e-petition has received more than 10 000 signatures, the relevant Government department have provided the following response:
The law requires parents to ensure their school registered children (age between 5 and 16) to attend school regularly. The Government believes that pupils are most successful in school when they can follow an uninterrupted programme of study with their peers, consolidate their newly acquired knowledge or skills, and apply them before moving on to more complex theories and understanding. This cannot be achieved if their education is being disrupted unnecessarily because they are taken out of school during term time for a holiday. Most schools have 190 days of compulsory education in their academic year, which gives plenty of opportunities for families to plan and enjoy their holidays during school breaks.
This e-petition remains open to signatures and will be considered for debate by the Backbench Business Committee should it pass the 100 000 signature threshold.
The law requires parents to ensure their school registered children (age between 5 and 16) to attend school regularly. The Government believes that pupils are most successful in school when they can follow an uninterrupted programme of study with their peers, consolidate their newly acquired knowledge or skills, and apply them before moving on to more complex theories and understanding. This cannot be achieved if their education is being disrupted unnecessarily because they are taken out of school during term time for a holiday. Most schools have 190 days of compulsory education in their academic year, which gives plenty of opportunities for families to plan and enjoy their holidays during school breaks.
This e-petition remains open to signatures and will be considered for debate by the Backbench Business Committee should it pass the 100 000 signature threshold.
Timeline
| 15 Jan 2014 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 20 Feb 2014 | Passed 10,000 signatures, requiring a government response |
| 20 Mar 2014 | Government responded |
| 15 Jan 2015 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
51,403
Status
Closed
Opened
15 Jan 2014
Closed
15 Jan 2015
Response
20 Mar 2014
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.