EDUCATION MINISTER RUAIRÍ Quinn has said it is critical that the trend of parents taking children out of school for holidays is stopped.

The comments, reported by the Irish Daily Mail today, come as the truancy watchdog revealed that the average primary school pupil misses 11 out of 183 days.

Reports have shown that some children’s attendances are suffering as parents want to take advantage of off-season deals.

“If they want to take a holiday and they are tight on cash, you can understand the pressures they may very well be under,” said Quinn. “But those pressures are compounded if they don’t particularly put a value on education. Simply giving out to them because they are availing of a holiday is not necessarily going to be effective – it’s a; much deeper problem than that and it’s not just confined to Ireland.

The Minister has tasked the National Education Welfare Board’s Home School Liaison Officers to cease the practice.

But what do you think? Should parents be allowed to take their children out of school for a holiday?

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