How true are the truancy figures in Medway's schools?

There's quiet dissent among parents of school age children, who feel they're unfairly penalised when requesting time off for their children in term time, especially when their child normally attends school regularly. It would seem that parents' ideas of what constitutes truancy are completely different to those of a head teacher.

Across Medway, during the Autumn Term 2010 and Spring Term 2011, there were 2,411 children absent from school for at least 15% of the time within just that twenty five week period. Consequently, education chiefs have stressed again that parents will be fined for taking their children out of school during term time. However, there are parents whose children attend school regularly, without fail, being denied the chance of a family holiday that may not be possible during school holidays, or who have to take an unauthorised day off to attend a family wedding – isn't that just a tad unfair? Especially when the fine is £50 per child, per parent - which whacks it up to £200 for parents with two children at school!

Surely the children at risk of losing out are the ones whose parents do not ensure they attend regularly or do take them out for trips that could be done another time? Working parents can't always get the same holiday week as each other, so to fine them while the parents of hardened truants get away with it is a bit of an insult, isn't it? It's almost as though the powers-that-be pick the fights they know they can win, fining the parents they know can afford to pay and who are too concerned at the possible repercussions to refuse.

Yet government guidelines do stipulate that, actually, in the event of parents unable to get the same holiday, providing the child's attendance is above 95% and it's not near any exams etc, the child can be taken out for up to two weeks. I know, because a friend printed them off and took them to her child's school when they tried to fine her! Not that she wouldn't have loved to see the judge's face, if in court for the child's "non regular attendance", when producing the last year's worth of "100% attendance record" certificates she had – and then advise that the child has lost more school days due to snow closures, bakers days and strike action than family time!

That doesn't stop schools quoting the Education Act in a threatening letter, even though on the Medway Council site, it clearly states: "Where repeated non-attendance occurs, cases are presented in the Magistrates and Family Proceedings Courts." Note: Not where you've asked for one week in the course of seven years consistent attendance!

At Rochester's Delce School, the charity FHA take some of their low income families on holiday - in term time - because it's beneficial that families get that time away together. So should middle income parent be penalised, when clearly the cost of a family holiday during school breaks is prohibitive for all? If it's important for low income families to have that time away together, it's surely no less important for middle income families, who equally may not get that quality of time together due to their working hours?

What do you think – should there be a wholesale ban on any term time off at all or should head teachers take into account individual circumstances at the time of the request, as the government guidelines allow them to, rather than following a process of denial, threatening letters and then capitulation upon appeal?