A British mother has hit out at their local council after being handed a £160 fine for taking her son to Egypt. Michelle Partington and her husband Andrew Partington took their son Oliver out of school for 10 days for an “educational trip” to Egypt in June. However, what was meant to be an exciting summer holiday quickly unravelled when the school rejected their request to take Oliver away.
The 46-year-old mother and 51-year-old father wanted to cheer up their son after switching schools in April due to bullying. However, the couple said they “couldn’t afford” to go on the trip during school holiday time due to it costing an additional £2,000. The parents argued that the trip would be educational as they planned to explore the historic side of the country, yet the school still refused.
Michelle and Andrew were later served an £80 fine each from Wigan Council the following month for the Egypt trip, leaving the couple “devastated”.
Local authorities have the ability to issue fines to parents at a cost of £80 a person for unauthorised absence from school. Parents are given a 21-day timeframe to pay the amount, which doubles after the deadline.
Michelle has since hit out at the fine on social media, writing that “this is just despicable behaviour. Something needs to be done and soon”.
She said: “I was shocked when I found out it wasn’t just £80 and it was £160 even though we’re one family unit. I was absolutely devastated that we had to cancel the plans we had made.
“The holiday was worth it despite the fine. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and it was magical.
“We certainly couldn’t afford to go to Egypt [during the school holidays], maybe Pontins or Haven or something.
“We work hard, so getting to spend time together as a family was nice, and we don’t get to do that very often.”
Michelle said she informed the school that they would be taking Oliver out, urging them to consider the educational aspect of the trip. She continues to defend their decision, calling on the council to change their policy.
A Wigan Council spokesperson said: “Parents have a legal duty to ensure their child receives full-time education, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.
“Headteachers may only grant a leave of absence during term time if they consider that there are exceptional circumstances, and the Department for Education’s statutory guidance, updated in August 2024, reinforces that a holiday is not considered exceptional.”
