Death of the family holiday: school fines and office pressures force UK parents to take solo vacations with kids, by Elisabeth Roberts. Schools now fine kids heavily for missing school:

Since September 2013, under guidance from the Department of Education, children can only be taken out of school during term time in “exceptional circumstances”.

If they skip school during term time, parents face a £60 fine. That doubles to £120 if it is not paid within three weeks.

Those failing to pay face prosecution – and a fine of a maximum of £2,500 following prosecution, or up to three months in prison.

Parents can’t afford childcare in holiday periods so they split their holiday weeks to look after kids when school is shut. So no family holidays away:

Overall, nearly three-quarters of working parents plan to take their break from work at a different time to their partner in order to juggle looking after their children outside of term time.

Does the state serve the people or do the people serf….

hat-tip Joanne