Term-time holidays campaigner Jon Platt has launched a petition calling on the secretary of state to stop issuing school truancy notices for any unauthorised absence.
In April, the Supreme Court ruled against Platt, who controversially took his daughter on an unauthorised term-time holiday to Florida in 2015.
He had previously won his legal battle after being fined £120 by the local authority in the Isle of Wight, with the High Court also finding in his favour that the holiday absence did not constitute regularly missing school.
The legal battle sparked a national debate on the higher cost of holidays outside term-time.
Despite losing his legal battle in April, when the Isle of Wight Council was backed by the Department for Education, Platt is determined not to let the issue drop.
He is now urging the travel industry to support the petition entitled: “No more truancy penalty notices unless a child is actually truant”.
He said: “Our goal is to reach 100,000 signatures. We reached 1,500 in the first hour but we need more support.”
The petition states: “Now they (Truancy Penalty Notices) are being used for any unauthorised absence and the Supreme Court has made it possible for any breach, however minor, to result in a penalty notice being issued.”
It adds: “Children who miss school for family holidays that have been authorised by the school do better than children who miss zero days! This policy is fundamentally wrong and must change.”
See also:
Three-quarters of parents back term-time holiday campaigner
Term-time holiday campaigner found guilty
School holidays campaigner braced for failure in Supreme Court challenge