Worsening school attendances could be improved if there was more flexibility for parents to take their kids away on holiday during term time, a councillor has said.
Since 2016, attendance rates in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) have declined.
Aberdare West/Llwydcoed ward councillor Gareth Jones reckons that a factor in the trend could be down to parents taking their kids out of class to go on family holidays.
Earlier this year, the Mirror reported that mums and dads have to pay 81% more for a break outside of term time.
Cllr Jones said a rethink about the rules is needed given that people's working lives have changed and their budgets are becoming tighter too.
Speaking at a recent Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee, he said: "Would it be possible to try and look at the way people take time off school. People’s working lives have changed drastically.
“I fully understand there are times (for parents to take their kids out of school) where it is impossible. But there maybe times during the year where certain weeks could be allowed for the child to use flexibly.
“If that suggestion was implemented would that increase attendance?”
According to the council's own figures, attendances for primary schools had decreased from 94.6% to 94.2% in 2017/18. Attendance rates for secondary schools for the same period had fallen from 93.9% to 92.9%.
And there has also been a rise in unauthorised absences.
As a result, RCT council plans to introduce a school attendance strategy to try and promote the importance of school attendance among pupils, teachers and parents.
Gaynor Davies, the council’s director of education, said the issue was a priority for her team.
“Our priority is to improve school attendance," she said. "There is a strong correlation between attendance and outcomes."
Ms Davies added that term dates were set "as a region a couple of years in advance".
However, Cllr Jones mentioned a trial in Swansea where they closed a school for a week in June which he said resulted in attendance during the year drastically increasing.
He added: "With the way working patterns are changing I think we are being dinosaurs by sticking to one size fits all.
“I think it would be nice to look at flexibility. We could be leaders rather than followers.”
Councillor Shelley Rees-Owen said it would be useful for the council's committee to have evidence on this.
