Story perspectives

Study Finds Term-Time Holidays Don’t Hurt Final Grades

8/13/2026

Summary

Story summary

Researchers at Strathclyde and Dundee found that family-holiday absences during term did not affect students’ final secondary achievement.
Letters on 5 August said fines for term-time holidays are ineffective.
Nick Coupland, a teacher from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, warned of holiday costs and asked if readers would allow brief term-time breaks.
Coupland agreed with Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett’s 2 August view that term-time holidays are not the cause of poor outcomes.

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Story summary

Researchers at Strathclyde and Dundee found that family-holiday absences during term did not affect students’ final secondary achievement.
Letters on 5 August said fines for term-time holidays are ineffective.
Nick Coupland, a teacher from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, warned of holiday costs and asked if readers would allow brief term-time breaks.
Coupland agreed with Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett’s 2 August view that term-time holidays are not the cause of poor outcomes.