London:
An Indian-origin couple in UK has been dragged to court for taking their two children out of school during term time to visit their grandfather who was undergoing surgery in India.
Shahnawaz and Sofiya Patel had put in a request for their two sons' - Omar, 11, and Eiad, 8 - studying in a primary school in Preston, north-west England, for an authorised absence to make the trip last December, but the school refused permission.
"We did not want our children to miss out on potentially their only opportunity to see their grandfather in person so we decided to take them," Shahnawaz told 'The Guardian'.
"This was the first ever request made to the school and my children have never had any unauthorised absences. I even asked the school for work to be taken during our visit, this too was declined," he said.
Since September 2013, local council authorities have to fine families who take children out of school for unauthorised absences to crack down on parents saving costs by booking holidays during school term.
According to government guidelines, children can only be taken out of school during term time following an application to the headteacher and if circumstances are "exceptional".
The Patels, however, were told their circumstances were "not exceptional" and fined 480 pounds.
Mr Patel eventually offered to pay the accumulated fines but was told by Lancashire County Council that the payment period had expired and that he would have to attend the hearing at Preston Magistrates Court on Wednesday or submit guilty pleas in writing.
Mr Patel, who works as a paralegal, now intends to fight the case, the newspaper reported.
He has written to UK education secretary Nicky Morgan and the Department for Education.
The department responded: "The decision to prosecute a parent under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996 rests with Lancashire County Council whose officers are best placed to assess your family's circumstances and decide upon the most appropriate course of action."
A BBC report claimed that fines for absence in schools had gone up by 88 per cent, with almost 78,000 fines issued for 2013/14, compared with 41,000 the previous year.
"School attendance is given high priority in Lancashire schools, as every day counts in each pupil's education. Taking parents to court over non-attendance at school is a serious matter, which is always considered carefully," said Lancashire county councillor Matthew Tomlinson, cabinet member for children, young people and schools.
"However, our aim throughout is not to punish parents, but to ensure that children and young people attend school and receive a good education," Tomlinson added.