06/05/2026
'Education is important, but travel is importanter!' 🤣
I know, I know, that's not a word! 😁
I’m a parent, and honestly, I think travel teaches SO MUCH. Don’t get me wrong, education matters, but the idea that a few fines are supposed to stop UK families from taking time to see the world feels totally backwards to me. When we travel, my son learns how to adapt, how to talk to different people, how to navigate new places, and how to actually look up from a screen and notice life happening around him. You can’t really put a grade on that kind of learning.
For me, it comes down to perspective. Kids only get one childhood, and I don’t think it should be spent entirely inside classrooms and structured routines. Some of the best learning happens when we’re away, on the road, in nature, meeting people, figuring things out as we go. Those moments stick in a way worksheets just don’t.
It’s frustrating that family travel during term time is often treated like a problem to be penalised rather than understood. A fine doesn’t reflect the reality for many families who are trying to balance work, costs and limited holiday options. It can make something meaningful feel unnecessarily restricted, wrong and punishable.
I want my son to grow up curious, confident and open-minded. Travel helps with all of that. It teaches patience when plans change, resilience when things go wrong and excitement for the world beyond his everyday routine. I’d argue that’s more important than anything taught in a classroom.
