HEADTEACHERS have said they will be unable to support a request to allow children of police officers to have term-time holidays.
Humberside Police Chief Constable Justine Curran has written to headteachers across the region asking them to "look favourably" on requests by police officers and staff to take their children out of school.
But John Killeen, East Riding secretary for the National Association of Headteachers, said it has left them "between a rock and a hard place".
Headteachers are only meant to approve requests for absences during term-time in exceptional circumstances under new rules introduced by Education Secretary Michael Gove.
Mr Killeen, headteacher at South Cave CE primary school, said: "We have respect and sympathy for the profession, however, we serve the full community and we feel there could be a strong case made by people in other professions. We are in a situation where, once we make an exceptional case for one profession, it opens the floodgates for others.
"Our response has to be this is not something we can comply with."
Parents also reacted angrily when the request became public. Ms Curran said pressures on the force's resources are particularly high during the summer and Christmas periods, leaving many officers unable to take time off with their children during school holidays.
She said: "Earlier this month I wrote to every school asking them for their support in allowing authorised term- time absence for the children of officers and staff of Humberside Police due to the challenges the force is facing.
"For example, during the summer period this year, specialist public order officers may be required to support national demands such as the marching season in Northern Ireland, the Commonwealth Games in Scotland and the Nato Summit in Wales.
"This is in addition to the significant resource requirements locally within Humberside. As an organisation, we therefore have to restrict the number of operational officers and staff who take annual leave at any one time, in particular during the summer and Christmas periods."
Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, has been told the Department for Education does not believe there is a case for "special dispensation" for police officers.
Mr Killeen said: "There are many people who will have to work through the holidays. People have rotas and, if that means you are working when the children are on holiday, then I'm afraid that is tough.
"The flexibility for head- teachers to give dispensation for term-time holidays has changed and schools are now penalised if they use that discretion excessively and inappropriately."
A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "All headteachers are free to grant pupils leave in exceptional circumstances and it is for them to decide whether to grant time off."
'Wow the arrogance': Parents react
PARENTS reacted angrily to suggestions police officers' children should be allowed term-time holidays.
Writing on the Hull Daily Mail's Facebook page, Adrian King said: "I applaud her for asking but it is exceedingly arrogant of the police service to think they should be excused; Armed Forces, hospitals, prisons and social services don't feel they have the right to ask and the teachers don't get even an opportunity to.
"Demands for hospitals are higher too, yet it's not even a consideration of staff there."
Emma Baross said: "Wow, the arrogance! My partner is a manager in a hotel, holidays are the busiest times for him too, what with summer being high seasons for weddings and winter high seasons for Christmas events.
"So if the police are asking for special treatment, should we?"
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