The argument there - and I don't much care either way - is that for voting days or inset days, everyone is off at the same time, the perceived disruption is in catching up one child at the expense of the others in the class
My first thought on hearing the story .... the guys daughter had a 92% attendance, which he claimed was very good - assuming they don't include sickness in those figures, why doesn't she have 100%. I was no goody-goody, but I never missed a single days schooling when I wasn't sick.