Starting September, fines for parents who take their children out of school without permission will increase across England. As part of a government initiative aimed at restoring pre-pandemic attendance levels, the minimum fine per parent will rise from £60 to £80.
According to a report by BBC News, one school revealed that one-third of its pupils were absent without permission due to family holidays during term time. Head teachers’ unions have emphasized the necessity of fines to prevent “chaos” in schools.
Currently, local authorities have varying policies regarding the issuance of fines, leading to discrepancies in enforcement across different regions. An investigation in 2022 found that while some local authorities hadn’t issued any penalties, others had imposed thousands of fines within a year.
In an effort to standardize the approach nationwide, new guidelines instruct schools to consider issuing fines after a child has missed five days of school without the head teacher’s approval. Failure to pay the fine within 21 days will result in the fine doubling.
The £60 fine, introduced in 2013, has remained unchanged for the past 11 years. Head teachers will still have discretion in determining which cases warrant fines and when support should be offered instead.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan emphasized that most fines are for unauthorised term-time holidays. While families with absent children should initially be offered support, fines remain an essential tool to discourage deliberate unauthorised absences.
However, the stricter approach is likely to face opposition from parents who struggle to afford holidays or feel dissatisfied with the school system. These changes come after slow progress in improving school attendance post-pandemic, an issue also observed in other parts of the UK and internationally.
In England, persistently absent children are those who miss at least 10% of school, roughly equivalent to one month in a school year. Government figures show a notable increase in persistently absent pupils in both primary and secondary schools.
Geoff Barton from the Association of School and College Leaders stressed that allowing term-time holidays for all students would lead to chaos in schools, emphasizing fines as a clear deterrent. However, he acknowledged broader issues such as student anxiety and mental health, urging for more support in schools.
While the government has increased mental health support and plans to create more school places for children with special needs, the demand for these services remains high. Many parents report difficulties in accessing the necessary support, leading to a rise in home-educated children.
The Liberal Democrats advocate for a trained mental health professional in every school, while Labour proposes measures such as universal breakfast clubs for primary pupils and a register for all children not attending school to improve attendance rates.
