Parents in England are now facing higher fines if their children are taken out of school without permission, as new guidance comes into effect. The Department of Education (DfE) announced in February its plans to implement fines for unauthorised absences, specifically targeting parents whose children miss five days of school.
School absence fines have been raised from £60 to £80, with a further increase to £160 if left unpaid within 21 days, as opposed to the previous £120. In cases where the same parent is fined again within a three-year period, the fine starts at £160 right away. Additionally, if a parent receives a third penalty notice within this timeframe, alternative action rather than a fine should be taken, potentially leading to prosecution.
Nearly 400,000 penalty notices were issued in England during the 2022-23 school year for unauthorised school absences, a significant increase from pre-pandemic levels.Over 89% of the fines were related to unauthorised holidays taken by families outside of school term times, as reported by the DfE in December. The aim of the fines is to discourage parents from taking their children out of school for non-essential reasons and to ensure consistent attendance.
According to the new guidance, schools and local authorities are encouraged to take a “support-first” approach to address attendance issues. This involves establishing a formal attendance contract with the family or pursuing a family court order if deemed necessary. Only after exhausting all other options should fines be considered as a last resort.
Critics of the fines, such as Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, argue that fines are a blunt tool that has not been effective in addressing persistent absence. He questions the government’s decision to focus on increasing fines for parents when schools are facing more pressing challenges like teacher shortages and infrastructure issues.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, acknowledges the importance of good attendance but emphasizes that fines predominantly target parents who take their children out of school for term-time holidays. He highlights the negative impact of such absences on both the child’s education and the teachers who have to spend additional time helping students catch up.
While the intention behind increasing fines for unauthorised school absences in England is to promote regular attendance and discourage non-essential absences, there are concerns about the effectiveness of fines as a deterrent. Critics argue that fines may not address the root causes of absenteeism and that a more holistic approach focused on support and intervention may be more beneficial in improving attendance rates. It remains to be seen how the implementation of these higher fines will impact attendance levels and whether additional measures will be necessary to address the underlying factors contributing to unauthorised absences.
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