On February 29, The Guardian newspaper quoted Ms. Gillian Keegan, the British Education Minister, as declaring that she would reform the way local authorities punish parents who do not ask for leave for their children by introducing penalties "within a framework applicable nationwide".
According to the UK Department for Education, fines “will only be considered” if a student is absent without permission for five days.
The UK Department for Education made the move as local authorities introduced different measures and penalties for students who were absent without permission.
Under new Department for Education rules, the fine will increase from £60 to £80 if paid within 21 days. If parents fail to pay by the deadline, the fine will double to £160.
In addition, daily attendance data from schools will be shared online with the UK Department for Education and local authorities.
This is part of the government ’s efforts to tackle rising absenteeism. In 2023, 140,000 children were classed as “persistently absent” – a 134% increase from before the Covid-19 pandemic hit in late 2019, according to Department for Education data.
UK government concerned about post-Covid-19 school absenteeism
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, noted that most fines were imposed on children who had gone on long family holidays without permission, but that students who were frequently absent were actually suffering from more serious problems such as mental health.
According to Mr. Barton, instead of using fines, schools need to increase coordination with families to better understand students' situations, the reasons why they are often absent, and whether the reasons for being absent from school are legitimate or not.
Data shows that in the 2022-2023 school year, there were a total of 399,000 notices of fines for parents for allowing their children to be absent from school without permission. This number is 20% higher than in the 2018-2019 school year (the school year before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out).
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