School absence fines putting emotional & financial strain on families- says Norfolk protester
The number of fines issued for unauthorised term-time holiday fines has surged in recent years- according to the Government
A woman from Norfolk who's organised a protest against term-time holiday fines is telling us the current system is putting an emotional and financial strain on local families
Mums and dads are meeting at Norwich's City Hall from midday - to show their anger towards rules which sees an £80 fine given to each parent for every unauthorized absence their child has.
The campaign, 'Protest to Fight School Fines' is backed by a petition to Parliament, which calls for parents to be allowed to take their children out of school for up to 10 days per term without penalties.
Demonstrations are also taking place in Leeds, Liverpool, Durham, Nottingham and Southampton.
"It's important that we have a more level-headed response to this"
Angela Beaton is from the county and is part of the 'Protest to Fight School Fines' campaign:
"This affects children who have special educational needs, that cannot always access school for a variety of reasons. It also affects those who suffer with a mental health issue like an anxiety disorder, who haven't been officially diagnosed with it yet.
"It's important that we have a more level-headed response to this. By going back to the previous legislation where you could have up to 10 authorised days off from school in term time.
"I think it's also about having a bit more common sense and realising that parents are doing this to give their children a more balance life".
The data on this:
According to government data, the number of fines issued for unauthorised school absences has surged in recent years.
In the 2023–24 academic year, 487,344 penalty notices were issued, a 22 percent increase from the previous year.
This is also significantly higher than the 333,388 fines issued in 2018–19, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The vast majority of these fines (91 percent) were issued for term-time family holidays.
Why is this protest coming now?
The petition follows an increase in fines for parents, introduced in August last year.
Under the new rules, term-time holiday absence fines rose from £60 to £80 – if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days.
A second fine for the same child within three years results in an automatic £160 charge, while a third offence could lead to prosecution, a parenting order, or fines of up to £2,500.
What's the Government said on this?
The Department for Education blog on this issue says:
"Every moment in school counts and days missed add up quickly. Evidence shows that pupils who have good attendance enjoy better wellbeing and school performance than those who don't.
The school day is split into two sessions – one session counts as a morning or afternoon spent in school. There are only a few occasions where a child is allowed to miss school, such as illness or where the school has given permission because of an exceptional circumstance.
However, if your child misses school without a good reason, local councils and schools can intervene and you may be issued a fine.
We’ve also introduced a national framework which will mean all councils have the same rules in place for when they need to consider a fine. We explain more on this below.
It’s important to note that children with long-term medical or more serious mental health conditions, and those with special educational needs and disabilities may face additional barriers.
For children who face complex barriers to attendance, schools should have sensitive conversations with children and families and work with them to put support in place for their individual needs".