Parents in England will soon face increased fines if they take their children out of school without permission, a move announced by the Department for Education aimed at improving school attendance. The fines for unauthorised absences will rise from £60 to £80, doubling to £160 if not paid promptly. This increase is part of a broader initiative to return attendance figures to pre-pandemic levels and address the issue of nearly 400,000 penalty notices issued in the 2022-23 academic year, predominantly for unauthorised holidays during term time.

The decision comes in response to rising concerns over the number of pupils consistently missing school, with significant attention on unauthorised absences such as term-time holidays. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan cited the essential role of regular attendance in ensuring children have access to education. To promote consistency across the country, local authorities will receive guidance on when to issue fines and a national framework is expected to help standardise the enforcement of these penalties.

Schools are now encouraged to consider fining parents after their child misses five days of school without permission, aiming to deter term-time holidays. Official efforts also include the appointment of Rob Tarn as the national attendance ambassador and the introduction of measures for better monitoring of attendance through daily register sharing among state schools.

Critics of the policy, including Geoff Barton from the Association of School and College Leaders, stress the importance of children being in school for their education and development, while acknowledging the challenges it presents to parents seeking more affordable holiday options outside of school vacations.

The issue of school attendance and strategies for improvement continues to be a point of debate, with both Labour and the Liberal Democrats proposing additional measures such as mental health support and the provision of breakfast clubs for primary pupils to encourage regular attendance.