School absence fines to be debated in Parliament

A petition that calls for an end to fines for parents who take their child out of school in term time will be debated in Parliament on Monday.

Natalie Elliott, 37, called for parents to be given "up to 10 days fine free" in her online petition, which has been signed by more than 180,000 people.

Ms Elliott said the current system has made parents "scared" to call schools when their child is off school legitimately with an illness and has called for a clear appeals process.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Poor attendance damages children's prospects and term time holidays place the burden on teachers to support missed learning – affecting the entire class."

Currently, parents whose children miss school without a good reason are initially given a fixed penalty notice of £80, which rises to £160 if not paid within 21 days.

If the increased fine is then not paid within 28 days - or a child is off school three or more times within three years - the matter can be taken to magistrates' court.

The court can fine parents up to £2,500, issue a community order, a parenting order or, in the most extreme cases, hand out a prison sentence of up to three months.

Ms Elliott, from Ripley in Derbyshire, said: "I think the current rules are just not fit for purpose.

"So, the legislation as it stands means that loads of parents are being criminalised for taking their child out of school.

"And a lot of the time this is due to things like sickness, bereavement, funerals. There's so many reasons why families need to take the child out.

"I think there needs to be a clear appeals process. As it stands, families are not allowed to appeal a fixed penalty notice."

Linsey Farnsworth, Labour MP for Amber Valley, said: "Although I'm expecting that the government's position will be that they wouldn't be accepting two weeks of holidays for school children, I think it's clear from what Natalie has said that this isn't just about parents wanting to take children on holiday during term time.

"There's a lot more complexity to this and a lot more issues.

"And I think it's fair to say that there are instances where the current system does provide some injustices for people."

She said Ms Elliott's petition was "a phenomenal piece of work" and said the current system was "a bit of a postcode lottery for some in terms of different schools applying the rules in a different way and different outcomes therefore as a consequence".

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Through our Plan for Change, we're determined to give children growing up in our country the best start in life.

"But that can only happen if a strong foundation for learning is built through children regularly attending school.

"We have already made significant progress with five million more days in school last academic year and 140,000 fewer pupils persistently absent.

"Poor attendance damages children's prospects and term time holidays place the burden on teachers to support missed learning – affecting the entire class.

"That's why fines have a vital place in our system, so everyone is held accountable for ensuring our children are in school."