The issue of unauthorised school holidays has escalated in England, with the Department for Education (DfE) reporting a staggering rise in fines. In the last year, 443,322 fines were issued, marking a 24% increase from the previous year. This surge in penalties reflects a growing concern among officials regarding school attendance, with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson describing the situation as an "epidemic."
The DfE has introduced a new national framework effective August 2024, which standardises penalties across councils and raises the first-time fine for unauthorised school holidays from £60 to £80 per child. This change aims to ensure that all parents adhere to school attendance regulations, but it also raises questions about family circumstances that may lead to absences.
Linda Castle and her husband Nick, who run a coffee roastery in Leeds, exemplify the dilemma many families face. In January 2024, they took their four children out of school for two weeks in the Canary Islands, which resulted in a fine of £240 for their daughter Kaida. The family had previously incurred a fine of £120 for another unauthorised holiday. Despite their efforts to balance work and family time, they find themselves at odds with educational policies.
Kaida's school understands the unique challenges faced by farming families like the Castles but cannot authorise absences outside school holidays. Kelly Castle, Kaida's mother, underscores the importance of full-time education for her daughter but admits that managing school commitments alongside their busy summer festival season is exhausting.
"When children miss school unnecessarily, all children suffer, as teachers' attention is diverted to helping them catch back up, and we will not apologise for ensuring every child is in school accessing high and rising standards so they can achieve and thrive."
— Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary
Other families are experiencing similar challenges. Lucy, who travels with her mother to follow the circus, has also received fines for taking breaks during school terms. Her family was fined £240 for their last holiday and £120 for the one before that. Lucy highlights the difficulty of planning vacations during school holidays due to their work schedule, stating, "It's tricky to go away during school holidays because of how we farm."
Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, critiques the government's approach to fines as "a crude tool" that does not address the more complex underlying causes of school absence. He insists that schools should be equipped to offer vital assistance to families struggling with attendance issues.
"We need a national effort to tackle the epidemic of school absence," Whiteman stated, advocating for more comprehensive support systems rather than punitive measures alone.
In light of these developments, some parents argue that the penalties fail to consider individual family circumstances. Kelly Castle notes that the months of January and February are crucial for her family to take a break from work. She works seven days a week and only has those two months off each year. "That January and February is super important to us, to have that downtime," she remarked.
While the DfE maintains that fines are necessary to uphold educational standards, parents like Kelly and Lucy feel trapped between their obligations to provide for their families and the rigid requirements of school attendance.
