UK education minister confused as parents prefer to keep their children out of school to go on family holidays

UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has warned parents to ensure their children attend school or face consequences, after a record number of families were fined for breaking term-time absence rules.

According to a VNA reporter in London, in the past school year, more than 443,000 fines were imposed on parents who let their children take time off from school during the semester to go on vacation, an increase of 53% compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the 2018-2019 school year, the last before the pandemic forced most children to stay home, only 288,000 fine notices were issued by local authorities.

“After COVID-19, I no longer care whether my child attends school or is absent. Life is too short!” one parent explained in a recent survey.

After taking office as Education Secretary in July 2024, Bridget Phillipson confirmed plans to increase fines from £60 to £80 per parent this year.

“Tackling widespread school absenteeism is everyone’s responsibility – governments , schools, parents and children – we need a concerted national effort to get children back in the classroom,” she stressed.

Minister Phillipson said fines were important in changing the pattern of unauthorised mid-term absences and that everyone had a responsibility to ensure their children attended school.

“When children are unnecessarily absent from school, all children suffer, as teachers are left to focus on helping them catch up,” she said, adding that strict penalties “ensure every child is in school and achieving higher standards so they can thrive.”

Some local authorities have taken a tougher stance on fines, with the South Yorkshire town of Barnsley fining more than 6,000 parents of 31,000 pupils aged between five and 16.

Fines for parents increased sharply in 2013, after principals were stripped of the power to grant term-time absences except for exceptional circumstances such as custodial duties. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, excused and unexcused absences have remained high, with children’s mental health and anxiety being the biggest causes.