New research has found that school holiday fines are at a record high in England. A record 443,322 fines were issued in England last year, according to figures from the Department for Education. These figures show a 24% rise on the year before.
From August 2024, the Department for Education introduced a new national framework to bring councils more in line with one another and to raise first time fines from £60 to £80. If that fine isn’t paid within 21, the fine increases to £160. Should a parent be fined a second time for the same child in three years, the cost is £160. And for a third time, other action like prosecution could be considered, as well as a court appearance which could result in a fine of up to £2,500. The Department for Education has said that money from the fines goes to the local authority. Education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said that “Tackling the epidemic of school absence is everyone’s responsibility – government, schools, parents, and children – we need a national effort to get young people back in the classroom.” But what do you think? Can holidays be educational or should the fines stay in place in order to protect education?
From August 2024, the Department for Education introduced a new national framework to bring councils more in line with one another and to raise first time fines from £60 to £80. If that fine isn’t paid within 21, the fine increases to £160. Should a parent be fined a second time for the same child in three years, the cost is £160. And for a third time, other action like prosecution could be considered, as well as a court appearance which could result in a fine of up to £2,500. The Department for Education has said that money from the fines goes to the local authority. Education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said that “Tackling the epidemic of school absence is everyone’s responsibility – government, schools, parents, and children – we need a national effort to get young people back in the classroom.” But what do you think? Can holidays be educational or should the fines stay in place in order to protect education?
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00:00New research has found that school holiday fines are at a record high in England.
00:05A record 443,322 fines were distributed in England last year.
00:11This is according to figures from the Department for Education.
00:14The figures show a 24% rise on the year before.
00:16From August 2024, the Department for Education introduced a new national framework
00:21to bring councils more in line with one another
00:24and to raise first-time fines from £60 to £80.
00:28If that fine isn't paid within 21 days, the fine increases to £160.
00:32Should a parent be fined a second time for the same child in three years,
00:36the fine goes to £160.
00:39And if this happens a third time, prosecution can be considered.
00:42The Department for Education has said that money from the fines goes to the local authority.
00:48Education Secretary Bridget Philipson said that tackling the epidemic of school absence
00:53is everyone's responsibility – government, schools, parents and children.
00:57We need a national effort to get young people back in the classroom, she added.
01:02But what do you think?