School-absence fines make problem worse, MPs told

Fining parents whose kid is persistently absent from schoolhouse does not enactment and tin marque the occupation worse, MPs person been told.

Penalties often enactment much unit connected already struggling families, foundation leaders told a government inquiry into persistent and terrible absence.

Pupils number arsenic persistently absent if they miss 10% of schoolhouse sessions.

The fig of pupils regularly missing schoolhouse successful England remains higher than earlier the pandemic.

Mind subordinate manager of argumentation Vicki Nash said: "The thought that the fines are determination arsenic a deterrent oregon a awesome that the behaviour is unacceptable doesn't truly interaction connected the behaviour of the young idiosyncratic oregon the quality of the parents to get the young idiosyncratic backmost into school."

In immoderate cases, fiscal penalties and prosecutions were driving families further distant from schoolhouse and into home-schooling, she added.

National Children's Bureau manager Daniel Stravrou told MPs that a disproportionate fig of severely absent pupils had analyzable peculiar acquisition needs.

"We're not talking astir pupils going to Euro Disney successful word time," helium said. "It feels misguided to attack this successful a punitive way."

Fines statesman astatine £60 but emergence if not paid promptly.

But a BBC News investigation, past year, recovered parents successful England whose kid missed schoolhouse faced harsher penalties depending connected wherever they lived.

Some section councils told BBC News nary penalties had been issued, portion others handed retired thousands.