There is a new trend being seen in schools in the UK these days. More pupils in England went on holidays without permission in the last week of the summer term than at any point in the academic year, said BBC quoting official figures.
The latest school attendance data said 5% of students in England went on holidays without permission in the week ending 19 July which was around 450,000 pupils.
Eventually the government is tightening rules to try to stop parents tp take their kids on holidays by levying huge fees. Fines issued to each parent has been increased from £60 to £80 per student which will be doubled if it happens again within three years. Those students will face prosecution who have paid third fine within three year period.
However, a few parents told the BBC this is not a deterrent. Megan Hall and her husband Michael had their first fines after taking their two children on a ski holiday in March and have now again booked a two-week holiday later this month. “The kids will be missing 10 days of school, which is a worry because of the new fines,” Mrs Hall told the BBC.The couple said if they took their children – aged four and eight – away during their busy summer season they would incur a cost to their business as well as higher holiday prices. “I won’t stop doing holidays because that’s what family is about,” said Mrs Hall. “The alternative is to not have family time, or to teach your kids to lie, saying they are sick, which is something I’m not happy to do,” she added.
Nearly 400,000 penalty notices were issued to parents in England for unauthorised school absences during the 2022-23 academic year. That is much higher than pre-pandemic levels and unauthorised absences have remained at a similar rate over the most recent academic year. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said “persistent absenteeism” was “a big problem”, adding that “it’s important that all of us pull together [and] make sure children are here in school”.
Poor school attendance can hit academic achievement, social development, and children’s future prospects, Carly Speechley, Barnsley’s executive director for children’s services, said.
Research has indicated that tests and exam results are showing the pandemic led to a widened gap between children from the highest and lowest income families. That suggests missing days at school will have a bigger impact on some children than others.