A record 350,000 parents in England were fined for taking their children out of school on unauthorised holidays last year, new figures from the Department for Education reportedly show.
Taking term-time holidays accounted for almost 90% of 399,000 cases of parents being given penalty notices by local authorities for their children’s unauthorised school absences.
The total number of fines issued in 2022-23 was 20% higher than in 2018-19, the last full year before the pandemic hit, and equates to a fine for one in every 20 pupils aged between five and 16 at state schools.
More: Parents ‘prepared to take children on holiday in term time’ to cut costs
Parents who take children out of school in term time face a £60 fine, rising to £120 if unpaid after 22 days. Parents can be prosecuted if fines are unpaid.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said it was difficult to explain the surge in unauthorised holidays.
He told national media: “It could reflect a shift in attitudes to schooling among some parents who see attendance as flexible when of course this is not the case at all. Or it could reflect parents wanting to take advantage of off-peak holiday prices because of the rising cost of living.
“Whatever the case, nobody in education wants to be in a position of fining parents. However, it is just not manageable to have families taking holidays in term time.”
Research consultancy Public First found earlier this year that term-time holidays were considered “entirely socially acceptable”.
Almost all parents with children who missed school in eight focus groups said they were taking term-time holidays, in a “radical shift” in attitudes since the pandemic and teacher strikes, the Telegraph reported.
Many parents, covering all socioeconomic groups, argued that the cost difference in holidays made the option “impossible to ignore”.
DfE spokesperson told the Guardian: “Parents have a duty to make sure their child regularly attends school, and holidays should be around school breaks to avoid taking children out of school during term time.
“Our guidance is based on a support-first ethos; however, we support schools and local authorities to use punitive measures such as fines where it is deemed appropriate.”