Labour’s verdict on scrapping fines for taking youngsters out of faculty | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Parents throughout the UK are backing a rising petition calling for modifications to guidelines that see households fined for taking youngsters out of faculty throughout time period time. The marketing campaign has been launched amid mounting frustration over strict attendance insurance policies, which critics say are putting pointless strain on households.

Supporters argue the present system is simply too inflexible, with penalties failing to mirror the realities confronted by mother and father attempting to stability work, prices and household life. Under present guidelines, mother and father can face fines if youngsters are taken out of faculty with out permission, even for brief absences corresponding to holidays. The petition is now gathering momentum as campaigners name on ministers to rethink the method and provides households higher flexibility.

Natalie Elliott, who wrote the petition, believes that is proof FPNs are that they’re “ineffective and punish families”. She says they’ve turn into a stealth tax.

The petition reads: “We feel that the attendance legislation is being abused. It was introduced to tackle persistent absenteeism when parents refused to engage with support.

“We are seeing colleges marking absences which ought to already be marked as authorised as unauthorised,” Ms Elliott added.

“This consists of absences for sickness, SEND and household emergencies. The attendance drive is driving a wedge between college and residential.”

In the month since the petition was launched, it has gathered over 35,000 signatures.

A total of 100,000 signatures are required for the matter to be considered for debate in the House of Commons.

Last week, a spokesperson for the Department for Education (DfE) responded to the petition, declaring the Government has no plans to ban fixed penalty notices or prosecutions for non-attendance.

They wrote: “Both affect parental behaviour, the place assist has been exhausted, not engaged with or is inappropriate.”

The spokesperson contended that 93% of penalty notices issued in 2024-25 were for “unauthorised term-time holidays”, demonstrating that FPNs are being utilised predominantly in situations where support is not suitable.

The statement continued: “Parents have a authorized obligation beneath the Education Act 1996 to make sure that their youngster of obligatory college age (5-16) receives a full‐time schooling, both by attending college or in any other case.

“Where a baby is registered at a college, mother and father should guarantee they attend recurrently, and oldsters might be penalised if their youngster is absent from college with out authorisation.