U.K.: More Parents Prosecuted For Keeping Kids Out Of School

[summer]

The Guardian

Increasing numbers of parents are being taken to court because their children have skipped school, with thousands facing action last year.



Figures obtained by the Press Association show that 16,430 parents in England were prosecuted for failing to ensure their children went to school in 2014 – equivalent to around 86 cases for each day of the school year.



This is up a quarter on 2013, when 13,128 people were taken to court.



The increase comes after a crackdown on children missing school, including strict new rules on term-time holidays introduced two years ago.



Headteachers said that while it may not always be easy for parents to ensure their children attend school, it was their responsibility and that they should talk to the children’s school if there were problems.

Ministry of Justice statistics gathered by the Press Association through a freedom of information request show that of those taken to court last year, around three quarters (76%) – 12,479 – were found guilty, a 22% jump on the year before.



The number of fines handed out by the courts rose by 30% between 2013 and 2014. Last year 9,214 parents were issued with fines, 74% of those who were found guilty. On average, they were ordered to pay £172.



The figures also show that 18 parents were given custodial sentences in 2014, up from seven the year before.



A breakdown of the statistics, which refer to two truancy-related offences under the Education Act 1996, reveal that women are much more likely to be found guilty than men, making up three-fifths of those convicted.



While women make up more than half (58%) of those fined for a child missing school, there has been a big jump in the number of men served with financial penalties – up 41%.



Rachel Burrows from Netmums said: “Long-term truancy is a complicated issue and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. In many cases, the family may be in crisis or face issues such as a parent with mental health problems or addictions. In these cases, fines or jail won’t help, as the mum or dad needs professional support to turn their lives around and be a better parent.



“But in other cases, a fine or the threat of jail may be enough to make parents understand how serious the situation is. Education is vital to a child’s success and attendance isn’t optional. By setting a good example and insisting children get to school on time, parents are teaching their child basic manners and timekeeping skills and setting them up for a successful future.”



Malcolm Trobe, deputy general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “Good attendance is absolutely critical to the education and future prospects of young people. Research has repeatedly and clearly shown that young people whose attendance is good are far more likely to achieve five or more good GCSEs.



“Schools have rightly responded to this overwhelming evidence by taking a strong line in identifying when children are absent without a valid reason, particularly where there is persistent truancy. They work closely with education welfare officers, and where they cannot obtain a response from parents are now more likely to move to court action at an early stage.




“It may not always be easy for parents to ensure their children go to school, particularly in the case of older children, but it remains a parental responsibility, and if they are having problems they need to talk to their school to work out a solution.”



He suggested that the increase in fines could be down to the new rules on parents taking children out of school for term-time holidays.



“If they do so without the school’s authorisation they are issued with a fixed penalty, but where the penalty is not paid it may result in court action,” he said.



Parents who take children out of school without permission can face a £60 fine per child, rising to £120 if it is not paid within 21 days. Those who fail to pay may be prosecuted, with a maximum fine of 2,500 or a jail sentence of up to three months.



A DfE spokesperson said: “It is a myth that missing school even for a short time is harmless to a child’s education. Our evidence shows missing the equivalent of just one week a year from school can mean a child is a quarter less likely to achieve good GCSE grades, having a lasting effect on their life chances.”



“Heads and teachers are now firmly back in charge of their classrooms, and most recent figures show we have made real progress - with 200,000 fewer pupils regularly missing school compared with five years ago.”

[frlcb]

This is a huge problem for the parents I know in the UK, especially as prices for traveling go WAY up during breaks, making it difficult for many families to travel. It seems really extreme.

[loira]

When my brother came to visit me a couple of years ago, he missed an extra 2 days of school on top of his spring break (grade 12). He said the customs official took a long time asking him how he was allowed to miss school, and didn't understand that my parents could just phone the school and excuse him. Truancy is a big deal here, apparently.

[Deleted]

Aug 12, 2015 8:06:36 GMT -5 socratic said:

Maybe it is because my mother is a teacher but I never understood why parents feel like it is okay to take kids out of school for a vacation (special occasions aside...weddings, nana's 80th bday cruise). Kids have to go to school that is the law.

And if you still want to do it then take your licks.

I don't think a week off for a student that performs well in primary grades is that big of a thing.
My sister and I both missed a week in May in grade 2 and 3 respectively so that we could go to Disney when we could afford to.
Disney is not educational but I can understand a parent taking a kid to a more educational destination and not worrying about it.
I learned how a thermometer works on that trip and how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit.

[hopecounts]

My mom was a teacher and she never had a problem with kids going on a trip as long as it was only once a year.
Sometimes only traveling during school breaks isn't a feasible option due to jobs/cost/etc. or other factors She understood and as long as the family gave her enough notice would work with the kid/family on it.

that said the law is the law, you have to follow it, if you don't like it start a campaign to get it changed. Clearly it's a pretty big problem so band together and push for a change in the law.

[penguingrrl]

It sounds like they are up front about the law, so whether or not the parents agree is irrelevent. DH and I were both raised with missing school being reserved for illness with little exception. Our town has been known to prosecute families for truancy, so we're both opposed to pulling our kids out unnecessarily. We haven't had the money for a family vacation yet, but when we do we've already accepted that we'll be saving longer to go when school isn't in session and that we'll never go to Disney because it's too expensive and hot in summer.

[frlcb]

They don't just punish there for a week of being out, they can fine you for being out for a day if it is unexcused.

[Velar Fricative]

Aug 12, 2015 8:06:36 GMT -5 socratic said:

Maybe it is because my mother is a teacher but I never understood why parents feel like it is okay to take kids out of school for a vacation (special occasions aside...weddings, nana's 80th bday cruise). Kids have to go to school that is the law.

And if you still want to do it then take your licks.

I feel the same way but this is a multi-page topic on MM Moms when it comes up and I am in the clear minority on this.

[eclaires]

I'd end up in jail. I think attendance polices are made with the lowest common denominator in mind and my kids might be required to go to school (which is debatable as to what is specifically required since I could homeschool them or send them to a private school) but I am still their parent and I can determine whether they need to miss school or not and for what reason. That doesn't mean my kids miss school frequently, but it does mean it's up to me to make the call. Our district has a ridiculous attendance policy IMO but I've never gotten in trouble even though I don't take it into consideration at all when determining whether the kids need to go to school, because I'm fully capable of making a reasonable decision for my kid.

I don't expect teachers to help them catch up or go out of their way if they miss, either. I just think it's my call to make, not some draconian attendance policy.

[aussiecrush]

We will be part of this fight over the next few years. My H bids vacation on seniority. We have never gotten a day of vacation during the summer. His schedule also requires him to work weekends. He has less than 40 days off a year with our school aged child. Screw the school, the district and their policy. We will complete any and all assignments, we won't ask for a stitch of help or extra time but we take vacations when it works for us. Family time trumps arbitrary policy.

[tres3]

i'm really tempted to take my kids out for 3-4 weeks this year. DH is probably going to change jobs and I would love to take that transition time to travel south america or australia.

[Deleted]

My sister has pulled her kids from school for periods ranging from a couple weeks to 4 months (she did homeschool when they moved to California for that). Their academics haven't suffered. It's complicated to live in Australia and have all your family in Canada and the UK. They always tried to time things to have some of the trip over school breaks, but school breaks there are more distributed and there is no "summer off".

I definitely agree that fines/prosecution were possibly implemented for the lowest common denominator.

[tres3]

I'm not above pulling my kids and "home schooling" them for a month so we can travel and then send them back to school

[msmerymac]

We got 1.5 weeks off at Christmas/New Years and 2 full weeks at Easter. Plus 3-4 days weekends for other holidays. Sure, some kids would miss a day or two on one side of a school break or another, but to miss a week or two at a random time in the school year just for vacation would be unusual.