School holiday fines at a record high in England

New research has found that school holiday fines are at a record high in England. A record 443,322 fines were issued in England last year, according to figures from the Department for Education. These figures show a 24% rise on the year before.
From August 2024, the Department for Education introduced a new national framework to bring councils more in line with one another and to raise first time fines from £60 to £80. If that fine isn’t paid within 21, the fine increases to £160. Should a parent be fined a second time for the same child in three years, the cost is £160. And for a third time, other action like prosecution could be considered, as well as a court appearance which could result in a fine of up to £2,500. The Department for Education has said that money from the fines goes to the local authority. Education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said that “Tackling the epidemic of school absence is everyone’s responsibility – government, schools, parents, and children – we need a national effort to get young people back in the classroom.” But what do you think? Can holidays be educational or should the fines stay in place in order to protect education?