Number of fines for Coventry kids off school TEN times more since crackdown on term-time holidays

[dutchman]

City parents had to cough up £83,520 in fines in 2014/15 since headteachers told not to grant breaks



The number of fines for children missing school has increased TEN-FOLD in Coventry since the crackdown on term-time holidays.

In 2012/13, before new rules were introduced, 178 penalty notices for absence were issued in Coventry. In the 2014/15 school year, it was 1,726, 9.7 times higher. Parents paid £83,520 in fines.

There were 117 prosecutions of parents in Coventry for failing to pay the fine in 2014/15, up from 47 in 2012/13.

In 2012/13, before new rules were introduced, 117 penalty notices for absence were issued in Warwickshire. In the 2014/15 school year, it was 433, 3.7 times higher. Parents paid £18,780 in fines.

There were 36 prosecutions of parents in Warwickshire for failing to pay the fine in 2014/15, up from 32 in 2012/13.

Figures from the Department for Education show 151,125 penalty notices for absence were issued across England in 2014/15, 54 per cent higher than the 98,259 issued in 2013/14, and 2.9 times higher than the number issued in 2012/13, 52,370.

The number of fines issued in 2014/15 is the equivalent of one for every 51 pupils in state primary and secondary schools.

The rules on term-time holidays were changed in September 2013, meaning headteachers could no longer grant up to ten days holiday in special circumstances. Instead they could only grant term-time leave in exceptional circumstances.

The huge increase in fines for parents over this period suggests the impact of the change in policy, as seen in the big increase in absence due to unauthorised holidays with a corresponding drop in authorised holiday.

There were 15,283 prosecutions for failing to pay the fine, which is £60 if paid within 21 days, rising to £120 after that. Parents may be prosecuted if they do not pay the fine after 28 days.

The number of prosecutions was up 46 per cent from 2013/14, and double the number in 2012/13, when there were 7,806 prosecutions.

[Melisandre]

Another way of getting money from the least well off. We did nt have this years ago we just need a holiday form has our education got that bad.

[rebbonk]

It's nothing to do with education, it's just another revenue spinner for the local authority, plus helps keep holiday prices high for school holidays. - they ain't fooling anyone