AIBU to think laws that fine and jail parents for school absence, outside term time holidays, are ridiculous?

104 replies

TwinklyTaupePanda · 25/08/2026 08:18

Is it a good law, fining parents for school absence? What are the good outcome measures, good citizens, with better mental health, peaceful country, reduced crime rates, homicide rates? Has it worked in your country?

Or is it a ridiculous law? Most parents, dream of and love to, have children who enjoy, thrive and excel in school. Parents may have other misdemeanours, but why turn school attendance into the battle ground, the yard stick to measure and punish? Perhaps consider is punishment the right way to go about this, what about the help for every child, and every parent who struggles?

I'm not talking about going on holiday during term time.

OP posts:

hardshoulderr · Yesterday 21:33

I have been on many sentencing cases for school and attendance and very rarely we've done community orders but I've never ever sent anyone to prison

hardshoulderr · Yesterday 21:34

Agree @grumpygrape

LlynTegid · Yesterday 21:37

I don't think fines are the answer. For parents taking children on holiday in term time I would remove the passports from serial offenders, not sure what the best sanction would be for parents not making enough effort to get a child in school.

Bananacrepewithnuts · Yesterday 22:01

ToffeePennie · 25/08/2026 09:13

Thing is rich, wealthy parents who can afford none-term time holidays will just pay it and count it as holiday expense. Those of us who can’t, will not be able to risk it and will end up taking our children on expensive holidays to try and give a similar childhood experience to their wealthier peers.
These children have to be together for a long time, all of primary and secondary school, but you don’t see the richer parents kids suffering from lack of learning. Actually they seem to go on and get top grades, simply because their parents can afford things like tutors.
And this doesn’t target the actual truant kids, ones who’s parents are addicts, or parents who can’t be bothered waking up and taking their child to school, or the kids who abscond from school because they find it too boring or difficult. Or the kids who don’t come in because their older brother has taken the last pair of shoes in the house, or the ones who looked after younger siblings last night and now are too tired to get the bus into school.
These kids need social services help, more support, charity, not fines that their parents can’t pay anyway. The kids who aren’t leaving for a holiday but aren’t in school for 1001 other reasons that have social services written all over them. (I’m not including health because anyone who’s sick should be at home end of)

I agree with your sentiment but a whole load of work will be done with that family (support from the school and the LA) in order to improve the child's attendance.
A fine for non attendance is way way down the line and would really be a reluctant last resort.

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