Fines hit record for a million of 'ghost children'
A record number of fines have been issued to the parents of the million pupils "persistently" off school in recent years.
These students, known as “ghost children”, have been absent more than they were present, missing at least half of all class time.
While there has also been an increase in the number of parents taking their children out of school during term time to take advantage of cheaper holidays, the soaring number of pupils persistently absent has alarmed education chiefs.
Experts say this is the result of rising levels of mental health issues such as anxiety, together with more families being plunged into poverty.
Latest figures showed the number of students missing 10 per cent or more of school hours has risen by 52 per cent since 2019 to a record 1.4 million.
And the number missing at least half of school hours rose by 137 per cent to 142,487 during the same period, research by think-tank the Centre for Social Justice has shown.
As a result, councils have issued an unprecedented number of penalties to parents, who can be hit with £80 fines for each school absence, rising to £160 if it is not paid within 21 days.
Separate analysis by solicitors Legal Expert found a huge variation in the number of fines being issued around the country and pinpointed the 10 most punishing councils.
Manchester City Council came top of the list by issuing fines worth £1,044,612 over three years, with nearby Bolton Borough Council second, issuing £1,026,840 during the same time period.
A spokeswoman for the CSJ said: “Organisations working with children who are absent from school tell us the biggest driver of absence is anxiety and mental health, with some children waiting over a year to get the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Support they need.
“Other drivers include poverty and disadvantage, with some children not going to school because their household cannot afford hot water for a shower, school uniform or period products.”
She added: “Other drivers include unmet special educational needs, disengagement with the curriculum and changing attitudes to education following school shutdowns during Covid.”
The spokeswoman for the think-tank added that issuing penalties by local authorities may be counter-productive.
“Fines to date have not prevented the crisis in school absence and will not work unless we address the underlying causes of absence,” she added.
A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “Strong foundations of learning are grounded in attendance in the classroom – and when children are not in school, it’s not just those children who miss out but those around them too.
“Our ‘support-first’ approach to attendance encourages schools to work alongside parents to meet their responsibilities to ensure their child attends school.
“We will also tackle the causes of absence, including by providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every secondary school, introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary and ensuring earlier intervention in mainstream schools for pupils with special needs.”
