Parents warned over new strict rules about taking kids on holiday that come into force today
Mums and dads who haven't yet taken advantage of their children's lengthy summer holiday break are being warned not to wait any longer to travel overseas.
That's because a brand new set of restrictions are coming into play today, which will undoubtedly affect their ability to jet-set with their children when September rolls along.
And even more alarmingly, these changes will be implemented from today (19 August).
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For decades now, the Department of Education (DoE) has ceaselessly attempted to discourage parents from taking their children out of school for a family holiday during term time.
What used to be a gentle warning about the impact that absence from school could have on their youngster's education has now become a financial risk for parents, as per new legislation which will come into play today.
Plans for harsher punishments for parents removing their children from school without prior permission from the board were revealed back in February.
Former education minister Damian Hinds spoke at the time of a new 'deterrent' which needed to be implemented into UK schools which would prosecute parents whose children miss out on five days worth of vital learning.
The former fee for such action was formerly £60, or £120 if not paid within an allocated 21 day period.
This week, however, legislation put into place by the new Labour government from today will see fines given to parents raised to £80.
This fee will increase to a further £160 if not paid within 21 days.
New restrictions also say that, if a parent is fined for the same misconduct within a three-year period, the fine will stand immediately at £160 from the start.
In cases where a third penalty is necessary, 'alternative action' will now be considered - as per the new guidelines - which state that this will likely include prosecution.
The news comes after a staggering 400,000 penalty notices were given to parents who removed their children from school without permission in England between 2022 and 2023.
Government officials were immediately concerned when it became apparent that this figure was considerably higher that pre-pandemic levels, implying parents feel now more at ease than ever about whisking their children away from their education.
A study carried out by the DoE found that over 89 percent of these removals from school were due to a parent prioritising a family holiday, which naturally tend to be cheaper during term time.
Association of School and College Leaders' general secretary, Geoff Barton, previously told press of this issue: "While nobody wants to be in a position of fining parents there simply has to be a marker that this is not acceptable.
"Not only does it affect the child's education but it means teachers then have to spend time helping children to catch up with lost learning. If everybody did this it would be chaos."
According to the new guidance, however, both schools and local authorities are now expected to work together to take a 'support-first' approach to tackle the issue of missed attendance in school.
As per the new rules, a 'formal attendance contact' should first be agreed, or alternatively, a family court order pursued if necessary.
Only once both of these measures have been considered will a fine be dispensed.
Rhianna Benson