Unions call for hiatus on absence fines as 40% of schools are set to welcome back pupils

April Roach @aprilroach281 September 2020

Educations unions are urging the Government to temporarily scrap school absence fines as around 40 per cent of schools prepare to welcome back students for the start of autumn term today.

Despite concerns being raised about the ability to reopen schools safely during the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of pupils will return to classrooms across England and Wales.

For many students it will be the first time they have stepped into a classroom since March, when schools were told to close as part of a nation-wide Covid-19 lockdown.

In a bid to support parents who harbour concerns about the spread of Covid-19 in schools, the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) is calling for a temporary ban on fines for parents who do not send their children back to school.

Local authorities can fine parents £120 – cut to £60 if paid within 21 days – over a child’s absence from school, with the threat of prosecution if they fail to pay.

The Department for Education (DfE) has said fines for parents who refuse to send their children to England’s schools will only be used as a “last resort” when classes resume.

Schools minister Nick Gibb told Sky News this morning that the normal rules over attendance in schools start today with fines possible as "a tool" to ensure attendance.

UK Schools begin to reopen during Coronavirus lockdown ease

1/21

"School is mandatory in this country. We believe in compulsory education, so all the rules about it will apply," said Mr Gibb.

"Fines have always been the last resort for headteachers, but it is a last resort tool that they have to make sure young people are attending school."

He added that if parents have concerns they should talk to their headteacher or raise concerns with the school.

NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said: "If you are a parent and you are worried about safety, a fine is unlikely to make you feel any safer.

Students at St Columba's High School, Gourock, wear protective face masks as they head to lessons
PA

“The Government understands this, but the threat of fines still remains, so we’re urging the Government to take the threat of fines off the table for the coming term.

“This would send a powerful signal to parents and families and could well mean that more of them are willing to bring their children back to school, which is what we all want to see.”

The school leaders’ union said while it hoped attendance would be “as close to 100 per cent as possible”, it understood “there will be some families who do not yet feel ready to return”.

Its recent survey of more than 4,000 school leaders in England and Wales found that 97 per cent plan to reopen their schools to all pupils at the start of the autumn term, with the date varying across the country.

Teachers raise concerns about schools reopening in survey ahead of return

The remaining three per cent, which were not immediately reopening, were planning transition periods for new pupils or phasing entry to alleviate students’ anxieties, according to the survey.

Meanwhile, more than a quarter (26 per cent) of parents said they were not planning to send their child back to school at the start of term, while a further 20 per cent remained undecided, according to a poll by the charity Parentkind.

Its survey of 3,400 parents also found that 78 per cent opposed fines for school absences during the autumn term.

Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU) said fining families for school absences “will not resolve the fears or anxieties felt by many”.

Boris Johnson talks to a class of year seven pupils on their first day at Castle Rock school, Coalville
POOL/AFP via Getty Images

She said the Government also needed to improve facilities for remote learning and IT access for children to ensure their education continues with “as little interruption as possible” in the event of a future lockdown.

Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called on Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to face parliament to explain “how he will protect” children’s futures.

He said: “He needs to explain how he will make up for the damage already done, bring pupils up to speed and mitigate against the ongoing risk from the pandemic.”

Mr Williamson said in a statement: “I do not underestimate how challenging the last few months have been, but I do know how important it is for children to be back in school, not only for their education but for their development and wellbeing too.”

Face coverings should be worn by secondary pupils and staff in local lockdown areas of England, and at the discretion of post-primary schools across the country
PA

The teachers’ union NASUWT said there was still “considerable work” to be done around how the Government intended to ensure schools followed its own safety guidance.

NASUWT general secretary Patrick Roach added: “The government has also failed to provide any guidance on schools on steps which should be taken to minimise any discriminatory impacts of coronavirus, despite the wealth of data showing that those from BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) backgrounds have a disproportionately higher risk of death or hospitalisation from Covid-19.”

He said the union’s latest research found that three in 10 teachers believed budgetary constraints will affect their schools’ ability to reopen safely.

It comes as a poll by Tes found that 86 per cent of nearly 6,000 school staff in England said minimising contact between pupils would not be possible.

More than a third (35 per cent) also felt that the Government’s approach to coronavirus safety in schools would not work and left them “at risk”.

Schools in Scotland began to reopen on August 11, while all pupils in Northern Ireland were due to return from August 31.

Additional reporting by PA Media.