Parents who take their children out of school during term time for family holidays get slapped with a fine - but for many it's worth it.
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00:00Parents who take their children out of school during term time for family holidays get slapped
00:07with a fine, but for many it's worth it. It's supposed to act as a deterrent. Evidence shows
00:12that pupils who have good attendance enjoy better well-being and school performance.
00:17Parents are currently fined £60 per child for five days of unauthorised absence. But
00:21the much cheaper cost of going abroad while school is in session can see families saving
00:25hundreds or even thousands, making taking the fine on the chin a better choice financially
00:30for many. It's become even more prevalent through the cost of living crisis, where every
00:34penny counts. Bradford was the worst offender in the UK. 12,000 fines were issued in the
00:39West Yorkshire city this academic year alone, accounting for nearly £1m worth of fines
00:45over the course of three years. Money raised via fines is only used by the local authority
00:49to cover the costs of administering the system and to fund attendance support. Any extra
00:54money is returned to the government. Do you think fines for parents are a good idea to
00:58encourage better attendance, or do they not work as a deterrent?