Shropshire parents handed 'record number' of fines for taking children out of school
A record number of fines were issued to parents for taking children out of school in Shropshire last year, new figures show.
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The new data from the Department for Education comes as school leaders' unions said a new approach must be considered by the Government to address pupils being taken out of school, adding current fines are a "blunt tool" for tackling the issue.
The data reveals there were 2,487 penalty notices issued in Telford and Wrekin for unauthorised absences in the last academic year, compared to 1,805 in 2022-23 – a 38 per cent rise in a year.
In the Shropshire Council area, 793 penalty notices were issued, compared to 504 the previous year – a 57 per cent increase.
In both areas, 98 per cent of the notices were for unauthorised holidays and the highest number of notices issued since comparable records began in the 2009-10 school year.
In September, school absence fines in England rose from £60 to £80, and a parent who receives a second fine for the same child within a three-year period will now receive a £160 fine.
