Headteacher urges Welsh Government to reintroduce fines for parents if pupils miss school

A headteacher has urged the Welsh Government to re-introduce fines for parents and carers if children do not attend school.

Huw Powell, headteacher of Mary Immaculate High in Cardiff, said some pupils at the school have still not returned to the classroom since March 2020.

He also went on to say a larger group of pupils miss days regularly and now see school as "optional".

Mr Powell warned of the longer term impacts on their education: "My personal view is that fines for non-attendance should come back.

"Youngsters are missing out. We have some youngsters who have been away since Covid first occurred. It does not matter what we have done to try to bring them back, we have done literally everything we can and there’s nothing more we can do in the circumstances.

"Some youngsters are at the point of being de-schooled. They are that far behind they will struggle to catch up. The impact is huge."

School governors and headteachers have echoed the view, stating absences are now the main problems facing schools.

It comes as Welsh Government data found 15% of Welsh pupils now miss school regularly.

Whilst parents and carers are still legally required to send their children to school, fines for not doing so were stopped at the start of the pandemic.

Despite calls for the re-introduction of penalties, the Association of School and College Leaders previously announced it does not support penalising parents.

Another headteacher highlighted the concerns raised by pupil absences. Martin Hulland, headteacher of Cardiff West Community High, said it was now the "number one issue" in schools.

Mr Powell explained how the law and fines were the reason the education system worked well, otherwise crucial educational milestones are missed.

He said: "We need to re-set the system. There’s a good reason children need to go to school. I am worried some will not come back without fines.

"Most evidence shows that attendance is less than 95% you will not achieve some key measures. We are in line with the national average for attendance and that is not good enough."

Welsh Government research also revealed three in 10 A-Level pupils and around two in 10 GCSE students were absent on average.

Responding to the calls for fines to be resumed, the Welsh Government said it had no plans to do so. A spokesperson said: "Our position has not changed. No decision has been made about changes to attendance policy.

"Local authorities retain the legal powers to consider enforcement as a last resort, where all other attempts to engage have been exhausted."