At an event held by centre-right think tank Onward, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has suggested that child benefits should be stopped for the parents of children regularly skipping school. This approach to tackling truancy is not a new phenomenon for Gove. He first attempted to enforce this measure during the coalition government in 2010 in his role as Education Secretary. After being blocked by then Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, he pushed for its inclusion in the Conservative manifesto for the 2015 general election, but the measure was never implemented.
He (Gove) first attempted to enforce this measure during the coalition government in 2010 in his role as Education Secretary.
The idea was originally introduced by Tony Blair in 2002 while Labour Prime Minister, but the current fining system was introduced instead.
The idea was originally introduced by Tony Blair in 2002, but the current fining system was introduced instead.
This sees parents at risk of being issued £60 fines if their child misses school, which can double if not paid in a 21 day period. The fines tend to be issued by local councils.
In Gove’s speech, he emphasised ‘parental responsibility’, something he argues the proposed penalties would restore. He stated: “Particularly after Covid, we need to get back to an absolute rigorous focus on school attendance, on supporting children to be in school.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, issues regarding attendance (and therefore the distribution of non-attendance fines) were diminished due to lockdowns and ever-changing self-isolation rules. However, the BBC obtained figures for the academic year of 2021-22 which revealed that almost 1.8 million children regularly missed school, resulting in parents being fined £3.7m.
At the Onward event, the Levelling Up Secretary linked persistent absenteeism to involvement in antisocial behaviour. A month prior he had claimed that antisocial behaviour should be considered a gateway path to more serious crimes, and that reducing truancy is central to preventing this. The Times has reported that Gove is preparing an action plan for Rishi Sunak to reduce antisocial behaviour, which is believed to include the benefit cuts proposal.
At the Onward event, the Levelling Up Secretary linked persistent absenteeism to involvement in anti-social behaviour.
Gove’s suggestion has received criticism, including from Liberal Democrat education spokesperson, Munira Wilson. Wilson argued: “if Michael Gove thinks that the solution to encourage children back to school is to impoverish them, then he is living in a different century.” The NAHT union (which represents school leaders) also condemned the proposal, stating that it was “likely to be counter-productive”. General Secretary Paul Whiteman said: “Persistent absence can only be successfully tackled by offering help, not punishment.”