Parents face fines if kids fail to return to classroom
PARENTS who fail to send their children back to school as lockdown restrictions ease will face fines, Gavin Williamson warned yesterday.
The Education Secretary said he expected to see all youngsters return to the classroom in September “unless there is a very good reason” or local lockdowns are imposed.
Councils can impose a £60 fine for nonattendance that doubles if not paid within 21 days.
According to Government figures, the number of children who have returned to school stood at about 1.5 million last week.
Mr Williamson told LBC radio: “It is going to be compulsory for children to return to school unless there’s a very good reason, or a local spike where there have had to be local lockdowns.
“We do have to get back into compulsory education. Obviously fines sit alongside that.
“Unless there is a good reason for the absence then we will be looking at imposing fines on families if they are not sending their children back.”
But head teachers said fining parents was not the “right approach” at first. “There will be frightened and anxious parents,” said Geoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers’ union.
Mr Williamson also indicated that the return would not rely on social distancing. “It’s not about one metre, it’s not about two metres,” he told BBC Breakfast, saying safety would be based on “reducing the number of transmission points” .
The Government’s plans for the reopening of schools is due to be published later this week. Downing Street defended the approach.The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We want all children back in school for September because that’s the best place for them to learn.”
But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the Government of being “asleep at the wheel” and said a dedicated taskforce should have been set up “two to three months ago”. He told Sky News: “There has been a total lack of planning. From the day the schools were shut, it was obvious what needed to happen to get them back open again.
“You needed a risk assessment. I’ve talked to loads of head teachers, and the points they have made were obvious and practical and could have been overcome.”