Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove delivered a speech at a think tank where he suggested that parents should face child benefit cuts if they fail to ensure their children turn up at school.
He first proposed this idea as education secretary in 2014, believing it would "tackle anti-social behaviour". Currently, local councils can fine parents whose children miss school in England with £60 fines, which rise to £120 if they are not paid within 21 days. In 2022 the BBC reported that almost 1.8 million children regularly missed school in the first term of the academic year, with parents fined £3.7m for the school year.
There are many reasons why a Disabled child may not be able to attend school. Outside of ill health and medical appointments, causes could also include the maintenance of well-being, the inaccessibility of the school, and clinical vulnerability to COVID-19.
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), a union representing school leaders, condemned Mr Gove's suggestion, saying it was "likely to be counter-productive".
"It is very hard to see how consigning children to poverty and starvation will improve their school attendance," general secretary Paul Whiteman added.
"Persistent absence can only be successfully tackled by offering help, not punishment."
"Persistent absence can only be successfully tackled by offering help, not punishment."
Bethany Bale, Policy Officer at Disability Rights UK, said:
"Poorly informed and discriminatory punitive action does have a huge impact on parents of Disabled children. Cutting benefits is a totally unacceptable response.
A growing number of Disabled pupils are struggling to maintain attendance due to the failure of schools to provide inclusive cultures and environments and tailored personalised learning support. Schools and local authorities are legally obligated to ensure their education is inclusive and accessible. There needs to be a focus on supporting Disabled students to reach their full potential.”
You can access the DR UK response to the Government consultation "School attendance: Improving consistency of support Consultation 2022" as a PDF via the button below.