The parents of more than 60 schoolchildren in Suffolk have appeared before magistrates in Ipswich and Lowestoft for failing to ensure their child regularly attended school.
In an effort to properly enforce policies on attendance, the parents of children who have repeated unauthorised absences were subject to a number of court hearings yesterday.
Commenting on the matter, a Suffolk County Council spokesman stressed the importance of ensuring a child regularly attends class, asserting: "Ensuring children attend school during term-time is imperative in raising educational attainment and one of the priorities of our Raising the Bar scheme."
Elaborating further, the spokesman explained that various measures have been put in place in an effort to encourage regular attendance, saying: "School headteachers are taking a rigorous approach and making use of Fixed Penalty Notices where other interventions have not worked to get children into schools."
While it is unclear as to whether the issue of term-time holidays played a role in yesterday's hearings, the matter has been a bone of contention for a number of years, with various officials eager to explain the far-reaching implications of the practise,
Addressing both sides of the matter, Ipswich MP, Ben Gummer, began by citing evidence that missing school can 'seriously retard the progress of children' before turning his attention to those whose families are not in a position to remove their child from school on account of financial issues.
"The ones who are harmed the most are children from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially those with parents who cannot afford holidays at any time, because their education is slowed as other children have to catch up for the time they missed," he insisted.
As it stands, the parents of children who do not have an authorised absence from school are subject to fines of £60 per child which increases to £120 if not paid within 21 days, while those who fail to pay the fine can face prosecution.
The Suffolk County Council are currently working in partnership with schools in order to support their efforts 'in increasing school attendance and raising attainment' for children in the county.
The outcomes of yesterday's hearings is not yet known.
