The Department for Education in the UK has released new guidelines emphasizing that headteachers should not approve student absences for protests during school hours, as part of a broader initiative to enhance school attendance following the disruptions of the pandemic. The guidance, effective from August, is in response to concerns expressed by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan regarding student participation in events like the School Strike for Palestine rallies. This move, supported by recommendations from the think tank Policy Exchange, has been recognized by Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, as a delicate issue but necessary to ensure students do not miss out on educational opportunities.

The government is also increasing fines for unauthorised absences, raising the penalty from £60 to £80, with a rise to £160 if the fine is not paid promptly. This scaling of fines aims to address attendance issues by offering a uniform approach across England to tackle variations in enforcing absence penalties. Meanwhile, Karl Harrison, a headteacher, has voiced skepticism regarding the effectiveness of raising fines, arguing that the cost benefits of cheaper term-time holidays might still outweigh the fine increase.

In parallel, there has been a noticeable rise in home-schooling in England, with over 10,000 additional cases last autumn, bringing the total to 92,000. This increase is attributed to various factors including mental health reasons, with the Association of School and College Leaders suggesting this may be related to unmet special education needs and school-related anxiety due to inadequate support services.

For the first time, the Department for Education has also released statistics on children missing education (CME), reporting a rise from 24,000 to 33,000 cases last autumn. These figures underline a growing concern regarding children who are not enrolled in school and not receiving suitable education elsewhere, highlighting the complex challenges within the educational system that contribute to the shift towards home schooling.