Families in the UK have been warned that they could receive a fine up to £120 if their children are repeatedly late for school.
Schools and councils in Hampshire, Warwickshire and Essex will be introducing the penalties for absenteeism and repeated lateness.
If a child shows up over 30 minutes late to class, they could be fined at least £60 pounds. The penalty could rise to £120 if it is not paid within the first three weeks of being issued. They could potentially be taken to court if the fee isn’t paid at all.
A government advisor for behaviour policy, Tom Bennet, told The Sunday Times that penalties should only be implemented as a last resort.
“Most pupils would rather lose an arm than be seen walking up to school with their parents,” he said.
A caller on LBC Radio told presenter Andrew Castle, a former school governor that this new policy will not work. The caller, known as Eleanor from Birmingham, is a parent and former governor.
"Many parents and children didn't get the school of their choice, so they're juggling work, they're juggling taking one child to one school and another child to a different school, and simply what with the traffic and everything else," she said
She went on to say that the fines were a “typical example of a lack of understanding of what is actually happening in our schools".
"If there is persistent lateness, then get the parents in for a detention after school. Get them to come in and help their children with their homework," she urged.
Back in April, Nigel Farage came up with a suggestion to help stop school fines. In an interview with LBC Radio, he said: “So what do they do around France? They stagger back half-term holiday, so different departments and regions of France have their half-term at different times.”
As you can imagine, the proposal has left many parents feeling frustrated. Over on Twitter, a number of people shared their views on what has been described as an ‘Orwellian’ policy.
“Giving fines for when kids are late to school? Boy, I would have robbed my parents!” wrote one Twitter user.
Meanwhile, another astutely observed: “Are these fines going to go towards the buses, so they can run on time and get kids to school for when they need?”
What’s your opinion? Do you think British families should pay a fine for lateness? Let us know in the comments!
