Allow parents to take their children out of school for up to 10 days fine free.
181,597 people signed this petition to the UK Parliament after it opened on 28 November 2024; it closed on 28 May 2025. The Government responded on 23 December 2024. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 27 October 2025.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Allow parents to take their children out of school for up to 10 days fine free.
We’re seeking reform to the punitive policy for term time leave that disproportionately impacts families that are already under immense pressure and criminalises parents that we think are making choices in the best interests of their families. No family should face criminal convictions!
The data that the DfE has published are statistics based on what we consider is a very weak correlation between school attendance and attainment, but they have failed entirely to consider causation. The SEND issues have also been ignored, and we believe some children are being discriminated against due to the strict guidelines that have been put in place. Many children with SEND do have a disability, and are therefore protected under the Equality Act. We are calling for reform of legislation on taking children out of school urgently.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 23 December 2024; the petitions site lists the Department for Education as responsible. Its summary:
We are determined to break down barriers to opportunity by supporting every child to achieve and thrive at school, working with parents and protecting children’s right to education.
The opening 317 words of the 769-word response:
We sympathise with parents who, for a variety of reasons, face barriers to securing their children’s school attendance. This government is taking a new approach to tackling absence based on responsibility, partnership and belonging. This involves working with schools and local authorities to tackle barriers to school attendance and ensuring schools are able to deliver an excellent education, meeting children’s needs and creating a welcoming, engaging and inclusive environment for children. The government takes seriously its responsibility to ensure that schools are equipped to meet children’s needs and help them succeed, but that is matched by parents’ legal responsibility to send their children to school every day that they can.
Absence is one of the biggest barriers to success for children and young people, and has soared post-pandemic. It is one of the greatest barriers to opportunity and supporting children to achieve. The most recent DfE data shows that any increase in absence is associated with dramatic reductions in attainment – children who attend school every day are twice as likely to achieve good GCSEs compared to those who miss two weeks of school a year. It is not just those who are absent who are impacted. A steady churn of absences disrupts the learning of every child disrupting teachers’ ability to plan and sequence learning. It also has a significant detrimental impact on the hard work of school staff to cultivate a sense of community and belonging.
We know that some pupils face more complex barriers to attendance, including some pupils who have long term physical or mental health conditions or who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Separately, we know that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds face a wide range of barriers to engagement with education, including insecure housing, uniform costs, travel costs and food. However, all of these children have the same need and right to a full-time education as any other pupil.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies. Measured against each constituency's electorate at the 2024 general election, the most came from Ashfield, with 18.5 signatures per 1,000 electors (1,276 in all).
181,426 of the signatures were from the UK and 171 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures | Electorate, July 2024 | Per 1,000 electors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashfield | 1,276 | 68,929 | 18.5 |
| Amber Valley | 1,014 | 71,546 | 14.2 |
| Stevenage | 865 | 70,976 | 12.2 |
| Bolsover | 902 | 77,207 | 11.7 |
| Mansfield | 850 | 74,535 | 11.4 |
| Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard | 818 | 76,742 | 10.7 |
| Sherwood Forest | 827 | 78,896 | 10.5 |
| Erewash | 706 | 71,501 | 9.9 |
| Mid Bedfordshire | 707 | 75,457 | 9.4 |
| Gedling | 700 | 77,006 | 9.1 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 27,180 |
| East of England | 24,655 |
| East Midlands | 21,773 |
| North West | 21,589 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 18,436 |
| South West | 18,185 |
| London | 18,100 |
| West Midlands | 17,816 |
| North East | 8,138 |
| Wales | 2,780 |
| Scotland | 892 |
| Northern Ireland | 194 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 27 October 2025. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700047.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
65cd231cdd6016d0… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.