Bracknell mother petitions against school attendance adverts

Emma Hester said the government campaign was "deeply insulting"

A mother has launched a petition demanding the government withdraws an "insulting" school attendance campaign.

Emma Hester, from Bracknell, Berkshire, said her 11-year-old daughter was not attending school because of unmet autism needs and a "broken system".

She said the government's "Moments Matter, Attendance Counts" posters suggested parents were to blame for allowing truancy.

The Department for Education (DfE) said its campaign prioritised support.

Ms Hester, a former police officer, said she had been sent a warning notice of a fixed penalty fine for her daughter's non-attendance.

Ms Hester said the government posters ignored children with complex needs

The mother of two said: "The system is broken. They can't really meet her needs.

"It's not that we're not sending her in because she's got a runny nose.

"It is deeply insulting to parents who have been fighting for five years to have needs identified."

Ms Hester said she was doing a two-year occupational therapy training course to help meet her daughter's needs because it was quicker than waiting for official support.

Her petition on the change.org website, demanding that the government "addresses systemic issues" rather than blaming parents, has so far attracted more than 4,000 signatures.

Broadcaster Carrie Grant previously said the government campaign was "tone deaf"

Previously, broadcaster Carrie Grant, who is autistic and has four neurodivergent children, said the government campaign was "tone deaf".

The National Autistic Society said the campaign "completely misses the mark" and "fails to address the huge barriers autistic children and young people face every day in the classroom".

The Department for Education said: "Attendance is vital for a child's wellbeing, development, and attainment.

"Our guidance leads with a support first approach encouraging schools to ensure a calm, orderly, safe, and supportive environment where all pupils want to be and are keen and ready to learn."

More than one in five children in England are persistently absent from school, which is double the proportion before the Covid pandemic, according to DfE data.

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