Why is school attendance not compulsory?

If the government and their scientific advisors are so convinced that it's now safe for children to be back in the classroom why is attendance not compulsory?

Why is this the case - when for years schools have had a huge push on attendance with strict absence policies in place - phone calls home and visits from school welfare staff for unexplained absence, teachers chasing up non attendees and parents being fined for simply taking their children on holiday at a time they can afford?

Is school attendance now not compulsory because the government know that it's NOT safe to reopen schools under their proposed model?

There is simply no consensus that children will not spread coronavirus to other children, staff and parents and then from schools into the much wider community.

Opening schools at this time would be truly reckless.

When the inevitable and tragic infections occur the government will be able to say to parents in confidence "that you were not compelled to send your child to school you knew it was voluntary" and in the words of Jacob William Rees-Mogg "you should have used your common sense".