Penalty notices issued to parents of children who play truant

NORTH East Lincolnshire Council has begun to issue penalty notices to parents of children and young adults who do not attend school on a regular basis.

Since the council's cabinet agreed to allow penalty notices to be used as a deterrent from unauthorised absence, three penalties have been issued - for unauthorised holidays - and several more notices are set to be issued in the near future, some of which are for low school attendance.

Penalty notices are set at £50 if paid within 28 days, or £100 if paid after 28 days but within 42 days. All three of the notices recently issued were paid within 28 days.

Additionally, the council has adopted measures introduced by the Education And Inspections Act 2006, allowing similar penalty notices to be issued in relation to excluded pupils.

Exclusion from school is seen as one of the last possible options available to education authorities when dealing with problematic young people, removing the individual from the school environment for a set amount of time. During such exclusions, pupils should remain at home: the expulsion is a form of punishment and should not be viewed as a break or holiday.

Parents are responsible for ensuring their child is not present in school hours without excuse or in a public place during the first five days of any exclusion. Parents who neglect this responsibility may be issued with a penalty notice unless they are able to prove reasonable justification.

The staff of Children’s Services are pleased with the initial impact of the notices and are hoping to see the increase of regular attendance as the fines come into widespread use.

Councillor Margaret Cracknell, portfolio holder for Children’s Services, said: “Here at North East Lincolnshire Council we take education and attendance very seriously. Children who regularly miss school have problems with basic skills including reading and writing. These skills are of the utmost importance in an individual’s ability to obtain a fulfilling and rewarding life.

"Levels of attendance throughout the borough are on the rise, and I hope that with these new measures in place we will see a sharp decrease in the children and young people who are missing a basic education.”