Parents of 130 child truants face fines or prison [Independent.ie]
- Published: 31 August 2010
PARENTS of more than 130 children are facing potential jail sentences or fines before the courts as authorities take a tough stance on serial school truants.
More than 100,000 primary- and secondary-school pupils miss 20 days or more of classes each year, while more than 57,000 are absent each day.
Authorities have been working to stamp out 'chronic absenteeism' where families have been deemed to have turned a blind eye to young people skipping classes.
There are currently 137 cases involving a court summons, with 57 issued since January over children missing high levels of schooling, new figures reveal.
So far this year the courts have meted out 27 convictions, with parents of five children getting custodial sentences.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
