10 jailed for not sending children to school [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 29 January 2011
TEN people were jailed last year for failing to send their children to school, with the number of parents prosecuted hitting an all-time high.
Figures from the National Educational Welfare Board show 94 summonses were issued against parents last year. Some 52 prosecutions, some dating from the previous year, ended in convictions.
While the NEWB does not have a final tally as to the number of parents sent to prison, it is understood at least 10 were jailed — the highest sanction available to judges — for not ensuring children attended school.
A further 22 cases that made it to court last year were struck out, while 124 were marked as "ongoing", meaning schools and educational welfare officers are monitoring the situation regarding school attendance.
The 52 convictions last year is up from the 40 convictions registered in 2009, the first year in which parents were committed to prison for failing to ensure children attended school.
That sanction is seen as a "last resort", but the NEWB statistics show the number of School Attendance Notices (SANs — the first step in enforcing the law regarding school attendance) has also increased.
