Truancy Laws

It is an unfortunate fact of any child’s education that they may at some point play truant from school. There are many different reasons as to why they may decide to play truant but the fact remains that in doing so not only are they jeopardising their education but they are putting their parents into the firing line of the law when it comes to meting out a punishment for persistent truancy.

Education and the Law

The law in the United Kingdom is very definite about how a child should be educated and from what age they should begin their schooling. For the majority of children that schooling age bracket is five to fifteen and during this time they are obliged – again by law – to receive a satisfactory level of full-time education.

However there are children who are not receiving this level of full-time education because of the amount of time they spent playing truant from school. This truancy is classed as unsanctioned time off and as such a teacher or head teacher has an obligation to ascertain from the child’s parents – in conjunction with a school welfare officer – to find out why this truancy is taking place.

Why Children Play Truant

There are many different reasons as to why children play truant and these reasons vary from child to child but in the main the most common reasons are:

• Bullying
• Anti-social and unruly behaviour
• Problems in the family home
• Undiagnosed behavioural or emotional problems
• General dislike of school

It is not a list that is limited to the aforementioned but these seem to be the most common. Children often play truant because of difficulties at home which have yet to be identified by their teachers. Truancy is one of the many ways in which school teachers and school welfare officers alike can become aware of difficulties outside – or indeed inside the school environment.

What Can Be Done to Combat Truancy?

The problem of lost educational time throughout the course of a school term is one that all schools – regardless of how good they are – have to face from time to time. The instances of truancy may be limited to one or two individuals or it can be attributed to a gang of pupils who have the same disliking for school.

Either way the problem needs to be addressed and dealt with in as swift and effective manner as possible. One way is to monitor exactly when children are in class. This can be done by having them sign attendance cards which are then signed by their parents and returned to the child’s teacher. Whilst in some instances the children who are playing truant can find themselves in the care of a learning mentor who may be able to (a) help them learn and (b) establish what the underlying problem is?

Parenting Contracts

Another option is to have parents sign up to a parenting contract; this written agreement is entered into between the parents of the child playing truant and also the local authority and school. These parenting contracts are not a legal and binding document however, they are simply a means of attempting to engage the parents of the child in question in order to help them understand and deal with any behavioural issues the child may have.

Fines for Truancy

If a local authority decides that the circumstances surrounding persistent truancy are not being managed – or indeed are being influenced – by a parent then they can seek to prosecute the parent. This prosecution carries with it a hefty fine of up to £5000 and in some instances – especially if the fine is not paid – or the truancy continues, the magistrate can opt for a custodial sentence and also the intervention of social services.

For more information you should contact your Local Education Authority or your child’s school.