Taking children from school could see parents fined

PARENTS who take their children out of school during term could be fined, the national agency that monitors pupil attendance has warned.

While the National Education Welfare Board (NEWB) says it has no immediate plans to impose fines on parents, chief executive Eddie Ward said any such action could be considered “as a last resort”.

Mr Ward’s remarks come as educational authorities in Britain introduce measures which could result in parents being fined or, in extreme cases, sent to prison for taking their children on holidays in term time.

It is believed the trend of taking pupils out of school during term has added to absenteeism levels in Britain as many families try to avoid high prices charged by tour operators during the official summer holiday period.

Savings of more than €1,000 can be made on many foreign family holidays if taken during the off-peak season.

The NEWB is a new statutory body which last month took over responsibility for monitoring truancy from gardaí and school attendance officers.

“The purpose of the legislation is to look at the reason why a child is absent from school,” Mr Ward said. “We will only initiate legal steps where we have formed the opinion that parents are negligent in relation to their child’s education and not fulfilling their obligations. Our priority is to address the needs of children who are at risk of leaving school early.”

All schools are obliged to keep records of school attendance and to notify the board of any pupil who has been absent for more than 20 unauthorised days. Absence is only likely to be authorised in circumstances such as sickness and bereavement.

Under legislation, parents could be liable for a fine of up to €635 and/or one month imprisonment if found guilty of failing to ensure their child attends school.

Mr Ward acknowledged the historical absence of data on school attendance figures meant it was impossible to determine the effect of children going on family holidays during school term.

However, the first true indicator of absentee levels is likely to be made available by the NEWB in late summer.

Fionnuala Kilfeather, chief executive of the National Parents’ Council (Primary), said legal action against parents in relation to school attendance should only be used “in very extreme cases”.

However, she stressed parents should think very carefully before taking their children out of school for family holidays.