Parents face jail for truant children

MORE THAN 20 parents who failed to ensure their children attended school face a €600 fine and could go to jail for up to three months, the National Education Welfare Board (NEWB) has warned.

“Taking legal action against a parent is a very serious matter and there must be a clear view that it will leave the family, and importantly, the child, in a better position,” NEWB chief executive Eddie Ward said yesterday.

The parents will be given school attendance notices (SANs) this week requiring them to send their child to school for a specific time. This is the first step towards legal action against parents who have failed to co-operate with the board’s educational welfare officers.