Parents face jail over girl’s truancy

A judge has threatened to jail the parents of a 12-year- old girl who has only attended 11 days of the current school year.

The case involving the first-year student from Co Limerick was one of six prosecutions taken by the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) at Newcastle West District Court yesterday.

Judge Mary Larkin was told that school attendance levels for the other five children had improved “dramatically” since their parents were first brought to court earlier this year.