Several cases were heard this month at Magistrates’ Courts in Lewes, Hastings and Eastbourne, as part of East Sussex County Council’s continued drive to prosecute parents who continually ignore their child’s absence from school and fail to co-operate with education welfare staff to resolve problems.
Some parents received a conditional discharge and will find themselves back in court if their child continues to be absent from school. Magistrates also fined one parent £400 plus costs of £100, whilst in another case two parents of three children were fined a total of £440 plus £100 costs.
East Sussex County Council’s Education Welfare Service provides advice and support to parents and carers who may have problems with their child’s school attendance. Penalty notices, truancy sweeps and prosecuting parents who continually allow their children to miss school are also strategies for improving attendance.
During the latest truancy sweeps in October carried out in Eastbourne, Hastings, Bexhill, Hailsham and Uckfield by officers from East Sussex Education Welfare Service and Sussex Police, a total of 64 pupils were stopped – 11 pupils were returned to school.
Notes to editors
The truancy sweep is part of an ongoing programme of County wide and local truancy sweeps scheduled to take place throughout the academic year, in addition to local patrols to be carried out by our Education Welfare Officers and School Liaison Officers.
For further information please contact Penny Lavan at the County Council’s Education Welfare Service on 01273 481877 or Inspector Russell Ternent on 0845 6070999 ext 33353.
Reference:
05/710/CJ
Contact the press team
