Parents prosecuted for kids’ truancy
A two-year effort to fight truancy in San Francisco schools has resulted in a 23% drop of elementary school students skipping school. In the same period middle schools saw a 4% drop, but high schools numbers increased slightly.
School attendance in California, as in many states, is mandatory from ages 6 to 18. The school district and local prosecutor worked together in identifying students with more than 10 unexcused absences. Efforts included meeting with the parents and, where appropriate, offering community and mental health services, and assignment of social workers.
Photo by Vsqz (Flickr)
Parents were also explained the legal consequences of truancy, such as court action and fines. In at least seven cases, parents were taken to court. Their children had missed at least 40 days of the 180-day school year. Penalties against parents range from fines to community service work, oftentimes at their child’s school.
Hauling parents into court is not just a California trend – it’s catching on around the country. So, don’t skip school or your parents may pay the price.
For more about mandatory school attendance, see: http://askthejudge.info/do-i-have-to-go-to-school/38/
This post was written by Tom Jacobs. Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including the recently published 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing). When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom can be found hiking, traveling and reading.
A leading Australian politician has called for Aboriginal parents to be fined if they don’t force their children to attend school. I concur. If indigenous people want to retain their entitlements to the state-subsidised welfare system, they should have to integrate with that system. It’s an issue of mutual responsibility. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
Aussie Larrikin.