Parents fined £2,640 for not sending children to school

10/09/2008

PARENTS of two Grimsby pupils have been fined nearly £3,000 for failing to send their children to school.

Grimsby Magistrates' issued one of its heaviest ever fines, £2,640, to Tanya and Kevin Measures of Wintringham Road, Grimsby, on Wednesday.

The court heard how the Measures claimed they did not have the cash to send their two children to school at Havelock and Whitgift, both in Grimsby.

Both Mr and Mrs Measures have previously been fined, but following the adjournment of their case on August 20, due to their failure to attend court, magistrates fined the pair £1,320 each.

The fine has accumulated since the Measures were first charged with failing to secure regular attendance for their children in September 2005.

Andy Samson , the council's executive director of children’s services, said: “These fines awarded at the start of the new school year send a clear message to parents who fail to send their children to school.

"School attendance and attainment are closely linked. Education welfare officers and school staff work hard with families to overcome the barriers to low school attendance, but when parents fail to undertake their legal duty without valid reason, officers are left with no alternative other than to prosecute.

"Parents who do not ensure their child attends school regularly are not working in the best interest of their child. Failing to attend school regularly can have a major impact on young people's education, their future and their life chances.

"We hope these fines will reflect the seriousness of the offence and parents will value the importance of establishing a good school attendance routine."

Margaret Cracknell, the council's portfolio holder for children's services, said: "If the Measures were using a lack of funds as an excuse for not ensuring their children attended school, their tactics have backfired. This fine is more than it costs the average parent to equip and support their children for an entire academic year.

"It also shows, early on in the new school term, that the council will not shy away from prosecuting parents who are intent on spoiling early opportunities for their children to develop academically and socially."

For further information contact:
Laurie Harvey,
Communications and Consultation Officer,
Telephone 01472 325962
email: laurie.harvey@nelincs.gov.uk