Parents whose children regularly play truant from school in Mullingar could soon find themselves in court, under a new Garda campaign to reduce school absenteeism.
The first prosecutions came before Mullingar District Court last Friday when parents of three children had their cases adjourned until next month. A number of other prosecutions are scheduled, according to Sgt Alan Murray. However, he rejected suggestions that the problem was particularly acute in Westmeath.
"We are not the truancy capital of Ireland by any means," Sgt Murray said. "We just made a decision to do something about the problem."
Over the past few months, gardai have issued 65 warning notices to parents. If action is not taken, such notices are followed by prosecutions.
The last few weeks of the school year are a popular time for truancy as teachers are preoccupied with exams preparations and other end-of-year tasks. "We're not talking about children who miss an odd day. This is about children who are continually absent from school," Sgt Murray said. The problem is equally prevalent among primary and post-primary children. In some cases, parents deliberately keep their children at home as a source of help.
Gardai are also keen to ensure that children who finish primary school in June have enrolled in a second-level school. While the fines are quite small (£5 for a first offence and £10 for a second) Sgt Murray said the warning notices were often enough to jolt parents into ensuring that their children were attending school.
Currently, enforcement of the School Attendance Act is a matter for the gardai in rural areas but under regulations in the new Education (Welfare) Act to be introduced soon education welfare officers will be appointed to work with schools in preventing absenteeism.