Parents convicted for not sending child to school

Absent for 78% of the academic year

The parents of a girl who did not send her to school were prosecuted at Naas District Court.

Education welfare officer Philip Donnelly told the court that the child was absent for 130 days out of 167 in the 2021-2022 academic year or for 77.8% of the year.

He said she missed all 167 days in second year.

In the current year, he said, she had missed 138 of 167.

The court heard she did not sit the junior certificate examinations.

The case first came to court in September 2023 and the case was open for three years.

Mr Donnelly said a number of intervention offers were made to help the parents to improve attendance and these included extra classes and a breakfast club.

He said there was a “minimal level of attendance” and this stopped entirely in January.

He said he made phone calls, sent text messages and called to the house and he said the reasons given for not attending  were “vague and unconvincing.”

He added there were allegations of drug dealing and drug consumption in the school and his reply was that a complaint should be made to the school and failing that to enrol her in another school.

He said assistance would be provided to enrol elsewhere.

He also said this school got no complaints about bullying and the parents would not come to the school.

Cross examined by solicitor Tim Kennelly, who said the parents cannot read, Mr Donnelly said he had spoken to the parents at least half a dozen times.

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Mr Kennelly said the girl is no longer obliged to attend school because of her age.

He said the girl was being bullied and this was reported regularly.

He added the girl “became quite rebellious and fell in with the wrong crowd."

Mr Kennelly said not every child is academic or “set for the halls of academia.”

The court was told the girl is not pursuing a course she wants to do and her mother and father had not “failed grossly as parents.”

He said her family is hardworking and has different values than some others about education.

Judge Aylmer said the girl’s family make a contribution to society through their work.

He added it is acceptable to a degree that there is more to education than academic achievement but every classroom has children that will not achieve academically, but still attend.

He added parents have an obligation to ensure their children are “educated in the round.”

He said in this case the child was allowed to be absent for an extended period.

He fined each parent €750 and imposed a custody term of one week, which was suspended.