The Ministry of Justice collects data for England and Wales on prosecutions brought against parents under the Education Act 1996 for the offence under s444(1) for failing to secure their child's regular attendance at school; and for prosecutions under s444(1A), the aggravated offence of knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly. It is possible, because of the way courts record data that some data are collected under the more general heading of various offences under the Education Act 1996.
The information on the number of people by gender sentenced and given fines or immediate custodial sentences is detailed in the following tables.
Number of persons Sex Offence description Sentenced Immediate custody 2002 Male Failure to secure regular attendance at school 769 — Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 1 — Female Failure to secure regular attendance at school 2,055 1 2003 Male Failure to secure regular attendance at school 786 1 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 83 2 Female Failure to secure regular attendance at school 2,187 3 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 239 1 2004 Male Failure to secure regular attendance at school 778 2 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 259 5 Female Failure to secure regular attendance at school 1,964 6 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 573 9 2005 Male Failure to secure regular attendance at school 812 — Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 244 2 Female Failure to secure regular attendance at school 2,017 5 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 695 13 2006 Male Failure to secure regular attendance at school 1,011 1 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 292 3 Female Failure to secure regular attendance at school 2,524 1 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 944 17 1 These data are on the principal offence basis. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. Source: OMS Analytical Services Ref: AHA312-08
Number of persons Sex Offence description Sentenced Fine 2002 Male Failure to secure regular attendance at school 769 511 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 1 1 Female Failure to secure regular attendance at school 2,055 1,260 2003 Male Failure to secure regular attendance at school 786 524 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 83 45 Female Failure to secure regular attendance at school 2,187 1,337 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 239 105 2004 Male Failure to secure regular attendance at school 778 498 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 259 174 Female Failure to secure regular attendance at school 1,964 1,166 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 573 301 2005 Male Failure to secure regular attendance at school 812 524 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 244 125 Female Failure to secure regular attendance at school 2,017 1,219 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 695 341 2006 Male Failure to secure regular attendance at school 1,011 699 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 292 158 Female Failure to secure regular attendance at school 2,524 1,625 Parent knows that child is failing to attend school regularly and fails without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school 944 470 Notes: 1. These data are on the principal offence basis. 2. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. 3. The Department for Children, Schools and Families also collects separate data for England on penalty notices, fines, issued to parents for failing to ensure that their compulsory school aged children attend school regularly. Penalty notices provide an alternative to prosecuting parents under s444 of the Education Act 1996 and have been available since February 2004. Data available covering the last three complete school academic years show that from 1 September 2004 to 31 July 2005, 3,483 penalty notices were issued to parents; from 1 August 2005 to 1 September 2006,12,150; and from 2 September 2006 to 31 August 2007,14,625. The Department does not collect data by gender type. Source: OMS Analytical Services 19 August 2008 Ref: AHA327-08