Truancy Annette Brooke To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) fathers and (b) mothers have been (i) fined and (ii) imprisoned for their children's non-attendance at school in each of the last five years. Beverley Hughes 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| | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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| | | |Number of persons| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Sex |Offence description |Sentenced |Fine| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2002 |Male |Failure to secure regular attendance at school |769 |511| 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| | |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| 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| |Female|Failure to secure regular attendance at school |2,055 |1,260| 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| | | | || 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|2003 |Male |Failure to secure regular attendance at school |786 |524| 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| | |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| 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| |Female|Failure to secure regular attendance at school |2,187 |1,337| 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| | |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| 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| | | | || 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|2004 |Male |Failure to secure regular attendance at school |778 |498| 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| | |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| 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| |Female|Failure to secure regular attendance at school |1,964 |1,166| 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| | |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| 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| | | | || 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|2005 |Male |Failure to secure regular attendance at school |812 |524| 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| | |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| 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| |Female|Failure to secure regular attendance at school |2,017 |1,219| 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| | |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| 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| | | | || 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|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| 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| |Female|Failure to secure regular attendance at school |2,524 |1,625| 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| | |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 2008Ref: AHA327-08| | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------