Wokingham

Parents of truanting schoolchildren in Wokingham could be slapped with on-the-spot fines of up to £100 under a new council crackdown.

As of last Monday, Wokingham District Council has powers under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 to punish school dodgers by issuing parents or carers fines of either £50 or £100.

Education bosses will first issue parents with warnings of their children's poor attendance which includes pupils caught on truancy sweeps, taking excessive holidays in school term or persistent lateness.

These warnings will be issued once the child has less than an 80% attendance record, and will come in the form of a letter to their parents.

But if the problem persists after 15 days Wokingham parents will be landed with a fine - which will lead to court action if it is not paid within 42 days.

Cllr Frank Browne, lead councillor for children's services, said: "It is a well-known fact there is a link between absence by pupils and poor academic achievement.

"We consider regular attendance of such importance that penalty notices may be used to stamp out persistent and unacceptable unauthorised absences."

He added: "The district council will take the steps necessary to ensure children get their education.

"We would much rather work with parents and carers to improve attendance without having to resort to enforcement actions but these tools can secure a child's schooling if there is no other option."

The Wokingham council says it is prepared to use the new powers because truancy can damage pupils' learning, disrupts school routines and can make the young truants vulnerable to anti-social behaviour.

Nov 3 2005 ~ ic Berkshire