Mother jailed over girl's truancy

A woman from Rotherham has been jailed for failing to send her 14-year-old daughter to school.

The girl has been absent for nearly four months in the current school year - the worst truancy record the local council has ever dealt with.

Her 36-year-old mother was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison at Rotherham Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Rotherham council said the girl had a long history of non-attendance dating back six years.

Her mother was fined by Rotherham magistrates in 2000, 2002 and 2004 before being issued with a community punishment order in October last year.

This is the worst case of non-school attendance our education welfare department has had to deal with Rotherham councillor Georgina Boyes

On Tuesday, District Judge John Foster imposed a six-week sentence after the woman pleaded guilty to failing to ensure her daughter attended any of the 126 possible school sessions between 31 October last year and 10 February this year.

He imposed a further six weeks imprisonment after revoking October's community punishment order.

In mitigation, Andrew Walker told the court that the family had no proper address for some time and that a meeting with education welfare officers from Rotherham Borough Council had to be cancelled because of a family bereavement.

Georgina Boyes, the council's cabinet member for lifelong learning, culture and leisure, said that although custodial sentences were regrettable this case served as a warning to parents.

"This is the worst case of non-school attendance our education welfare department has had to deal with," she said.

"It is an extreme case, but it serves as a graphic reminder that it is the duty of all parents to ensure their children attend school, which is vital if children are to reach their full potential.

"Parents are doing their children no favours by allowing them to stay away from school and this authority will not tolerate non-school attendance and will prosecute where necessary."