More parents may face court action over failing to send their children to school, with the Ministry of Education confirming 16 chronic absence cases are currently being investigated.
The development follows news that one parent has already been prosecuted as part of the Government’s tougher stance on truancy, promoted by Associate Education Minister David Seymour, who previously said authorities would use “coercive power” against parents allowing persistent non-attendance.
The ministry said its prosecutions unit, established last year, had received 34 formal referrals linked to school absence. Seventeen of those cases were resolved before court proceedings were needed, which Seymour said showed the threat of prosecution was encouraging parents to re-enrol children.
Operational standards and support general manager Helen Hurst said the remaining cases were still being actively progressed and were often complicated, with efforts continuing to support students returning to school.
Seymour said he could not comment on the matter already before the courts, but noted the parents involved did not appear at the hearing, leading to an adjournment.
Parents convicted under attendance laws can face fines of up to $300 for a first offence and up to $3000 for repeat offending. The ministry said prosecutions were not pursued against families actively working with schools or where children faced chronic illness or disability-related health issues.
Image credit: Alam Kusuma
16 less state indoctrinated young humans annoying the international rules based tyrant Seymour.
Central government barking up the wrong tree… why don’t these kid, or the kids parents, want to go back to school.
They say often the reasons are complex, but could that be a misdirection and the reasons quite simple.
Adding fines onlyleads to more poverty in the families involved.
Rather than help and find solutions, the Uni-Party Governments have consistently punished the marginalised, disenfranchised and financially-distrressed parents.
Not in school due to being bullied? Marginalised? Ignored?
Are these ‘missing students’ on the Autism Spectrum and cannot deal with the regular school environment with being bullied, the lighting, noise and lack of sympathy or help from these schools?
https://trineday.myshopify.com/products/bullyocracy
https://www.amazon.com/Swimming-Cesspool-Gregg-Smith/dp/1447883268
https://trineday.myshopify.com/products/black-jack
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/300610315/unwanted-disabled-children-are-being-denied-full-education-advocates-say
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/122877085/tenyearold-faces-deportation-over-special-needs-schooling-support
& BTW, Erica Stanford and David Seymour have this information! I SENT IT TO THEM, and I got the usual automated response back!
So far, nothing actioned except threats and fines for the parents..!
All they have left is coercion. Hardly a good tool for dealing with people who may be poor or face other social issues.