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  • Posted on 31 Jan 12

Barnsley Parents Jailed Over Truant Kids

SOME Barnsley parents have been jailed over their child’s poor school attendance record, it has emerged.

Over the last five years, 402 court cases were heard by Barnsley Magistrates relating to truancy incidents -two parents were sent to prison, three were given suspended sentences and 36 were given parenting orders, which gives them instructions on how to be better parents. Most received fines.

A Barnsley Council spokesman said: “Decisions on whether to take court action are made on a case by case basis and only as a last resort. Guidelines on legislation and protocols regarding prosecutions are used.”

Figures released by the government show that there are almost 15,000 children enrolled in primary and secondary schools in Barnsley – out of these almost 800 are classed as persistent absentees, missing days of school.

  • Dan

    I don’t agree with jail sentences but Parenting Orders are needed for quite a lot of people in Barnsley and throughout the country. Kids breeding kids. The blind leading the blind.

  • poppy

    i think its a good thing..it dont take much to make sure u get ur child get s to school on a morning…its just laziness and not caring if a child has a education.

  • Nastypasty

    sterilize.

  • Nastypasty

    sterilize.

  • openminded

    My kids luckily have excellent attendance, however sometimes it’s not just a matter of getting kids there, i know kids who are dropped off, watched in and then it’s the school that doesn’t keep them there. Not always the parent’s fault.!

  • poppy

    at primary school age kids should not be dropped off and left ..they are not the schools responsibilty till they enter the school building before then its down to the parents to make sure their children make it into the building……blame is still down to the parents and the parenting classes are a good idea along with prison sentence for repeat offenders.

  • Squirzy

    if you’ve got an unruley child that doesn’t want to attend school then it doesn’t matter what the parents do the child will just please themselves,schools have no obligation or power to keep them there once they have attended,you can’t touch them these days and as soon as they learn that you’ve lost.what does a jail sentance achieve,what happens to the kids then,who makes sure they get to school now,if indeed they go,courts are so out of touch its unreal,as for all the dogooders in society get off your high horse and come live the real life.

  • Angry Mum

    I was 18 years old when I had my first and I constantly had people telling me I was too young.  Well u know what?  My son is 9 now., has excellent school attendance and is top of the class in everything.  I make sure he does his homework every Friday night and he isn’t allowed to watch tv all day.  Instead he plays football for his local team.  It does my head in when everyone goes on about kids breeding kids.  Fair enough, they should be more careful, myself included but he was conceived whilst I was on the pill.  In the same breath, I know parents who are in their 40s who have 12 year old alcoholics for kids and 15 year old parents who would go to the ends of the earth for their kids and do they very best they can for them so age has absolutely nothing to do with a persons parenting abilities.  It is also unfair to say that it is always the parents fault if a child plays truant from school.  When I was at school, some kids would get taken to school, watched as they walked in and then that kid would walk straight out again as soon as the coast was clear.  Yes some parents need educating on how to be a better parent but there is just no heling some kids and whilst I do not say parents are blameless, I think some people should point fingers towards the standards at schools nowadays.

  • Angry Mum

    I was 18 years old when I had my first and I constantly had people telling me I was too young.  Well u know what?  My son is 9 now., has excellent school attendance and is top of the class in everything.  I make sure he does his homework every Friday night and he isn’t allowed to watch tv all day.  Instead he plays football for his local team.  It does my head in when everyone goes on about kids breeding kids.  Fair enough, they should be more careful, myself included but he was conceived whilst I was on the pill.  In the same breath, I know parents who are in their 40s who have 12 year old alcoholics for kids and 15 year old parents who would go to the ends of the earth for their kids and do they very best they can for them so age has absolutely nothing to do with a persons parenting abilities.  It is also unfair to say that it is always the parents fault if a child plays truant from school.  When I was at school, some kids would get taken to school, watched as they walked in and then that kid would walk straight out again as soon as the coast was clear.  Yes some parents need educating on how to be a better parent but there is just no heling some kids and whilst I do not say parents are blameless, I think some people should point fingers towards the standards at schools nowadays.

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