Truancy: a parents guide

Parents and carers have a duty to ensure their child has an appropriate education, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise. Parental support is crucial in ensuring that children do well with their studies. Those who give encouragement and make sure that their children regularly attend school will help to avoid all the problems associated with truancy.

This also means that children should arrive on time and keep to the school's rules, attending all lessons. These habits should start at a young age while the child is in primary school and will help to avoid problems later.

A prosecution can take place to any person who has parental responsibility for the child's education. For the purposes of ensuring regular attendance a parent is defined under Section 576 of the Education Act 1996 as:

all natural parents, whether they are married or not; any person who, although not a natural parent, has parental responsibility (as defined in the Children Act 1989) for a child or young person; and any person who, although not a natural parent has care of a child or young person. Having care of a child or young person means that a person with whom the child lives and who looks after the child, irrespective of what their relationship is with the child, is considered to be a parent in education law.