A judge has criticised the National Education Welfare Board for not moving earlier to prosecute the parents of a teenager who refused to go to school regularly since he was in primary school.
The 15-year-old boy, who is a member of the Traveller community, had missed 91 schooldays out of 114 in this Junior Certificate year alone, and another 62 days last year, and there was a long history of truancy owing to the parents’ lax attitude, education welfare officer Paul McCavera told Galway District Court.
The board prosecuted both parents last January for non-compliance with a school attendance warning notice issued in August 2011.
When the matter came before the court earlier this year the boy promised to attend school. But when things had not changed by March 6th, Judge Alan Mitchell gave the boy 24 hours to decide which of his parents should go to prison for his truancy.
A solicitor for the board, Ian Foley, told the court in April the boy was back in school on a regular basis.
On Friday, Judge Mitchell fined the mother €650 and directed the father do 90 hours’ community service in lieu of 21 days in prison.