News

Almost 50 children have been stopped and spoken to by Kent Police and Education Welfare officers in the latest truancy crackdown in Folkestone.

The truancy sweep ran on Tuesday and Thursday (9th and 11th December) with a total of 47 children spoken to.

Most of those stopped were with their parents and had a valid reason for being out of school but Education Welfare officers from KCC will be checking with all of the schools concerned to see if the truancies were genuine.

Parents of truants will be offered advice and could be warned about the consequences of persistently failing to ensure their children's attendance at school which can include a fine and in some cases a prison sentence:

Under the Education Act 1996, parents can be prosecuted in Magistrates court for failing to secure regular school attendance. For this offence they can be fined a maximum of £1,000. There is, however, a more serious offence, which carries a maximum fine of £2,500, or three months imprisonment for parents who are aware of their child's absence and who fail to provide a justifiable reason.

WPC Fran Fryer-Kelsey, the Youth Crime Reduction Officer for Shepway said: "Truancy is a serious issue and we will continue to work with the Education service to clamp down on it."

She added: "Not only does it have a negative impact on the child's education, it can lead to an increase in crimes such as shoplifting and vandalism, as those involved have little money and nothing to do."