Jobless parents in court over truant daughter (From York Press)

Jobless parents in court over truant daughter

7:57am Tuesday 25th September 2012 in News By Megi Rychlikova, megi.rychlikova@thepress.co.uk

TWO parents could be forced to take lessons in how to look after their children after they failed to ensure their nine-year-old daughter attended school.

It was the second time in 18 months the parents, aged 44 and 31, had appeared in court because of their child’s truancy.

They were also poor in attending court on time and on at least one occasion failed to attend at all.

The head teacher of the daughter’s school told York magistrates the child’s attendance was still poor and she was still missing one in five school sessions.

“She is a bright and lively girl,” he said. “The amount of time she has missed is considerable. It is a good percentage of her overall school career and it is having an impact on her progress.”

The parents, who cannot be named to protect the daughter but who come from Clifton , York, were convicted in their absence after they failed to attend court on time.

Magistrates said they were considering making a parenting order to improve their parenting skills and also asked probation officers to prepare a report on possible community penalties including unpaid work and supervision.

The couple’s solicitor, Neal Kutte said they were upset about what had happened, but they were struggling to cope with the demands of parenthood.

The daughter “could be difficult” and they did not want to physically drag her to school. Both parents are out of work.

The couple failed to attend an earlier court date and the case was adjourned until July 12, when the case was heard in their absence and they were convicted.

But the couple then arrived at court and successfully asked for the case to be reopened.

Magistrates adjourned for another trial. But at the second trial, they again arrived late, by which time they had already been convicted again in their absence. This time around they did not ask for the case to be reopened.

They were released on bail until October 18 and were told to be on time.