$70 fine if a child misses school

[grandmoon]

Have your children had a day off school lately? Just a day off without a good reason?

Well, under a proposed change to the law, you could be hit with a $70 fine if your child misses more than five days a year without a good excuse.

But that’s not half bad, when you realise that it’s a 50 per cent discount on the usual $140 fine.

Education Minister Martin Dixon  says that from  next year, parents will be fined $70.42 if they  don’t provide a valid excuse for their child’s absence.

The fine now is $140.84, but it has not been used against any parents since  the law was introduced in 2006. Under the current law, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development  have to take parents to court to fine them.

Under new laws proposed by Mr Dixon, lame excuses such as shopping days, sleeping in and family visits on more than five days in a year would result in a $70.42 a fine. Truancy, school refusal (where a student is sent home) and cultural days would be exempt.

Details are slim, but principals would be able to alert attendance officers to problem parents with lame excuses. Those parents would then be issued with school attendance notices and would need to provide a valid explanation for their child’s absence.

If they can’t provide a valid excuse, they will be issued with an infringement notice of half a penalty unit.

‘‘On a very small percentage of occasions, parents neglect that important duty, and we need to send a very strong message,’’ Mr Dixon said.

Parents Victoria executive director Gail McHardy said parents needed to be clear about what was an acceptable excuse to their principal.

‘‘Where these measures are resorted to, Victorian parents need to know what is deemed reasonable,’’ Ms McHardy said.

‘‘There  need to be communication messages about the importance of school attendance. At the same time, parents need to know in advance if a breach of uniform policy is important enough to keep a child home.’’

Ms McHardy pointed to Victoria University Secondary College, which sent children home on the first day of school for not having the correct uniform.

She said the proposed laws could encourage parents to lie to school principals about when their child would be absent and why.

She said parents needed to understand the importance of attending school, but there was no need for concern if parents obeyed the rules.

‘‘At this stage, it seems to be like a parking fine, if you don’t park illegally you won’t get fined,’’ she said.

‘‘You do have to ask though, are the people they are targeting likely to pay the fine anyway?’’

She called on the state government to increase support for parents and schools to help with school refusal and truancy to engage children at school.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/70-fine-if-a-child-misses-school-20130211-2e72g.html#ixzz2KZ9EGlQ8

[purple_haize]

I think it is a good idea, I see so many kids hanging around places, when they should be in school.

I know of some parents that dont send their kids to school, as they cant be bothered making them go, if they knew they would be fined for not sending them, more children would turn up for school.

[**snakes_alive**]

I think it is a great idea, especially for primary children.

[twinkles**stars]

My grandies are having 8 days off next week....Queensland here they come:)

[patchoo78]

It's not always the parents not sending the kids to school.  Kids can wag once they've already gone to roll call. It was easy to do at my school as it was near the beach. Kids would just bring their beach clothes in their bags, stay for roll call, bunk of down to the beach,  then be back in time to catch the bus home.. 

[lis351]

It's not always the parents not sending the kids to school.  Kids can wag once they've already gone to roll call. It was easy to do at my school as it was near the beach. Kids would just bring their beach clothes in their bags, stay for roll call, bunk of down to the beach,  then be back in time to catch the bus home.. 

From the OP Under new laws proposed by Mr Dixon, lame excuses such as shopping days, sleeping in and family visits on more than five days in a year would result in a $70.42 a fine. Truancy, school refusal (where a student is sent home) and cultural days would be exempt.

I see what they are trying to do. When I was in high school, a friend's Mum used to keep her home because the Mum was lonely. Ridiculous.

[*crikey*mate*]

Interesting Topic..

My first thoughts are "Absolutely Brilliant" - people say our education system is failing, but how is a teacher supposed to teach a child who isn't even there?

Plus - it's a discipline thing - kids are supposed to go to school - that's their "jobs" - tough luck if they "don't wanna go" - they need to learn that sometimes in life there are some things that you just have to do.

I'm thinking the 5 days a year is a bit rough - unless that is equivilent to the 10 days a year a worker is entitled to - as the reality is - that's what the kids are being prepared for - the work force.

Interesting to know what exuses will be acceptable though, and who gets to make those decisions.

Also, how will it be applied equally to all students? Will cultural differences be taken into consideration or will everyone be expected to conform to the dominant white discourse?

[j*oono]

The people that they are targeting will not pay the fine and most of them couldn't afford to.

I think that it is perfectly acceptable to take a primary school child out for a week or two for a holiday.  

[patchoo78]

Interesting to know what exuses will be acceptable though, and who gets to make those decisions.

I was wondering how that would work also. If it's the parents that have to give the child a note, and the parent was the one keeping them home from school, wouldn't the parent just say the child was sick? Or will the parent have to supply a medical certificate?

[*crikey*mate*]

Also, I posit, that it's the kids whose parents can least afford the fine that have the kids who have the lowest attendance records.

In saying that - there are families out there who the money will mean nothing to.

I think a different system of accountability needs to be thought of.

I also think that the parents need to be given back some control of their kids and be able to discipline them without fear of reprisal (I'm thinking of the older kids here) they need some support to be able to be a parent.