33 prosecutions inWELB for failing tosend kids to school

Thirty-three cases were taken against parents or guardians for failing to send their children to schools in Londonderry, Tyrone and Fermanagh last year, it’s been revealed.

By Kevin Mullan

Published 19th Dec 2013, 20:27 BST

Six of the cases involved primary school pupils and 27 involved secondary level students.

Education Minister John O’Dowd said the figures related to “the number of cases of parents or guardians failing to send children to school in the 2012/13 academic year that were prosecuted” in the Western Education and Library Board (WELB).

Last year the Sentinel reported that at least one in five secondary pupils in the Londonderry electoral wards containing both Irish Street and Caw were marked absent at least 30 times during the 2010/11 school year.

The truancy rates in the Victoria and Caw wards were amongst the worst in Londonderry in 2010/11, Mr O’Dowd revealed in May 2012.

John O'Dowd Fermanagh