Student in England truancy, imprisoned parents

More than 11 thousand people punished. The government even considered that the sentence is too light

RABU, 9 NOVEMBER 2011, 12:11 WIB

More than 11,000 parents in England get apenalty - even imprisonment - for letting theirchildren skip school in the past year. The British government still considers this punishment is toolight. They plan to tighten the rules.

Reported by the pages of The Guardian,Tuesday, November 8, 2011, there were 11 757parents who punished for their children in schoolabsenteeism. This figure increased from 11 188years ago in which a parent similar sanctions.

A total of 25 parents are sentenced to prison, thelongest sentence of 90 days. Some 9,000 people were convicted and sentenced totwo-thirds of fines. Maximum penalties for this crime is 850 pounds or about Rp12 million. More than 400 parents received sentences of socialwork, and 53 others suspended sentence.

The number of parents who are convicted of atruant child in England from year to year increase in number. In 2005, there were only 4,000parents who are punished. The number of parents who were jailed constant, approximately15 to 20s.

According to the Ministry of Education UK, morethan 450 thousand students, or about 7 percentof the school population, ditching in the fall 2010 and spring 2011.

Although such a punishment is quite severe, but the British Education Secretary Michael Govesaid there was still need to tighten the rules. Hesaid the punishment is still "not yet fanged".Penalties are still too small.

"Fines for truancy current expenditure reduced byreason of adults to satellite TV, alcohol andcigarettes. Most of them also avoid fines andsanctions. We need to review the sanctions onschools, police, courts and government, on this,"said Gove.