We lived very close to the school so we walked. There was twin boys in my class who used to go part way to school, muck about under some trees in a small reserve, then go back home. The Education Dept, sent a Truant Officer to their home. He found them playing on their garage roof. He sent a letter to their parents warning then that action would be taken if the kept not going to school. I also know a girl who as a high school student used to get her name marked on the roll, wait until morning break and leave school for the rest of the day.

When my marriage broke down & we split my kids really suffered in the adjustment & my eldest had a lot of anger built up resulting in more than 60 days off school. His psychologist wrote to the school outlining his progress & why he had missed so much time of school. His teachers told me to do whatever it took to get him to school even if he refused to get dressed & they would support me in any way they could. I had to drag out of bed still in his PJ’s with his uniform in a bag along with breakfast, I ended up with bruises from him kicking & hitting me but it worked. A 12 yr old can pack a good punch but the threat of going to school in his PJ’s eventually worked & he didn’t miss any more school unless he was sick. If you work with everyone involved you can always make a plan so yr kid does not miss out on school, those early years are so important & it sets them up for life.

As the child is only 6, it is the parents responsibility to make sure that they attend school, she was given enough chances to change but didnt.

I don’t agree with this sentence either, as the child will be the dupe.
It would be better to sit with this mum around the table to educate and see what the deeper causes are.

there are obviously issues here and she needs help.

The real concern is the underlying why I hope the child is ok.

An odd consequence but in the end a 6 year old isn’t able to look after themself. Very odd story, not sure it is complete.

There has to be more that we have been told. A child of six years should be going with someone to go to school or the bus stop for school. How is jailing the mother going to get the child to school? Have a sis-in-law who delivered her HS son to the HS gates, he would leave the grounds. She ended up taking him to the front desk signing a book with him to verify he was there.

My step kid’s mother is like this, doesn’t feel like taking the kids to school so they stay home until the threat of her centrelink being cut off

So they take the child’s mother away. Who is looking after her now? (It doesn’t mention anyone else in the family) taking her to school? Bit harsh for truancy. Wouldn’t it b better to arrange someone to collect the child and see that she gets to school?

I get that they want kids in school but how do these punishments help this child? Instead of having a better attendance record he lost his mother for a week and is now some $700+ poorer on top of it. Counselling and parenting classes may have been a better idea. Perhaps there was no money, no food, perhaps this mother battles anxiety or depression.

Maybe they should homeschool, if the kid does not want to go to school, there must be more to this story. There may be good reason for the kid’s absence. And what do they mean by “unexcused absences”??

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  • • mom93821 replied
    • 01 Dec 2018 , 6:57 am

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  Unexcused most likely means not explained. Non attendance requires explanation and medical certificates or other documentation/reasons for non attendance.

There seems to be a lot missing from this story. It appears that there should be more interference from government officials getting to the bottom on why this is happening. Maybe the parents need further support. I hope the system does not fail this family instead of just condemning them.

Sounds like something is going on at home – substance abuse, homelessness, mental illness? Kid misses school and mum misses meetings. Can’t help someone that doesn’t want to be helped. Hopefully this will turn things around for them both

I’d like to know if there was any real reason for the absences.

Sometimes there is no other way for parents to learn that schooling is compulsary and that their kids have to go.

Not fair of her to be taking away a young childs future.

The child needs to be educated but wow a little intense..

She does have a responsibility in her child’s education.

So terribly sad that a six year old is missing school – not a good indicator for future engagement with education.